Nine students from Wairākei Learning Community braved the cold and wet in the last week of term to participate in a camp as part of a programme called “Te Pae Tawhiti”.

The name "Te Pae Tawhiti" comes from the whakatauki (proverb) "Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina!", and it means to seek the distant horizon, but cherish what you have already achieved!

The idea behind this programme is to directly and intentionally teach what is known as the Key Competencies.  This covers skills such as relating to others, managing self, participating and contributing. Through hiking, biking and camping the students were given the opportunity to develop skills like teamwork, perseverance, contributing their ideas to solve problems, empathy and understanding for others, making good decisions under pressure, how to cope or behave when things do not go their way and how to encourage others to be their best also.

Many thanks to Adventure Specialties Trust, Rotary Pāpāmoa and the Acorn Foundation for their support in making this adventure happen.