Students relish wild taste of Kiwi adventure

ALL ABOARD: Jetboat operator Mark Wickham (front right) takes students from Xuzhou, China, on a jetboat ride on the Whanganui River over the weekend. Photo/Bevan Conley

More than 30 Chinese students are having the time of their lives in Wanganui.

The youngsters arrived in New Zealand on Friday and will spend three weeks based in Wanganui.

Wanganui High School's director of international students, Alexandra Ferretti, said the students came from the sister schools of Wanganui High School and Wanganui Girls College in Xuzhou, China. She said the exchange had been taking place for several years.

"While the students here, they'll be doing their own ESOL classes as well as after-school classes in things such as cooking and crafts."

Ms Ferretti said at weekends the students would be taken on a range of adventures, including a visit to Wellington.

Last weekend they were taken on a jetboat ride on the Whanganui River.

"It's full-on for them, but they have a great time," Ms Ferretti said.