Calling all hunting enthusiasts – gather your troops, spotlights and rifles and send in your entries for Lake Rerewhakaaitu School's annual ‘Possum Punishment' event.

The ever popular competition gets underway on Thursday, June 13 and concludes on Sunday, June 16 with the final tally and prize-giving. Teams may choose to hunt during the extended weekend or simply for one night.

Participants will not only enjoy a great Kiwi adventure, but also the chance to do their bit for our native flora and fauna, while supporting a small but vibrant rural school in the heart of a forestry and farming community.
A range of fantastic prizes valued in excess of $5000 is on offer, including generous cash vouchers thanks to key sponsor the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, and hunting equipment from Hunting & Fishing New Zealand. The competition also enjoys strong support from the Department of Conservation.

While the event is hosted by Lake Rerewhakaaitu School, 30 minutes south of Rotorua, hunting is not restricted to the local area. 'With a great range of prizes up for grabs this weekend always attracts strong entries,” says school PTA chairperson Angela Robinson. 'We are keen to let people know that there aren't geographical restrictions, so long as you have your possums in Rerewhakaaitu for tally by Sunday morning. This is such a fun event and as well as the fundraising aspect for us, it helps to reduce the number of possums, who as we all know, cause considerable damage to our environment.”

The event encourages the safe and responsible use of firearms. Each team must have at least one adult with a current firearms licence, and participants must have the owner's permission and any necessary permits to enter and hunt on private property. 'Possums are our target species, as we gain additional funds from selling their fur,” says Angela. 'Although we do also accept rabbits, hares and ferrets.”

As well as prizes for the most possums and the heaviest possum, there are fun categories in the event such as best team name and tally guess. Sunday's prize-giving at the Lake Rerewhakaaitu Domain will include a host of great spot prizes and tired hunters will be able to enjoy a sausage sizzle or purchase a traditional hangi meal.
Lake Rerewhakaaitu School principal Patricia McGee is enthusiastic regarding this year's event. 'Possum Punishment is a fantastic fund raising opportunity for our school helping with the upkeep and maintenance of our swimming pool, and this year we are planning to support student leadership development, sports teams and school trips, and provide funds for new library books and learning resources.

For more information or to register your team for this year's ‘Possum Punishment' event, contact Angela Robinson by phone on (07) 3666 697.