Green Bay School and Rangeview Intermediate at Archibald Park
Kayaks, mangroves, and a few soggy uniforms — it was another lively Splashy Nature Day on the Whau River. This time, students from Rangeview Intermediate and Green Bay School joined the Te Whau Pathway Project team and partners for a day of exploring, creating, and learning beside the awa.
With guidance from Auckland Sea Kayaks, students took to the water to paddle among the mangroves and see the river from a new perspective.
“It was scary at first because I couldn’t really get control of it,” said Sariah Samuel from Rangeview Intermediate, “but it got easier when we kept doing it. We even went around that island over there!”
“Probably the hardest part was kayaking,” added Yewon Son. “There were holes in the kayaks, and the water came up — so your bum got wet!”
A few wet seats didn’t slow anyone down though, the students just got a lot more confident — and splashier!
Onshore, Drowning Prevention Aotearoa ran hands-on water-safety games, introducing the “Recognise, Respond, Rescue, Revive” steps.
“I learnt to throw a ball to a drowning person first, because they help them float a little while you’re grabbing the rope or pulling them back,” said Hazel Carter from Green Bay School. “It just helps them float a bit more and struggle less.”
Down by the pontoon, the Sea Cleaners boat was tied up as a floating classroom for some good old-fashioned trash talking. Crew member Tyler Hall shared stories from their regular clean-ups on the Whau and the unusual items they’ve hauled out over the years.
“It’s been nice to explain why we come up the Whau so much and show them some of the strange things we find — couches, furniture sets, even blown-open safes!” he said.
Back on dry land, students swapped paddles for paint and science kits. Whau the People helped them shape small clay figures inspired by nature and a jigsaw map of the Whau, while Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust showed how to test water samples and spot signs of a healthy stream.
Parent helper Indra Singh, whose daughter Téa Polke-Singh took part, said it was a day well spent:
“The kids get to learn a lot as well as play a lot — that’s always good. You can’t control the weather, but as long as they’re having fun, that’s what matters.”
“It was actually really fun! We learned how to kayak, and we had some awesome splash wars!” Téa said.
A big thanks
A big thank you to Auckland Sea Kayaks, Drowning Prevention Aotearoa, Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, Sea Cleaners, West End Rowing Club, and Whau the People, plus all the teachers and parent helpers who joined in.
Events like this help young people connect to their local waterways and see the Whau as something to be proud of and protect. Together building knowledge, confidence, and care for the awa… one splash at a time.
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