Dargaville High School has won the third Tai Tokerau Challenge - it is the first time the title has gone to a Kaipara school.
Each year teams of two from five schools in the Whangarei, Kaipara and Far North districts spend seven days on board the ship R Tucker Thompson,competing in a series of physical and mental challenges.
They are also rated for their ability to work together, both with their schoolmates and other teams, and even culinary skills come into play as each team has a turn at making pudding for the evening meal.
This year the students' sea legs were also put to the test, as they experienced particularly rough seas as they rounded Cape Brett on their way from Whangarei to the Bay of Islands.
That was balanced during the May 9-15 challenge by visits to reserves at Mimiwhangata and Whangamumu and snorkelling in the Poor Knights Marine Reserve.
This year's contestants were from Opononi Area School, Kaitaia College and Whangaroa College (Far North), Dargaville High School and Otamatea College (Kaipara) and Pompallier College (Whangarei).
A new challenge involved creating an item relating to safety at sea, with Whangaroa College just edged out by Opononi Area School's cartoon The Adventures of Tritone and Leonatis.
It was a nail-biting finish with Otamatea College ahead in points until the final morning when the Dargaville High team nailed the trophy following a crew review of all scores and overall team effort.
