About 200 Queenstown students are being evacuated from a highlight of the year school camping trip

Wakatipu High School says rising river levels have prompted the evacuation of Year 10 students from the Shotover River.

A parent, Fleur Caulton , says they'll have some amazing stories to share.

She says 12 days in tents is challenging even in the best of conditions.

In Queenstown, low-lying businesses are preparing to evacuate if Lake Wakatipu gets too high, and businesses in Wanaka are continuing to sandbag against floodwater.