8 minute read
Kahunui Close Up
Creating remarkable women, one intake at a time
Kahunui Close Up
St Cuthbert’s is the only New Zealand girls’ school to offer a residential outdoor learning programme on a separate campus.
This unique experience is an integral part of our Year 10 curriculum, and Principal Justine Mahon says the programme supports teenagers at a critical time in their development, to better connect with one another, nature, and themselves.
Situated in the idyllic Bay of Plenty, Kahunui is nestled amongst the most beautiful native bush, within tramping distance to rivers, and beaches, enabling us to provide unbeatable outdoor experiences for every girl, in every intake.
Kahunui is a social outdoor education programme, designed to advance students’ social, physical, and emotional fitness. Our students leave Kahunui with new-found resilience, self-confidence, skills, and friends for life – not to mention a deeper appreciation for all their families do for them at home! We caught up with Justine Mahon and some of the Kahunui team, to unpack what makes Kahunui such a valuable and transformative experience, and one that’s unique to St Cuthbert’s.
“While we spend considerable time building each intake up in readiness for the Kahunui journey, understandably, the girls often arrive at Kahunui slightly apprehensive about the experience ahead. However, by the end of their stay, each intake becomes a close-knit group of friends with bonds built on trust and wonderful shared experiences,” says Justine.
Epsom Kahunui lead, and Iona Dean, Gail Morrison, says, “The Kahunui programme is packed full of adventures such as overnight tramps, kayaking, wharf jumping and learning how to collect firewood and split kindling to keep warm. While the girls are taught bush survival skills, the programme also nurtures other traits such as being accepting and being tolerant of others, and their differences.
“Students embark on this personal journey at age 14/15, which is a critical time in their development. Helping them to discover how strong they really are, and how capable they are, through the many activities, supports their social and emotional growth. It also connects them to nature and the outdoors, helping them to understand our relationship with the environment through the ‘pay it forward’ initiative, which might see an intake clear tracks, for example, for the next intake to enjoy.”
“With activities like blokarting and survival camping on their doorstep, Kahunui is a broad and exciting learning environment,
like no other. If students are open to the experiences on offer, and are prepared to really give things a go, they get so much out of the experience. ”
Head of Kahunui Campus, Lauren Moyes, who is based on site, and oversees the programme and the girls on the ground, adds, “A key factor in their Kahunui stay is that the girls are split into three groups of eight, with each group living together in a house. The girls must run a fully functioning home, learning to cook, clean and function as a unit together. This part of the experience is really important, as living together for a month means that they must respect and consider the needs of others, equipping them well for their futures.
When asked what else makes Kahunui such a special experience, Justine, Gail and Lauren all agree that the 26-day device detox, really supports the students to separate themselves from technology, and to learn how to better manage screen time when they come home.
At Kahunui they fill their free time with other hobbies such as reading a book on a beanbag outside, running around in the fresh air, writing letters, and reflections, rather than being on a device,” says Lauren.
Reflections from some of our 2022 intake students
We caught up with Kaihikatea and By Love Serve award winners from a some of this year’s intakes: Daniella Van Delden, Grace Meredith and Nuria Hocken Cubi, to reflect on their time spent at Kahunui.
Kahunui reflections from the journal of ‘By Love Serve’ award winner, Nuria Hocken Cubi (Intake 3, 2022)
I am beyond grateful for Kahunui and the great experiences that I probably would never have had, if I hadn’t endd up going. I have so many memories that I have made here which I will never forget, from baking cookies to building bivis with natural resources. Nat and I honestly thought we were going to sleep under the stars that night or worst-case scenario, get eaten by a possum! When I first came here, I was super excited since I love the outdoors and I love being independent and doing things by myself. But, by the first week, I really wanted to go home because we were loaded with information and most of it went through one ear and out the other, but I did try hard not to get distracted. In the end I have come to love all the activities and opportunities, like sitting in my nice solo area with nothing to do apart from write in my journal. I have been challenged by doing a lot of things.
I definitely work better in groups and in group activities since I have been here and also learned that not everything is about winning or being the best in something. I was really proud of myself when I set up a tent for the first time. I thought it would be a lot harder, but it turns out it’s not. Also, Natalia and I set up our bivis all out of natural materials and in the end, we did have a place to sleep, I was very grateful and went to sleep with a big smile on my face.
I can’t wait to come back in Year 13, three years away. Overall, my time in Kahunui was so much fun and I am beyond grateful that I came and did all these amazing things.
Overall Kahunui has been a crazy experience that I will never forget. There have been highs and the lows, all the rocks in people’s shoes, the running through the bush, the endless amounts of baking,
Grace Meredith
jumping off the wharf, the tears and the laughter, the pegs in your hair, the tents, the OG house and our perfect 30, bug hotels, the walks, the letters, the waterfall, the swims in the river, night clinic, murder mystery, food refills, morning fitness and Just Dance, my room mates, the quizzes, the communal dinners, house tramp, Moana, Ngahere, survival rogane, the dogs and the instructors – you make the place what it is.
I came to Kahu dreading the idea of it, but now I will leave the bush with thousands of memories and stories, new and stronger friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I have learnt so many new life skills, that I will use forever. Now, I am sitting around this fire and will leave this place in less than 72 hours; not wanting to go back to the real world, wishing that it was still day one.
I came to Kahunui with mixed emotions, but if some of my book worm friends liked it in previous intakes, well then there was hope that I would too. But as I sit in the bush, I have come to realise over the last few weeks that I haven’t just liked it, but I have LOVED it!
From wharf jumping, kayaking, hiking, building bivvys, survival, rogaine, freezing cold river swims and the endless cookies Kahunui has been AMAZING and MORE! The instructors and the girls in Intake 6 have made this month fly by and so memorable and I can’t forget the dogs! Oh the dogs… Fe, Coa and Red have just made the whole time so much better. It’s hard to believe that I only have 46 hours left and I will be back home, no longer at this amazing place in the middle of nowhere with my friends and with girls I can now call my friends, from this time together. I now have great memories of staying up late, setting off the smoke alarm from burnt cookies, Ms Coombes braiding our hair, writing and receiving letters, playing games, singing or more like howling in the van, slip ‘n’ slide, bird feeding, and the numerous mosquito bites.
I would do it all over again tomorrow if I could, but in a few days’ time I will be at school and sitting here in the bush will be a memory, but a memory I will smile and laugh about from my experiences and the girls with whom I have shared Intake 6, at Kahunui.
