Word on the streets of Green Island is "it's something in the water'' as the local school welcomes its eighth set of twins.
Ruby and Pippi Howse (5) started at the school yesterday, taking the sets of twins on the roll to eight, the same number the school had a couple of years ago.
The Otago Daily Times ran a story about the influx of twins at Green Island School in 2014.
Principal Steve Hayward said he had never heard of a school of its size having so many twins before.
"Percentage-wise, that's pretty high. It's not far off 10% being twins. I have heard that some might have six or seven sets but they might have twice the numbers. I'm hoping the ministry gets into the spirit and will give us twice the funding.''
Green Island School had a roll of 189 as of yesterday.
Mr Hayward was unsure why there were so many twins at his school.
"We don't know if it's something in the water but I'm quite chuffed,'' he said.
"They're unique, really.''
Telling them apart was an issue for pupils and staff initially but Mr Hayward said they had been getting some help.
Brothers Tristan and Heath Pickering (5) had had a ‘‘T'' and an ‘‘H'' shaved into their hair to help those confused by their similarities.
"Wee Ruby, she apparently always wears red shoes,'' Mr Hayward said.
Both Ruby and sister Pippi had enjoyed their first day at school.
"We went on a mini iPad [and] I had a really fun slide,'' Ruby said.
Twin Charlotte Low (6) summed it up best.
"It's really lucky having a twin,'' she said.
