Exploring Nature's Bounty: TWA's Adventure at Peel Forest ECO Lodge

Peel Forest Eco Centre Camp

Te Whare Ako mō te Katoa had yet another wonderful camp at Peel Forest Eco Lodge. The enthusiastic guides provided some wonderful experiences and it was fantastic to see the students stretching themselves beyond their comfort zones. 

Day 1 activities began with sorting out bunk rooms and pitching the tents. This was followed by a rope bush walk where we needed to try and hang on to the rope, some hiding games in the bush, shelter building in groups and creating a safe bushfire to cook our sausages over.

Day 2 was a highlight and consisted of rafting down the Rangitata River. Although there were some nerves at the beginning, our more confident students really supported those who were a little more cautious. It was wonderful to see the leadership skills within the group and the highlight was getting all the students in one raft standing up whilst rafting. Students were purposefully going off the side so they could be rescued back onto the raft. A train ride created by a number of students and staff who were already very wet. 

Our camp concert is always entertaining and some of the stand-out performances were Josh William's rendition of the Ed Sheeran song and Maija's spooky story she'd written by herself. The special effects with the torch had everyone on the edge of their seats. Performances by the staff always manage to entertain and this year was no exception.

Day 3 included flax collection, weaving, games, Māori myths and legends, and the Tyrolian challenge which created quite some debate in regard to the best way to get the water from one team to the other using rope and pulleys. Patience and perseverance were definitely required. Needless to say, the students and staff were pretty tired by the end of the 3-day adventure.

A huge thanks goes out to the Acorn Foundation for sponsoring our camp and to all the staff who made the camp possible, especially the wonderful guides from the Peel Forest Outdoor Centre and the staff from Te Whare Ako mō te Katoa. These opportunities would not be possible without all the support provided. The students and staff involved had an absolute BLAST!!