Tragedy prompts call for reviews

Rotorua students who have crossed the Mangetepopo Stream where seven people died this week say trips to the area should continue.

Rotorua Girls' High School students Tiffany Woodhouse and Dannelle Tuck were shocked by the deaths of six Elim Christian College students and their teacher from Auckland in the Mangetepopo Stream on Tuesday.

A few weeks ago, the Girls' High pair and eight classmates "canyoned" the same area as the ill-fated group. They too had been based at the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre near Turangi.

"We did exactly the same thing [the Elim group] did," Tiffany said.

"We were in the same place ... Me and my friend bawled our eyes out. I was thinking 'gosh what if that had been us?'."

Tiffany and Dannelle said if a sudden torrent of water hit the high-walled canyon there would have been little that the group could have done.

"They didn't have any idea that the weather was going to turn bad," Dannelle said.

Education Minister Chris Carter has ordered a review of school guidelines on outdoor education, and a local principal has suggested schools review their policies.

Tiffany and Dannelle said the weather conditions had contributed to a freak accident. In safe weather, school trips to the area should continue, they said.

For them, the canyoning trip had been a lifetime highlight.

"It was one of the best weeks of my life. It's sad it wasn't for them," Dannelle said.

The students have sent a card to Elim College offering their condolences. John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh said it was timely for all schools to review their policies for outdoor trips.

The tragedy had brought back sad memories for the college's staff and students.

Almost seven years ago 13-year-old student Matthew Brown died during a school ski trip on Mt Ruapehu.

"I just felt a deep sense of empathy and anguish for staff and parents of that community.

"It's a principal's and school's worst nightmare," Mr Walsh said.

He said the events of this week were a reminder to all schools to regularly check weather forecasts during outdoor school trips.

The college has sent a letter of condolence and students have prayed for the Auckland school and its community. John Paul College had planned to run a Year 12 leadership camp at Finlay Park near Hamilton early next term which was to include water-based activities. The school would now review its safety plans.



Girls' High principal Annette Joyce said senior students who visited the Outdoor Pursuits Centre recently were shaken by the tragedy. The school had a long history with the centre.

Her school and Rotorua Boys' High School planned to send a team there in May for the Sir Edmund Hillary School Challenge. Mrs Joyce said she was waiting to hear back from the centre whether the challenge would be cancelled.

"If [not] we would possibly still send a team, depending on whether the students and parents still wanted to go."

Girls' High regularly reviewed its policies for off-campus activities.

Mrs Joyce said said even with the best planning in the world, things could go wrong.