The Level 2 Outdoor Education class has had a busy time recently, participating in several indoor and outdoor activities.

They have been learning how to rock climb indoors and outdoors and safely abseil down waterfalls. During these activities, they also built local knowledge and applied principles of kaitiakitanga and tikanga. Here is a little more information about the main activities we completed.

July 2023

We started Term 3 with three sessions at Rocktopia, learning rock climbing and belaying techniques. Students could participate in the 19 different climbing walls of varying difficulties and a boulder cave. This was a great way to ease into what was coming into the Term.

16 August 2023

The class was extremely lucky to have local legend Matua Des Heke lead us on a hikoi up Otanewainuku. He shared a wealth of knowledge about this unlogged maunga and its importance as a municipal water supply. He spoke about the flora and fauna and identified many of the large emergent trees, such as the Rimu, Tawa, Kahikatea, Rewarewa and Pukatea, that form the high canopy. The class thoroughly enjoyed listening to his stories, especially his connection to te taiao.

20 September 2023

To finish Term 3, we travelled to the Sleeping Good Canyon (Atuatumoe) near Thames in the dramatic Kauaeranga valley. The journey started with a Bush/River hike and rock climb from the bottom of the valley floor to a midpoint of the canyon. We started with a rock jump into the very cold Kauaeranga River before learning about the Kauri logging history in the area. Our first descent dropped over a 30-metre waterfall, which the students took in their strides. We then completed three other abseils as we made our way back down to the valley floor. It was a fantastic experience and challenge for the students and staff.

18 October 2023

The last big adventure for the class was a zip-lining experience soaring above the Kaituna River. We had four zip lines over three waterfalls, one swing bridge, and a series of boardwalks through the Ōkere Falls forest. We learnt about the rich Māori history of this part of the Bay of Plenty - Ōkere Falls, the bird life and their importance for te taiao. We learnt about the medicinal properties of Kawakawa and even tried sipping on it as a tea. To finish the experience, we planted a tree as part of their reforestation mission of planting 100,000 trees. Students could see the importance of kaitaiakitanga if we are to use these beautiful natural resources in the future.