Eat up, abseil down; freshers put through their paces

Military-style fitness training, games of quidditch, abseiling and a burger-eating competition are among this week's tests for 15 first year University of Otago students.

Fresher competition participants yesterday endured their first of many elimination trials to be held throughout Orientation.

Friday's final will involve abseiling down the university's chemistry building, as well as a Velvet Burger-eating competition for four remaining contestants.

Yesterday, a morning quidditch match at the museum reserve separated the wizards from the muggles.

Seekers atop pink brooms chased after the golden snitch, which looked suspiciously like a tennis ball-stuffed sock.

Water bombs and a rugby ball added to the mayhem before the real work began.

Les Mills boot camp instructor Cody Burdon had the competitors Campbell-crawling in between push-ups, squats, lunges and various other exercises involving 4kg wooden poles held high.

The hour-long session was designed to wear contestants down as well as unite them as a group, and also served as their first elimination activity.

Today a body balance class should ease their muscle pain in time for a mountain-biking challenge.

The competition's prizes include a Queenstown holiday, a canyon swing and electronic equipment.

Health science student Nicole Radburnd, from Christchurch, said she liked to sign up for such activities and thought the fresher competition would be fun.

That was before she encountered boot camp.

"The eating competition should be pretty interesting," she said.

Despite the sweat and grass stains, Ms Radburnd said her first impressions of Dunedin were positive.

The museum reserve is a hub of Orientation activity all week, with business and campus stallholders offering student deals and free food as well as free city bus tours departing hourly.