Autahi's Centennial Reserve adventure

We are so fortunate that the location of our school makes it easy for us to find different ways to connect with the natural world. The beach of often our go-to, but we also have areas of regenerating bush nearby, such as Centennial Reserve.

This week, on a beautiful, sunny day, we headed off for our walk to the Reserve. The walk there and back is always a good challenge, with plenty of opportunities to use our Perseverance to 'keep going' all the way.

When we got under the shade of the trees, we found that the replanting of the ngahere is really making a difference, with much thicker bush and plenty of birds to see and hear, including some boisterous tūī and pīwakawaka flitting about. As we ate a well-earned morning tea, there was also a chance to try some kawakawa tea while sitting amongst the kawakawa bushes.

Then, we had plenty of time to explore and appreciate the ngahere, noticing the plantlife, birds and also little bugs and beetles. At our recent Whānau Days, we have learnt some ways to use drawing and mark-making to notice and appreciate the places we love. We used the rubbing technique we practised with Fiona to capture some textures and leaf shapes that we found.

Reflecting on our time at the Reserve, we agreed that it was exciting but also made us feel calm and relaxed. The bush worked its magic on us. We're sure to return there soon for more adventures.