As the Senior Marketing Coordinator at WorldStrides, I had the pleasure of joining the Rhapsody Rotorua Youth Music Festival to capture content throughout the week.
I wanted to share a recap of what a week of music, adventure and new friendships looked like on tour – not just from my perspective, but through my eyes and through the words of the teachers and students who experienced it firsthand. If you’re thinking about bringing your students along, hopefully this gives you a little insight into what you can expect, from the music and learning to the adventures, experiences and friendships they’ll take home with them.
Day 1 – Sunday
Our Perth groups arrived in Auckland and enjoyed visits to Wētā Workshop and Sky Tower. Wētā Workshop was a great introduction to the creativity and craftsmanship behind some of the world’s most recognisable films. Students got to see how ideas are transformed into props, effects and larger-than-life movie worlds – a great way to set the scene for the next day’s visit to Hobbiton.
Day 2 – Monday
Our Queensland groups arrived and travelled to Rotorua, with some stopping at Hobbiton along the way. I joined Carine Senior High School for their tour of Hobbiton. It was a perfect sunny afternoon, and the group was super excited to explore the movie set. A highlight was exploring the Hobbit holes before finishing the tour with a drink at the Green Dragon Inn. I’ve been here three times now, and it never gets old. I always learn something new every time I go!
Day 3 – Tuesday
Adjudications and workshops began for half the groups, while the other half headed out for their first local school performances.
I went to Aorangi Primary to capture Albany Creek State High School and John Forrest Secondary College. Both groups gave fantastic performances, with standout tunes including Waltzing Matilda, Dance the Night by Dua Lipa and The Best of James Bond. One of the highlights was seeing the two groups join to play the Bluey theme song – a much-loved tune that was particularly well received by the local primary students.
The Agrodome farm show was both educational and very entertaining. We learnt about the different types of sheep found in New Zealand, watched a sheep get sheared, and some students were chosen to feed the lambs and milk a cow – there were many laughs and cheers, especially when one of the lambs ran away from the students trying to feed them.
After the show, we enjoyed a buffet dinner before the DJ dance party began. It was a great icebreaker for the groups to start mingling and getting to know the peers they would spend the week learning and playing music with.
Day 4 – Wednesday
Students began the morning with more adjudications, workshops and local school performances, while others enjoyed activities including a geothermal reserve visit, Velocity Valley and luge rides at Skyline Rotorua.
I joined Aquinas for their performance at Malfroy School, a lovely little primary school in Rotorua. The group started their warm-up, and the other festival staff and I had chills listening to them. They later performed this song at the matinee concert. Watch it here on Instagram.
Hugh, Director of Aquinas’ Schola Cantorum, involved the primary students in some singing activities, which was really fun and engaging. The whole room got involved. The Malfroy students then performed their Haka, and it was such a moving experience to see young people represent their culture so passionately.
Everyone then headed back to the Sir Howard Morrison Centre for the first public concert. 11 ensembles representing each school performed, from concert bands, strings, classical and vibrato guitars and jazz bands to choirs. It was a diverse and impressive showcase from all the students.
Once the concert finished, rehearsals began for the Mixed Festival and Honours Concert being held on Friday. Students were put into their ensembles and began rehearsing before heading back to their hotels for a quick freshen-up and then on to their evening activity at Te Puia.
At Te Puia, we split into two groups. Half of the group had dinner first while the other half began the cultural experience and walked through the thermal park. The cultural performance was fantastic, followed by a walk through a carefully curated immersive lighting and walking experience and into the geothermal valley, where we were given hot chocolate and sat on the warm rocks. It was welcome on a cold night as we sat beneath the stars surrounded by geothermal steam and sound.
I think everyone could agree that the buffet was the best dinner of the week! Staff enjoyed the oysters and fresh seafood, while the students’ highlight was probably the dessert bar and self-serve soft-serve ice cream. The line for the ice cream was long all night! Everyone came away with very full bellies!
Day 5 – Thursday
We began the morning with final adjudications, workshops and local school performances, while some groups took a break from music to enjoy one of Rotorua’s many attractions.
I followed Carine Senior High School to their performance at St Mary’s Catholic College. They presented a fantastic programme featuring their Concert Band, Jazz Band, String Orchestra, Classical Guitars and Contemporary Rock Band.
Then I popped into Nambour Christian College’s performance at St Michael’s Catholic School. A highlight was when Phil, the lead teacher and concert band conductor, invited a young student on stage to have a turn at conducting the band. He gave her a quick lesson and demo and encouraged her to have a go. It was such a lovely moment!
After the performance, the younger students were also invited to see and try out the instruments, many of which they may never have encountered before. It was a great opportunity to introduce them to the world of music and hopefully inspire some future musicians.
Next stop for me was the Redwoods Forest walk with John Forrest Secondary College. It was the perfect activity for students to take a break from music and learning, get some fresh air and take in the stunning scenery of the forest. This was actually one of my favourite activities of the trip – highly recommend!
The afternoon was filled with more rehearsals, lunch and even a dance battle among students in the foyer. The energy was electric, and it was so great to see students mingling with their new friends from other schools. Everyone was in good spirits, even though it had been a huge week.
The second public concert was another great success. We were joined by two New Zealand schools, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls Jazz Band and Hillcrest High School’s Orchestra and Choir, who performed on stage during another fantastic evening of music.
Day 6 – Friday
Students began the morning honing their skills and learning new ones through clinics led by our adjudicators and teachers from the touring schools who volunteered to take classes in their areas of interest.
Students could choose from a range of clinics, including vibrato on strings, improvisation, tremolo on guitar, contemporary vocals, conducting for beginners and brass clinics.
After lunch, the afternoon was all about rehearsals in preparation for the final public performance that evening.
The final performances were electric! With a full crowd at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre, the community was excited to see what was in store, and the students did not disappoint.
We ended the evening with a massive group photo – no mean feat when you have 500 people to get on stage!
Day 7 – Saturday
With the music finished, it was time for students to have some fun and adventure. Activities included jumping on the Shotover Jet at Velocity Valley, exploring the geothermal fields at Wai-O-Tapu, taking in the views and luging down the slopes at Skyline Rotorua, and learning about kiwis at the Kiwi Hatchery. There was plenty of fun had by all!
That evening was all about celebrating the students’ success throughout the week, having one last dance party with their new friends and reflecting on a week they would remember forever.
Ensembles were awarded bronze, silver or gold certificates, and each student received a participation certificate. Dinner was another standout – an incredible buffet with everything you could imagine!
Once the formalities finished, the party began, with students immediately hitting the dance floor.
It was the perfect way to end a week of music, new friendships and adventure. You couldn’t wipe the smiles off everyone’s faces. After such a massive week, it was genuinely so satisfying to see how much fun everyone was having.
“This video recaps my experience with Rhapsody Rotorua, featuring students from schools across Australia. From music and performances to exploring New Zealand and making memories with friends, every day was something new. What made this trip so special were the fun activities, new opportunities, and the people I got to experience it all with. These 90 seconds are a little summary of a trip I’ll never forget. Thank you, Rhapsody Rotorua ❤️” Olivia, the winner of the 2026 Photo and Video Competition. Watch her recap on Instagram.
More than just a week of performances and workshops, Rhapsody Rotorua allowed students to step outside their comfort zones, meet new people and experience the best of music and adventure together. Seeing that unfold throughout the week was a privilege to capture, and I can’t wait to see where these young musicians go next.
Want to know exactly what students thought about the festival?
Watch this video created by Andy, Louis and Gabe from Carine Senior High School as they move around the festival, asking students what their top moments were at Rhapsody Rotorua 2026.
