On Monday 24th May, 17 Year 11 Outdoor Education students braved the cold and paddled to Ōtamahua/Quail Island

Over the past 3 weeks Level 1 & 2 Outdoor Education students have been learning kayaking skills such as a range of paddle strokes, emergency exits and rescues. The weather over the past few weeks has been awesome with flat glassy waters in Lyttleton Harbour. This was not the case on Monday where the crew paddled into a southerly wind over to the island, which was an extra step out of the comfort zone for some. 

Camping out on the island at Whakamaru Beach, we walked up the the restored cottage where groups had a dinner food challenge to make a delicious, nutritious low waste meal followed by a few rounds of cards and games. Waking up on Tuesday, most were tired and cold but looking out over calm waters. The winner of breakfast cooking was pikelets with bacon, berries and maple syrup made by Noah, Wyzen and Nash. The paddle home included a muddy walk across the low tide zone, ships graveyard, unsuccessful fishing attempts and 5 minutes of silence and mindfulness floating in the sun middle of the harbour. 

Well done to all the OED students for getting out and embracing opportunities!