It had been a long time in the making, about a year from the moment we cemented a sound relationship to our visit to France last year when we delivered the Pou we had commissioned for the opportunity.

For a bit of a flashback to how this collaborative project came together, click here.

It was wonderful to return the hospitality we received during the first week of April and much fun was had by all of us.

Here are some images that capture what we achieved together, which definitely achieved what we set out to do: strengthen further our relationship across continent with remembrance at its heart.

Class activities provided a rich source of exchange. Frank Baudot spent time teaching our classes about Charles de Gaulle, and we all took the opportunity to further our language skills with a range of interactive activities.

We made crepes and ate them together.

We put up an army tent in the school grounds and got to try it out.

We also visited together our Christchurch surrounding areas, going up the gondola on the Cashmere Hills  and went rock climbing at Clip'n Climb (invented by two Christchurch men, This was a real crowd pleaser.

We are delighted at having build this long lasting connection with our friends from Dijon, and it all started by our common interest to explore our past together. The Shared Histories project has provided a superb opportunity and a great meaningful starting point. Now it is up to us, our schools and our students to make the most of this experience in the future.

You can also view Lycée Carnot students' take on their trip to New Zealand on their blog here