Alana (11) and Kasey Hillary (9) were two of the estimated 200 Christchurch primary and secondary school pupils who enrolled in Queenstown and Arrowtown schools in the days following the February 22 earthquake.
However, with Alana's Cobham Intermediate School reopened and Kasey's Christchurch East School reopening on Monday, the girls were farewelled with a card filled with messages from all 16 KingsView School pupils, an assembly, a prayer and best wishes.
Alana said she felt, "kind of happy [to return], so I can see my friends, but kind of sad because I really like this school. When you're talking to the teachers, it feels like you're talking to a friend and all the kids get along and are really welcoming".
Kasey said: "I don't want to go, because all my friends have gone ... I like Queenstown because it has more trees and animals and the view looks nice".
Father and tour bus driver Gavin Hillary was taking a tour group to Larnach Castle, in Dunedin, while mother Mika, an international student adviser, was working in their home on Fitzgerald Ave, in Christchurch, when the earthquake struck.
Mrs Hillary said the Christchurch earthquake brought back memories of the 1995 Kobe quake.
"I called the schools, but couldn't get through. I was walking distance from Kasey's school, but it took two and a-half hours driving to get to Alana's school, instead of 20 minutes."
The parents sent their daughters to stay with their grandmother, Helen Hillary, in Frankton three days after the disaster.
They chose to enrol them in KingsView School, due to its proximity to Mrs Hillary's residence, its small "family-sized" number of pupils and the parents' desire for the sisters to attend the same school, Mrs Hillary said.
The Hillarys lived in the Wakatipu until they moved to Christchurch in 2002.
Helen Hillary said Alana and Kasey were, "completely different to the children I had at Christmas time," when the girls arrived after experiencing the [September] earthquake.
"They were very quiet and did not want to look at the television ... What they have achieved here with the wee ones is amazing, going from shellshocked to happy children."
The family will stay with a friend in Christchurch and make a start on repairing their three-bedroomed home, Mika Hillary said.
Teacher Marlene van Tonder said it had been wonderful to have the Hillary girls join her pupils.
"They've fitted in really well and brought a fresh dynamism to the class. We're going to miss them."
