School Camp Activities@Kopinga Marae
There is no shortage of activities for your students on Rekohu. Previous school camps have found it difficult to fit everything in and one well-known school in particular, have decided to make their school camp at Kopinga a bi-annual event. It doesnt matter about fitness levels or physical ability of students (or accompanying adults, there is something here for everyone.
From sightseeing, or beach combing to fishing and hunting, culture to history, Rekohu and Kopinga Marae has it all.
| Swimming | Many of the beaches are safe for swimming, as few usually have rip tides or extreme currents, apart from the usual tidal pull. Please check with Rekohu Experience about which beaches are suitable. Te Whanga Lagoon offers perfectly safe swimming all year round and public access is available at many places |
| Hunting | Pig hunting trips for school camp groups can be arranged at most times of the year and although there may be a charge for this, it is minimal and dependent on the hunting guide. |
| Fishing | On Rekohu, there are so many places where you can cast a line in the water and catch fish that we cannot possibly list them all here. In January 2008, at the local fishing competition held in Waitangi on the wharf, there were 13 species of fish landed and all were caught off the wharf. Blue cod is prolific in these waters, as are small shark, groper, kawhai (at times) and numerous other species. Shellfish can be gathered from most beaches and even in Te Whanga. |
| Conservation | There are always many conservation activities underway on Rekohu and the participation of school camp groups is always welcome. Possible activities include involvement in bird transfers or monitoring or revegetation programmes, including planting of native trees. |
| Hiking | There are an increasing number of walks and tramps for school camp groups to do on Rekohu, from Department of Conservation Walkways through Scenic Reserves, to Beach walks and coastal strolls. |
| Farming | Rekohu Experience and School Camps at Kopinga can offer you the opportunity to visit a working farm where you may see sheep being shorn (dependent on season) or cattle being 'marked'. Either way, you will get to have a good look around a real farm and interact with the livestock, perhaps even participate in some of these activities. |
| Factories | Rekohu Experience and School Camps at Kopinga Marae can arrange a guided tour through an operational Fish Processing Facility, where students can see how the fish are landed, weighed, handled, processed, packaged and frozen. Live lobster facilities can also be studied. |
| Landforms | Rekohu has a diverse range of landforms, from volcanic peaks and cones to the peat covered "clears" and many mystical limestone outcrops. Any geology student will be in awe of some of the topography and soil structures present. Basalt columns and towering cliffs also feature at numerous sites. |
| Culture | This is the only place where you can learn about the culture of the indigenous people of Rekohu: the Moriori. Come and stay at Kopinga Marae, the only Moriori Marae in the world and see the culture in action. Listen to the stories of migration, the myths and legends and the waiata and karakii. See and touch the carvings of the marae and learn about what they all mean. |
| History | Learn all about the history of the Moriori and the trials of repression that they suffered from 1835 onwards. Learn about their covenant of peace, the guiding belief that forbade them from acts of aggression, even when under attack themselves. Study the renaissance of Moriori culture and see how Moriori are making their mark in the world today. |
| School-Sports | Perhaps your class would like the opportunity to interact with a Chatham Island School. Inter-school sports activities can possibly be arranged between your students and the students of one of our Isand schools. The local schools do not often get the opportunity for interaction with other schools and this would benefit both groups. Contact us for further details on this. |
Marae based activities for School Camps
There are also a number of videos for students to watch in the evenings, some about Moriori and others about Rekohu itself. Other activities include a cultural talk from the Cultural Advisor at Kopinga and a discusson about the carvings and central pou at the marae.
Hear about Moriori from Moriori!