Tūhurua Wilderness ended 2024 with a successful school holidays programme and a camping adventure, as well as the team receiving a BSI Culture Excellence Award.

Kaiwhakahaere Ashlee Sturme said the holiday programme was such a success it was being followed up with nine days this month, with bookings available for this and for term one via the Tūhurua Wilderness Facebook page.

Families can sign up their children aged 4 to 14 for a day of fun, building skills, bushcraft and water sliding.

“Parents who like the idea of the programme but maybe don’t want to pull their kids out of school throughout the year might want to sign up,” she said. “It’s for everybody.”

The Tūhurua Wilderness camp in December was sponsored by the Manawahe Eco Trust, and was held on their land, giving the group access to a powered site.

“We were able to bake cookies and there was a flying fox. It was very chill and in a new environment,” Ms Sturme said.

Manawahe Eco Trust ran a rat trapping education session and took students into the bush to see different rat traps.

Parents were invited for the night and could see what their children had achieved throughout the year.

“It was a beautiful way to spend an evening,” Ms Sturme said.

The following day, the group visited Karaponga reserve and Braemar Springs.

“The kids, and some of the parents, had never been to these places before. It was nice to have a swim, and again a beautiful way to end the year,” she said.

The team started this summer by winning the BSI Culture Excellence Award for education.

“The judges said how impressed they were that everyone in our team had a voice and value.

“We have five staff and two relievers, and everyone contributes to how we run sessions and our problem solving.”

Enrolments for the January school holiday programme and term one of Tūhurua Wilderness Bush School are open and can be applied via the Facebook page.