Field Trip Frenzy: My Epic EngSci Adventure to Taupō and Rotorua 🚍🔥

👋 So, a random start, but I asked ChatGPT to read my draft blog and select the music that vibes the best with it. It chose the music u have below :). Feel free to listen to this while reading my blog 😀

If you read my last blog on how I ended up choosing EngSci (with a little help from process of elimination and MART), you might be wondering what actually happens after you land in your specialisation. Well, here’s the next step in that journey: the legendary Part II EngSci and BME Field Trip. I believe that this trip is so significant that it deserves an entire blog post dedicated to it, but I think no blogger in the past has written a full post about what happens in it. So, again, here is me doing exactly that :).

The field trip is the point where EngSci starts feeling real. You are no longer just learning cool maths or solving clean-cut problems on paper. Suddenly, you’re seeing geothermal energy systems up close, racing through cities solving real-time team challenges, and bonding with classmates who will probably be your support system for the rest of your degree. In fact, the present group chat that my current Engsci and BME friend group still actively uses has its name based on our field trip 🔥.

So, to any first-year student still figuring it out, this is the kind of experience that reminds you why the work is worth it. EngSci is not just numbers and code. It is also about people, projects, pressure, and pure fun. So, here is what the epic field trip experience looked like for me:

It All Started with Networking and Sausages 🌭

The Part II EngSci and BME Field Trip was not just a break from lectures. It was the chaotic, unforgettable core memory we did not know we needed.

It all began with Employee Connection Day, a full-on crash course into the inter*sh*p work at different companies. We heard from Suez, Rocket Lab, Beca, KPMG and more about their work, career paths, and int*rnsh*ps. We asked questions, made connections, and mentally bookmarked companies for future j*b hunts.

Then came the BBQ. Not just any BBQ, The BBQ. EngSci and BME students mingled for the first time, fuelled by good vibes and grilled sausages, cooked by our iconic lecturers, Michael Gravatt and Michael Hoffmann. That was when the bonding really started and when I first met some of my present close friends 🙂

The Bus, the Lodge, the Beach

Then, after that epic BBQ, two buses filled with EngSci and BME students rolled out of Auckland. Our entourage included the legends Kevin Jia, Michael Gravatt, Michael Hoffmann, and Piaras Kelly.

We arrived at Huka Lodge in Taupō that afternoon, dropped our bags, and within minutes, half of us had raced off to the beach. Swimming, ultimate frisbee, chaotic games. It was the perfect way to start forming memories. My friends and I also ate inside the signature Taupo Maccas aeroplane, and here is a pic of me and my friends there:

Day Two: Peak EngSci

The second day was a dream. We toured Contact Energy’s geothermal power station, where everything we had learned about fluid mechanics and thermodynamics came to life: Giant turbines, massive pipes, and columns of natural steam. Even better, some of the engineers showing us around were former EngSci students.

Next, we visited a Māori school (Taupo-nui-a-Tia College). We sang a waiata, learned Māori martial arts (which I failed miserably to do), and played Taukana, a fast-paced role-swapping game of deception that had everyone laughing nonstop.

To top it all off, we finished with an insanely good hāngī feast, and then explored Taupō’s shops and lakefront during the night.

That night, while exploring, my friends and I randomly bumped into our lecturers at a local bar. Awkward? Definitely. Hilarious? Also yes.

Day Three: Chaos Mode Activated

The final day was Rotorua’s turn. We said goodbye to Taupo for The Amazing Race.

For this race, we were split into teams, handed iPads, and let loose on a GPS-powered scavenger hunt through Rotorua. Every location u found across Roturua had a task to do once you arrived there, and you were given points based on the number of tasks you successfully completed. Some were trivia. Some were wild, such as Arm Wrestling any random stranger you find walking on the streets of Rotorua:

Some other people also had to recreate dance trends in public, take creative selfies with statues, or solve local riddles under pressure. It was sweaty, intense, and surprisingly strategic. But most of all, it was hilarious and a very great bonding experience.

The Ride Home: Feels and Games

On the ride back, things slowed down. We played The Game of Life, shared stories, laughed at the photos, and tried to recover from the whirlwind we had just experienced.

So, Was It Worth It?

Absolutely.

This trip was not just about visiting companies and ticking off technical boxes. It was about bonding with our cohort, getting a real taste of the engineering world, and making core memories along the way.

Before the trip, I thought EngSci was mostly about maths and programming. Now, I know it is also about people, culture, teamwork, and the occasional public arm wrestle.