Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Girls find strength in event (+video)

Stephanie Arthur-Worsop
By Stephanie Arthur-Worsop
News Director, Rotorua Daily Post·Rotorua Daily Post·
3 Apr, 2016 08:27 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A gruelling eight-week programme has left Rotorua Girls' High School students exhausted but empowered after completing the challenge's Longest Day.

Cactus (Combined Adolescent Challenge Training Unit and Support) is a programme of physical training developed from the Armed Forces programme.

This is the second year Rotorua Police have run Cactus for the high school. There were 24 students who took part in the eight-week programme, culminating in the Longest Day event on Saturday.

Year 12 student Pareunuora Pene, 16, said the programme was the hardest thing she had ever tackled.

"Cactus pushed our minds and bodies to the absolute limit. There were moments during the last day that our bodies wanted to give up but we kept pushing through. There were a lot of tough challenges but it was a really great experience."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Pareunuora said the highlight for her was pulling the fire truck.

"Having all our supporters there cheering us on helped encourage us to keep going and pull that truck to the end. It was so rewarding to have achieved that."

She said 'mind over matter' was the main message she took away from the programme.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"You learn a lot of lessons that will help you later in life. It's important to learn how to overcome challenges set before you and Cactus teaches you just that."

Rotorua Girls' High School principal Ally Gibbons said the programme had been great.

"It is a fantastic programme. It is well organised and the girls respond positively to it."

She said Cactus teaches the students a lot of about the importance of teamwork, leadership, resilience and discipline.

Discover more

Moon sheds its light on keen bikers

31 Mar 09:01 PM

Green habits begin young

01 Apr 12:00 AM

Boost for high school runners

01 Apr 01:29 AM

City gets spotlight on TV One 'Breakfast' show

03 Apr 10:00 PM

"We see the huge benefit of having the police work alongside us in such a positive programme."

Head girl Jordyn Tereu was involved in Cactus last year and enjoyed it so much she took part again this year as a mentor.

"I'm doing it for the girls. It has been really cool seeing them endure the challenges I faced last year and seeing them develop into stronger young women."

Cactus has been running in Rotorua since 2011. The programme brings together police, schools, businesses, community associations and local trusts to help youth achieve something that will change their lives.

Longest Day schedule:

* 6am: Run from Rotorua Girls' High School to Tree Trust and Waipa carpark. Continue to top of Trigg Ave then back down Nursery Hill to Redwoods Information Centre.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

* 9am: Fire training exercise with the New Zealand Fire Service - confinement and smoke room, hose running exercise, use of fire equipment.

* 10.45am: Team building exercises.

* 12.30pm: Carry three wood poles along Te Ngae Rd to Sudima Hotel. Run past the Polynesian Spa out on to Hinemoa St to the police station.

* 1.30pm: 800m Truck pull from Fenton's Bar, Fenton/Amohau St finishing at the Village Green.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Pair deny charges over death of Paige Johnson in alleged hit-and-run

11 Jul 12:26 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

10 Jul 11:07 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Heavy rain warning issued for Bay of Plenty, up to 140mm expected

10 Jul 10:57 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Pair deny charges over death of Paige Johnson in alleged hit-and-run

Pair deny charges over death of Paige Johnson in alleged hit-and-run

11 Jul 12:26 AM

One man is charged with manslaughter and the other with being an accessory after the fact.

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

10 Jul 11:07 PM
Heavy rain warning issued for Bay of Plenty, up to 140mm expected

Heavy rain warning issued for Bay of Plenty, up to 140mm expected

10 Jul 10:57 PM
Light truck rolls on SH36, one seriously injured

Light truck rolls on SH36, one seriously injured

10 Jul 10:45 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP