We had a fantastic day with Nelson’s Victory Primary School last week. Whenua Iti was a hive of activity with team building games, ropes action on the Flying Kiore, a drum stalk and more! Read on to hear about what the students experienced.
On Wednesday we had the pleasure of hosting Victory Primary School’s Year 6 Leadership Group for an unforgettable day of adventure and learning at Whenua Iti. The tamariki quite literally bounced off the bus and were greeted by our Manaaki Tāpoi students who welcomed them to our site with a mihi whakatau. We love when opportunities emerge for our older students to support our younger ones in true tuakana-teina styles.
Thankfully, the atua aligned, and we were blessed with a day of blue skies and light winds. So much so, we all began slapping on the sunscreen and grabbing our hats for what felt like the first time since winter!
The tamariki were divided into three groups, each taking turns at various adventure-based learning games and ropes activities. As you’ll see in the pictures, some of the highlights included the ‘Drum Stalk’ and teamwork-focused challenges like ‘Acid River,’ where the group worked together to cross an imaginary river, and ‘Pipeline,’ where they had to transport an orange ping pong ball from one side to the other. For the more adventurous among them, the ‘Flying Kiore’ was a standout. This activity saw the group working together to pull their friend to the top of the abseil tower, suspended in a rock-climbing harness—a true test of trust and teamwork.
Victory Primary Tumuaki, Dan George, spoke of Victory’s deep gratitude for the opportunity to experience Whenua Iti’s activities. Dan highlighted how valuable this experience was for their students, who don’t always have the chance to engage in outdoor education as much as they would like. He also spoke of the generosity of Claire Williamson, whose kindness made this day possible after she won the prize Whenua Iti offered at the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Aspire’ conference in June.
Though Claire couldn’t join us on the day, she was delighted to hear about the fun and learning that took place. “Since moving to Whakatū Nelson just over three years ago, it has been immensely rewarding to form connections and sink roots into the city, including professional ones at the Aspire conference with the team at Publik Agency, where I was lucky enough to win the draw for Whenua Iti’s generous gift of a day out for a local primary school classroom.”
“Education and learning have always been important to me and my family,” she says. “Many of my grandparents, aunts, and uncles are professors—so this was a prize with personal significance. Tumuaki Dan and the kaiako at Victory Primary School deserve all the recognition for their amazing mahi. From my visit to the kura to formally present the prize earlier this year, it was clear the school is a welcoming, supportive, and rewarding environment that’s dedicated to the success and well-being of each and every student. Seeing the students enjoy their day out with Whenua Iti, developing essential leadership skills, and getting to make those important connections with older student mentors is the real reward. It was an honour to get to support Victory Primary School in this small way, and I hope there’s an opportunity next year to bring a day out with Whenua Iti to another group of deserving students!”
Our tutors raved about how fantastic the students were and how much fun the day turned out to be. A big congratulations to Dan and Claire —you both played a pivotal role in making this event so special for everyone involved.
Looking to give your students a day of unforgettable learning and adventure? Whether you’re focused on leadership development, team building, or simply giving your students a chance to go wild and connect with te taiao, our day programmes offer a unique blend of fun and education. Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can tailor a programme that will leave a lasting positive impact on your students.