A coroner has questioned why a school group who went on a fatal canyoning trip was ever allowed into the swollen Mangatepopo Gorge near Turangi.
An inquest is underway in Auckland into the deaths of six students and their teacher while on a field trip to the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor pursuit centre.
The students and teacher from Elim Christian College in Auckland died in the gorge during flash flooding on 15 April 2008.
A field manager for the centre, Kerry Palmer, told the inquest on Tuesday that he warned the group's guide not to go into the gorge because of increasing rainfall.
However, Mr Palmer admitted that he did not stop Jodie Sullivan outright.
Coroner Chris Devonport questioned why, given heavy rainfall, the school group was still sent into the canyon.
Mr Devonport said it appears a more conservative approach should have been adopted.
Families put questions to guide
The families of the school group had their first chance to formally question Ms Sullivan.
Police lawyer Ben Vandekolk asked Ms Sullivan about her decision to tie teacher Antony McLean with special needs student Tom Hsu for a river crossing.
Ms Sullivan denied that would have decreased the chance of survival for both swimmers.
In response to other questions, she said she had not had training on past mishaps in the gorge.
Ms Sullivan told the coroner she had no knowledge of the history of the Mangatepopo Stream and gorge in bad weather and did not consider the effect that weather upstream could have on the river that day.
After her evidence, some family members in the public gallery hugged or acknowledged Ms Sullivan.
Ms Sullivan and some family members were in tears at times during Tuesday's session.
