On their return to school, the Year 5 and 6 students were treated to an exhilarating experience to welcome the new term, as they visited Vector Wero Whitewater Park for a day that will live long in their memory.
Following a short bus ride to the Manukau-based attraction, the eager thrill seekers didn’t have to wait long for the knowledgeable instructors to begin putting them through their paces. With a crash course in water safety complete, it was time to don the wetsuits and brave the low temperatures of the man-made river.
Plenty of shrill screams and uncontrollable laughs were on display, as the experienced guides put the animated tamariki through their paces in the white-water rapids. White-knuckle opportunities were aplenty as the brave boys and girls flew down sheer waterfalls, span round in rapid circles and were voluntarily dunked in the water, leaving them drenched but in high spirits! To top off this brilliant occasion, they were taught how to safely float down the ice-cold rapids with many of our fearless learners making the decision to take the plunge!
A more serene activity followed the pulsating rafting session with our children able to choose and swap between various sizes of kayaks and paddle boards. The enthusiastic kaiako summarised how to use the equipment and was on hand to assist with their rotation, as the Owairoa students enjoyed a calm forty-five minutes on the lake. The icing on the cake arrived when Finn Butcher, New Zealand Olympic gold medalist, appeared seemingly out of nowhere to throw a Mana Wave at our incredibly excited ākonga.
The Senior School trip took place over three days and was a hugely successful affair. Mr Rossiter’s detailed organisation of the event and the amazing work of the Vector Wero experts concluded in our boys and girls enjoying an incredible extra-curricular experience. We look forward to having the opportunity to visit again in the future!
