Determination has paid off for a group of Year 13 Cromwell College pupils who have conquered a 200km multi-day sea kayak expedition.

The seven participants kayaked from Cromwell, down the Clutha River / Mata-au to the Pacific Ocean, a journey that took them four and a half days to complete.

On the longest day the group paddled 65km and on some days they were in their kayaks for eight hours. 

Outdoor education instructor Katrina Pollard said the pupils needed to prepare all of their own gear, create a menu plan, purchase their own food and pack their equipment. 

“Before we left we also did a flat water paddling session where students learnt how to paddle a double sea kayak, did some capsize training and learned how to rescue themselves.”

Katrina said one pupil had signed up because they liked the idea of the journey to the sea, and it was not until they sat in the kayak and started to paddle that they realised it was going to be hard work.

“The boys ate like kings every day, cooking gourmet meals that would make you jealous, even if it meant carrying large bags of food [resulting] in not much space for essential items like warm clothes,” she said. 

After a challenging rapids section from Roxburgh, the group arrived in Beaumont, to see the gear compartments of their kayaks filled with water after going through all the rapids. 

Katrina said it was a funny moment seeing their faces when they opened up their tents and watched litres of water come pouring out of them. 

“Luckily it was sunny and everything could dry out before they slept in it.

“It is physically and mentally demanding on the students to take part in such a trip. It requires a lot of determination and positive energy to get through the tough times.” 

She said the weather played a large part in the adventure.

“We unfortunately had a head wind every afternoon of the trip and this made it very challenging." 

She said the hardest part of all was porting the kayaks around Roxburgh dam. 

“The satisfaction of making it to the sea . . . was very rewarding. The students were very proud of what they accomplished. 

“It is good to do a trip like this so they can then transfer similar attributes to other areas of life."

On making it to the end, she said the students were extremely happy to get to Balclutha to have some well-earned pizza.

This level three sea kayak trip is one of three new senior outdoor education block courses being delivered through the Cromwell College watersport centre this year.  

Katrina said along with having an experience of a life time and gaining some NCEA credits, the students learned skills such as planning and teamwork, leadership, self-responsibility, water confidence and river awareness, confidence and resilience, and hazard identification and risk management strategies. 

This week there is another trip underway, a four-day sea kayak trip on Lake Manapouri for some year 11 and year 12 pupils.