Reviews

To whom it may concern,

I have the privilege of submitting a reference that outlines the experiences offered by Mauao Adventures and the excellent capabilities of the staff. Mount Maunganui Intermediate had the pleasure of working with Mauao Adventures for the first time this year. We are a school of 710 students (aged between 11 and 13) with 25 classrooms. Each of our classes was able to go on an excursion organised by Mauao adventures. This involved 60 students a day going to Pilot Bay, and in groups of 20 they rotated around 3 activities: waka ama, guided hikoi of the Mount and stand-up paddle boarding. From the moment that our teachers turned up at the beach, the instructors took over and guided our tamariki through the day. The teachers were able to join in and enjoy the activities with their students without worrying about safety or behaviour as the instructors had it covered. The instructors were incredibly clear, ensured that safety came first, and were pivotal in making sure the students had fun. The teachers and students felt really positive about the experience at Pilot Bay. Teachers commented about how organised the whole day was. They appreciated the cultural aspects that were incorporated in the day which included karakia, respecting Tangaroa, and the hikoi which looked at local culture and use of the land in the early days. Student feedback also showed that the students thoroughly enjoyed their day and that they learnt a lot, not only about the skills required for waka ama and SUP, but also about our local environment and history. Here are a few quotes from students ‘I liked how we did cultural activities and learned about Mauao and still managed to have lots of fun.’ ‘I like that you got to do different things you might not have done before and everything you got to do were things that would help people with some fear facing.’ ‘I liked how it was organised.’ ‘All the activities were really fun and exciting.’ We will continue to use Mauao Adventures for our Outdoor Education Experiences at Mount Maunganui Intermediate. The communication when organising the experience was excellent, and they were very flexible with our groups in terms of weather and Covid-19 issues. They had full and complete Risk Analysis And Management documentation and all students and staff were kept safe. I do not hesitate in recommending them to run any community activities as they are a cohesive, well organised team.