Huge win for Flaxmere College in academy inter-school challenge

Blood, sweat, mud, water and a massive team effort saw Flaxmere College's Service Academy win this year's NZ Defence Force Academy (NZDF) inter-school competition on Okataina (Bay of Islands) this month.

It's the college's first win after attending the annual camp for 14 years.

Accompanied by academy director staff Pita Lloyd and teacher Maree Lloyd, 18 Flaxmere students took up the challenge - five days of extreme sports including white water rafting, orienteering, a walk/run/bike race, ziplining, and a tough guy/girl challenge, otherwise know as 'the mud run'.

The competition was not without its casualties. One Flaxmere student got a bloody nose in the white water rafting, while in the bike race a number of them took on some immovable 100-year-old pines, and missed a bridge or two.

Luckily the mishaps only resulted in bruises - with everyone happy and proud at the end of it all.