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While a dusty cloud lingers over Christchurch, French pupils on a school exchange to Christchurch Girls' High School have found a silver lining.
The 24 pupils from le Gymnase Jean Sturm, in Strasbourg, arrived in Christchurch on Monday last week, and were just getting settled in with their billets when the city was struck by the magnitude 6.3 earthquake less than 24 hours later.
Christchurch Girls' High School head of French Judy Lafdal said some of the school's buildings were red stickered and the school was closed until further notice.
The French embassy ordered the school to move the pupils out of Christchurch, she said.
Although it may have been easier to send the pupils back to France, Mrs Lafdal said a decision was made to bring them to Dunedin, after St Hilda's Collegiate and Columba College offered to accommodate them.
"They've come to the bottom of the world. They were delayed en route. They were 24 hours in the country and we turned on an earthquake for them. We were very keen to have them leave New Zealand with a positive experience of New Zealand," Mrs Lafdal said.
Christchurch Girls' English teacher Clare Fowler said the trip was turning out as good, if not better than intended.
"They have been to the West Coast, Kaikoura and Timaru already. They're actually getting to see more of New Zealand than they had planned.
"It's the silver lining in the cloud," she said.
Le Gymnase Jean Sturm English teacher Laurent Ney said because the trip was now being done spontaneously, it was becoming an adventure for the pupils.
"It will be a trip they will never forget."