STUDENTS from Court Fields Community School, Wellington have returned from a GCSE Geography field trip to the Mediterranean island of Sicily.

Activities included guided ascents of the north and south flanks of Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano, as well as visits to the Alcantara river gorge, the island of Vulcano and the tourist honey pot of Taormina.

The undisputed highlight, however, occurred on day two of the trip when the students, who were a safe distance away at the Greek theatre in Taormina, saw a spectacular eruption of Mount Etna sending clouds of ash two kilometres into the sky and heard thunderous explosions. At night the glowing red lava flows could also be seen.