The pond is frozen and Lake Rotoiti School’s students and staff wasted no time getting skates on to test their prowess on ice on a perfect alpine day.
Rachel Robinson is the mother of the teenage sisters, Kaitlyn and Emma, who run a skate-hire business from the family’s bach at St Arnaud and while they are at school in Nelson until the weekend, she is in charge of hiring out skates if anyone needs them.
A run of frosts has thickened the ice on the pond and by Wednesday morning, Rachel says it was about 50mm in depth and ready for skaters.
“There’s been 20 children and adults from the school on it this morning (Wednesday) and we’re hoping it will last through to Saturday - and then there’s rain coming in. Whether we get another freeze this winter remains to be seen.”
The pond sits on Department of Conservation land near the village and Rachel says it’s there for everybody to enjoy. The sisters simply supply skates and the family runs a scraper over the ice to improve skating.
