Year 6 Camp at Okains Bay 

Tuesday was set up day, and after making camp and getting our bearings there was time to explore and have a go of the flying fox and playground.  The  children enjoyed their first camp dinner that night - and were excited to play their first game of spotlight!  

On Wednesday, after the morning routine we all headed off on our walk from our campsite to the Okains Bay Maori & Colonial Museum. We were welcomed on to the site by the pupils of Okains Bay School. After sharing some kai with the Okains Bay School pupils we began our day of activities at the museum. The first half of the day we spent time learning about and interacting with the Maori Museum. This included creating our own kowhai designs, creating puawai (flowers) by weaving harakeke, polishing paua shells using traditional methods and a tour of the Whare Taonga. 

We then headed over to Okains Bay School to have our lunch and spend time interacting and playing with the students from the local area. They even taught us about the foraging they had been learning about and showed us a type of plant that you can eat that tastes like sour apples! 

The next part of our day we were learning about and interacting with the Colonial Museum. The students got to step back in time and attend the old school that was built in 1872. They dressed up in old school uniforms and got to experience what a day at school might have been like back then. They also went on a guided walk around the area, visited the waka shed and completed a trail around the museum itself.

Thursday morning the sun was shining again and we set off to Little Okains to explore and also learn about beach safety.  When we got back we had some lunch and got ready to host the Okains Bay School children at our campsite.  We welcomed them with haka and waiata and then set up some fun Wairakei Vision games we had invented especially for them.  We all had afternoon tea together before we said goodbye.  By then the tide was in and we had an awesome swim in the lagoon.  

A big thank you to the Okains Bay Maori & Colonial Museum for a great day, Okains Bay School for your hospitality and the wonderful parents that came along with us as this wouldn't have been possible without your awesome support!