Tsunami strands NZ students

A Samoan resident sits on debris left behind by the tsunami. Photo / Cherelle Jackson

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A group of New Zealand high school students spent a day and night stranded on a tiny island off Samoa, after watching the tsunami sweep away their belongings.

Thirteen students and three teachers from St Peter's College in Palmerston North had kayaked from Lalomanu to the tiny island of Namua the night before the earthquake and tsunami struck.

"The big rumble" at 6.50am woke up the Year 12 pupils and the group fled to higher ground.

"We lost everything except the shirts on our backs," said teacher Dave Scott.

They were stranded on the island the students spent another day and night on Namua, sleeping rough in the bushes.

Today the group were ferried back to Lalomanu and were greeted on the beach by TV host John Campbell, who filmed them for his show tonight.

The Herald spoke to the St Peter's group at McDonalds in Apia as they were preparing to fly home towards New Zealand.

Some of the students began crying as they shared their story.

"We were so lucky. It could have been so much worse," said Mr Scott.

The school group were supposed to be spending another night at Taufua fale at Lalomanu, but the accommodation was completely destroyed.

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Pacific Cooperation Foundation
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