Kelston Boys connect with Te Wai o te Whau

Students from Kelston Boys’ High School Māori Bilingual Akomanga, Onewhero Hīkina, spent the day out on Te Wai o te Whau, getting hands-on with the awa and the ngahere that runs through their community.

The awa connection day was hosted by West End Rowing Club, led by the Te Whau Pathway Project, and supported by Auckland Sea Kayaks and Auckland Council Park Rangers.

The rōpū split into three groups and rotated through activities including kayaking, water quality testing and a ngahere walk, and rowing machines with motorboat steering.

Getting out on the awa

The rangatahi paddled the Whau in two-person kayaks, quickly learning that staying in sync with your partner matters.

Along the way they spotted royal spoonbills | kōtuku ngutupapa, plus kōtare and pūkeko around the riverbanks.

Student Harlem Parker said kayaking was tougher than it looked.

“I thought it was going to be easy, but it was actually pretty hard — especially coordinating with the person in the back!”

Trying new things

Students also got to try the rowing machines and steer motorboats, getting a feel for how people move around and train on the water.

Catherine Albiston from the Te Whau Pathway Project led the water quality testing, showing the rangatahi how to take samples and what they reveal about the health of the river.

The boys also went on a short hīkoi through the ngahere, learning to recognise some of the native plants growing along the banks.

Learning outside the classroom

Kelston Boys kaiako Jonathan Whaikawa has seen that getting students outside changes the way they learn.

“Dr Valence Smith, Associate Professor at AUT, says the classroom is the least natural environment for learning.”

Jonathan also believes learning outdoors connects more closely with traditional ways of sharing knowledge.

“Kaua e mahi ēnei i waho i te akomanga kia wānanga — me te āhua wānanga i ngā tūpuna.”

The day wrapped up with a rowing machine race across the whole rōpū, a bit of friendly competition and some very tired arms! 💪🏽 This didn’t stop students treating organisers with a fierce haka – the long hours the boys has been training for Polyfest this term certainly showed! Ngā mihi boys, from the team at Te Whau Pathway Project.

Photo gallery