Dreamers Unite for Outdoor Adventures

An exciting collaboration happened in Term 2 with Te Kura o Otangarei travelling to Tikipunga Primary School twice a week to participate in after school programmes together.

Supported by their Navigators, Whaea Molly and Whaea Bailey, the Year 5–8 Dreamers spent each Tuesday together in an outdoor adventure skills programme delivered by Chil & Ko Outdoor Adventures, designed to help these Dreamers connect with the outdoors, build resilience, and discover their own potential.

The initial sessions of the 10-week programme focused on the fundamental building blocks of outdoor survival and teamwork. Under the guidance of Bruce and Becky or Chil & Ko as they’re known by our Dreamers, the students learned practical outdoor skills while weaving in essential cultural and personal development values.

They started by learning to tie simple knots (like the reef knot and clove hitch) and basic lashings to construct free-standing structures and tarp shelters. Then they were taught how to read compasses and create their own compass trails before exploring tool safety and crafting traditional flax wood waka.

A central focus of the term was a deeply personal project where each Dreamer chooses, names, and designs their own Taiaha (hiking stick).
In the tenth week, the programme culminated in a final test covering everything they learned before putting their newly acquired skills to the test in a series of fast-paced, fun outdoor challenges.

To celebrate their hard work, whānau were invited to attend a special prizegiving ceremony, where certificates were awarded, and the completed, personalised Taiaha sticks officially presented.

“It has been incredibly rewarding to see friendships grow between Dreamers from different schools. Watching tamariki teach each other knot-tying skills and work together during activities like the compass scavenger hunt has shown the power of connection, teamwork, and whanaungatanga,” said Whaea Bailey.

As one of the leaders of Chil & Ko, Bruce said he was unbelievably proud of the children that took part in the course. “We went into the term hoping to teach children some basic outdoor skills and what we saw the children achieve is so much more. During the course we were looking for values we hold strong such as resilience, leadership, kindness and overall effort. There was a young boy on the course who had physical difficulty doing some of the tasks and to see him keep pushing through and not give up was amazing. His growth was noticeable from week to week.”

He also mentioned a boy who in the first week completely gave up and shut down, then came back the next week and blew them away at how hard he worked. “He was actually really quick to learn the knot that week and you could see in his face his pride for himself, his attitude changed completely and was actually one of the fastest learners on the course. We also gave two young men a feather each on their sticks as we could not pick just one leadership recipient.

These boys showed every value we hold dear from kindness and respect to resilience. We hope these kids remember the skills they learnt but most of all we hope they remember the pride they felt in themselves every time they learnt a skill and the team work they used to achieve the goals we set.”

Together, this outdoor skills programme and the Wednesday Boxfit classes delivered by Whangārei Boxing Gym enabled Dreamers to build new friendships, learn important life skills, and practice community involvement.