A DOZEN students at The Chantry School in Martley have started the autumn term with plenty to talk about and vivid summer memories of a trip of a lifetime to Tanzania.

The fifteen and sixteen year olds worked as volunteers at Mgugu Primary School near Iringa as well as trekking and going on a safari.

Each of the students had to raise £3500 to take part, and there was a £400 donation from the housebuilder, Taylor Wimpey.

Teacher Jacqui Wallis was a leader on the adventure, and she said: "The trip was fantastic and ignited a passion among the pupils for further travel. The country was amazing and travelling through it we were able to see Elephants, Giraffes, Monkeys and Zebras on the side of the road as we drove through - this caused massive screams of excitement as it was a little different to cows and sheep!

"We camped and cooked on open fires which was daunting at first but after a quick induction on fire lighting from the local ladies we were soon lighting them without much effort . We did a project a junior school where we painted the kitchen helped build a class room, and some pupils even taught an English class. The pupils in the school all sang and went on an early morning jog before school which we all joined in, their voices were amazing and actually made me cry. "

She added: "The highlight of the project was The Chantry against the junior school football match, and they won 0 - 7! No shoes does not mean you hold back during a football match against boys and girls in walking boots."

Ordeals to overcome included cold showers, squat toilets, spiders, scorpions, mosquito's, tsetse flies, not washing or changing clothes for five days, dirty water to drink, sleeping on the floor in a tent and a 30 hour return journey.

But the adventurous students are now looking forward to their next big challenge abroad.