Students' 'big adventure' in campground evacuation

A teacher has praised the almost 200 children at a school camp who were forced to evacuate early on Wednesday morning because of rapidly rising waters.

The students, teachers and parents of Stanley Bay School in Devonport had an unexpected wake-up call around 4am, cutting their trip to YMCA Camp Adair short by two days.

"We all went to bed last night with the pouring rain, and then at 4am one of our parents came and knocked on the cabin door," teacher Helen Pelham told Newshub.

"He said 'you'd better get up because there's a bit of a situation', so we open the cabin door and the water was rising rapidly."

The water was more than a metre high, Ms Pelham estimated.

"On me, and I'm quite short, it was up to my chest."

Ms Pelham says they tried to call Camp Adair staff, but when that didn't work, they called 111 who sent Civil Defence to the rescue. A Coast Guard boat was also sent.

The stranded students were ferried across the floodwaters by tractor and have been evacuated by bus to Hunua School.

The Red Cross and Auckland Civil Defence have been sent there with dry blankets and food is also being organised for them, Civil Defence head of emergency operations Aaron Davis says.

"We understand that everyone is well and accounted for."

Ms Pelham had nothing but praise for the pupils who she said were calm and followed instructions.

"The children were told to get dressed and get into the top bunks and they were amazing. They did as they were told, they listened, there was no upset or panic, we of course were very worried everyone was accounted for which they were.

"I can't say how proud I am, there were no dramas at all from them, they've been amazing."

She says while she'd been on many school camps in her 30-year career, she hadn't come across this situation before.

Though she was glad everyone was safe, Ms Pelham said the flooding threw a spanner in the works.

"Now I'm going to have to think of two days' worth of teaching I didn't have up my sleeves - we were meant to be here until Friday."

Worried parents had been kept up-to-date via text message and through the school's social media channels.

Heavy rain has lashed Auckland, causing widespread flooding across the southeastern suburbs.

Fire crews have received dozens of calls about flooding in Hunua, Clevedon, Kawakawa Bay, Maraetai and Beachlands.

Newshub.