The Wakatipu High School pupil said it was "amazing" to be home after some of the living conditions she saw in Nepal with Everest Treks' Youth to Everest programme.
"I didn't expect it was going to be like that. I guess I was a bit sheltered growing up in Arrowtown my whole life ... how we live and how they live is just so different."
Along with fellow Wakatipu pupil Ashley Robb (16), who travelled in a separate group, Tessa (17) took part in a 16-day Duke of Edinburgh accredited trip designed to give pupils insight into the lives of the Sherpa people and integration with local communities through forest conservation.
Her travelling group of 13 flew from Auckland to Singapore, and then direct to the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu where they were shocked by the poverty of the city: "I thought Kathmandu would be more developed than that." From Kathmandu, they took a flight into Lukla in a small aeroplane which flew in over a cliff edge and landed uphill, and they travelled straight to the small town of Nuse for an isolated 12-day trip with no running water.
"That's where we started our reforestation, on the second day," Tessa said. "We planted 600 seedlings between 13 of us over a day, which was quite impressive, we thought."
After a day of working in the Everest Treks nursery, they started their high-altitude trek through the spectacular Khumbu Valley. They did not reach Mt Everest itself, but had plenty of chances to take in the mountain, the best views coming at an altitude of 4200m.
"At our highest point we saw a really clear view of Everest and for about half an hour we just sat and looked at it. It was just amazing."
Tessa wanted to thank St John for nominating her for the scheme, and in particular the Arrowtown community and everyone else "for their immense support" in helping make her trip possible.
