A New Year camping trip for a group of school leavers ended in a washout as high winds and torrential rain lashed their tents overnight.
The 17-year-olds were forced to shorten their holiday to a Department of Conservation camping ground at Uretiti Beach, south of Whangarei, by three days this morning as bad weather wrecked equipment and flooded the site.
After a sleepless night being battered by the elements, the exhausted teens finally gave up at 6am and phoned their parents asking to come and take them back to Auckland.
Alicia Barrington, Tara Davey, Hannah Dowsett and Megan Laxon were with a party of 30 youngsters celebrating recently leaving Mt Albert Grammar.