Anje Runga, Germany

Hi, my name is Anja.

I am 17 years old and I am an exchange student from Germany at Kuranui College.

At home, the goal of school is only to get people prepared for University. New Zealand school is different. Here at Kuranui you can choose subjects that match with your interests and get you involved in practical activities. These could be cooking, sewing, singing, doing woodwork, gardening …

Sports are an important part of the college and students have the possibility to join the school teams in netball, basketball, rugby and many more. For the less competitive students there is “out and about” which includes several outdoor activities like caving, mountain biking, tramping, rock climbing and kayaking.

One of the many reasons for choosing Kuranui for me was Papawai airfield that is close to the college. There I finally had the possibility to learn glider flying.

Apart from that … the teachers are very passionate about the school, Kuranui is using modern technology and students are more than welcome to use their own laptops, the uniform is nice and much better than most other schools but most important; the students are friendly and welcoming.

All in all I’m enjoying my time at Kuranui College.

Alex Heilmeyer, Germany

Hello, my name is Alex Heilmeyer.

I am from Germany and I am an exchange student for 1 year at Kuranui College.

It is a very awesome chance for people who like to travel around.

Overall, the school is very good, you have many subjects you can choose from and the teachers are all very cool and funny.

Tonje Kvaal from Norway says …
Kuranui teachers really care! They make you feel safe and this is important when you are so far away from home. I just loved it there and didn’t want to leave.

The big difference to my school in Norway is that the teachers at Kuranui are much more approachable.

Julia Dahlgren from Sweden says …
I was never an outdoor kind of person before I came to New Zealand. I have changed because New Zealand is like one big playground. Skiing-friendly glaciers, tramping-friendly mountains, rivers where you can raft and swim, beautiful beaches where you can surf and all the other amazing places.

The teachers look after you and inspire you. It’s just like one big family.

Zuzana Psenakova from Slovakia says …
I can clearly remember my first day at school. I was impressed right from the beginning. Apart from studying we had lots of activities. Even though Kuranui is not a huge school, it has great facilities and amazing possibilities for every kind of student.

The teachers push us to do our best and to aim for excellence. I didn’t want to leave.

Maho Ueda from Japan says …
My Japanese School in Kanagawa has five stories and is in the city. It doesn’t have grass.

I could see mountains from Kuranui. I miss the outdoors, I miss the teachers and I miss the big sky.

Aviation Studies

Kuranui College is one of the only schools in New Zealand to offer students the opportunity to learn to fly.

Aviation Studies is a curriculum subject in which students learn aeronautics, meteorology and the history of aviation. At least once a week students have the opportunity to put their learning into practice by flying gliders at an airfield two kilometres from the college.

Each year several students attain their solo glider pilot rating and some go on to careers in the aviation industry.

Learn more about the Certificate in Aviation here.