Columba College principal Juliette Hayes said about a dozen years 12 and 13 girls, and three adults, were to visit Hog Harbour Secondary School and Prenter Primary School on Espiritu Santo Island in Vanuatu, during the Easter holidays.
However, the category 5 cyclone which had wind gusts up to 300kmh, destroyed much of the island's infrastructure and forced the college to cancel the week-long trip.
The trip was expected to be similar to the college's 2013 trip when pupils visited Paama Island, where they taught classes, coached individual pupils, created resources and sorted and catalogued library books.
This time, the college planned to focus on building a new partnership with the two schools, and taking over about $2000 worth of much-needed educational equipment, such as sports gear, pens and pencils, activities for children, as well as funds ''to do what needed doing''.
Mrs Hayes said each pupil had to raise about $3000 to pay for flights and expenses.
She said the college decided to cancel the trip because it was not known how long it would be until Vanuatu was in a position to host visitors again.
''We certainly didn't want to put any pressure on them or be a burden to them while we were there.
''Because they are senior girls and they have very little time available for the rest of this year, we thought we'd cancel it and then support the schools in other ways - through financial aid.''
The school set up an appeal earlier this week, which has since raised more than $2000 for the schools.
Mrs Hayes said Columba College would hold on to the equipment until the schools were ready to receive it.
