Rakiura Stewart Island 2023
26 students won an opportunity to travel on a leadership experience to the beautiful Rakiura at the end of term 3. The outdoor experience has been going for 10 years and each year the trip is filled with new experiences and memories for life are created.
Conan Tabb said of the trip, "I felt real good being selected because so many good people deserved to go and I was stoked to hear I was 1 of them. While I was there it was so much fun. Fishing, manu's off the wharf, kiwi spotting, paua hunting and driving the tinnie. It was the best school trip I have ever been on."
Chi Smithies - "So many people deserved to go, I felt so lucky to go. I really like going down to the water and being on the tinnie. Ulva Island was amazing. The boat trip over was extremely chaotic and at the same time fun - some kids spewed (including me). To be fair I was one of the last people to see a kiwi and I thought I wouldn't as we only saw them on the last night. It was amazing and I loved it".
The king of the mullet, Covey Stevenson reports: "I was very excited to be picked for such a cool trip and it was very fun. I loved the vibe and the food. The trip over was fun as the waves were so big. It kind of felt like a roller coaster. I loved driving the tinnie and fishing off the warf with the handlines. It was so cool to see kiwi in the wild for the first time. I really liked cooking paua on the bbq. Overall it was a very good trip and I would love to do it again".
Lara Treweek from room 10 had this to say..."The boat ride there was very fun for the first time I have been on a boat. Going over the waves and thumping on the water. Towards the end I started to feel sick, but managed to hold myself in and wasn't sick. After I came of the boat I was feeling sick, but just being on Stewart Island made me feel better. The first night sleeping in a tent was very interesting as it was so cold, windy and raining. I didn't have a pillow and it felt like I was just lying on the ground. I enjoyed the walks, Ulva Island, walking the streets, walks to the beach. I loved playing 1,2,3 spike on the beach. Everyone was kind and it had a good vibe. Trying new seafood like paua and kina was awesome. I loved paua but kina not so much - it had an interesting aftertaste. I liked when we went fishing to catch blue cod off the boat and was proud of the decent size fish I caught. It was mean as cooking the cod and my group won the 2023 "Cod Off". My Dad might take me fishing and ask me to cook. Overall I think the trip was amazing. The kiwi spotting, getting lost and all the moments summed it up as one of the best trips I have ever gone on. I would love to go again".
A huge thanks to Caitlin (student teacher from room 8), Vanessa (the best all round Rakiura adult) Tyron Wall (captain kina and paua man extreme), Mr Scoles (the seasoned veteran of all things Rakiura) once again has organised a trip which challenged the students and old man Lousley. He made sure that regardless of the weather (yes we had gale force winds, torrential rain and freezing temperatures, huge seas) we still did every activity that we planned.
Thanks to Ants at Mamaku Point Reserve, Ian from Aurora Charters, Sandy from DOC, Steve Gooding Marine for the motor and tote tank, Stewart Island Museum, Tāngaroa (for providing our kai moana) and to everyone that went on this 2023 mission - we just loved it!!
Fun fact: The body of water that is between Te Wai Ponamu and Rakiura is called 'Foveaux Straight'.
Ngā mihi,
EOTC Tahuna.
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