TWO former Budehaven students have returned from their worldwide travels after managing to avoid earthquakes and cyclones.

When Emily Hargreaves and Shannon Salisbury set off on their travels as part of scholarships they were awarded from the Royal Geographical Society, the last thing they expected was to be faced with horrendous flooding and winds of nearly 200mph.

The programme allowed them to see various sights and take part in activities across different countries.

Shannon began her year with a voluntary placement helping at an orphanage near the Ochre City of Marrakech and then travelled into the Sahara desert. Emily based herself in Beijing, visiting traditional Chinese terraced farms in the provinces then sites including Tianenmen Square, The Forbidden City and The Great Wall of China.

The students then had a geographical experience that they had not anticipated, but gave them a valuable insight into the power of nature.

"We flew to Hong Kong for a week then on to Sydney where the weather was amazing," said Shannon.

For the full report, and a round up of the area news and sport, please see this week's edition of the 'Post'.