Keri Jackson (left) and Judy Sim, both of Queenstown, near
the finish line. Photo by Joanne Carroll.
More than $4000 was raised for Wakatipu High School's
annual year 10 camp to Branches Station in the inaugural
Queenstown Hill Te Tapanui Challenge on Sunday.
• Slideshow: Entrants take on challenge for camp
It was a 13km bike, run or walk from the school to Tucker
beach.
The Branches camp, which has been going since 1967, is held
every year in November and for many students is the highlight
of their secondary school experience.
However, with escalating costs and growing numbers, the
school decided to cap the cost to parents at $250 a child and
set up a fundraising committee to establish a charitable
trust, the Branches Trust, to ensure the camp can keep going
in the future.
Trustee Vanessa Van Uden said 110 entrants completed the
challenge.
"We are absolutely delighted with the number of entries and
the money raised," she said.
A sausage sizzle by Queenstown's Rotary Club also added to
the total, she said.
She said it was a wonderful opportunity for entrants to
experience a part of the Queenstown landscape - Queenstown
Hill - that is usually closed to the public.
The trust was extremely grateful to the Middleton family for
allowing the race over their land.
Tony Middendorf, of Queenstown, won the bike race in 46min
54sec and Joel Climo (14), of Queenstown, was the first
runner in 1hr 41min 22sec.
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.