Art-in-Nature Experience

Our recent trip to Tauwhare Sculpture Park was a great experience for our group of 50 Year 5 & 6 students. We visited as part of our inquiry into innovation and design. The park provided a wealth of rich examples that truly brought our learning to life.

One of the most inspiring aspects of the visit was seeing how an old quarry had been transformed into a beautiful, magical world. This transformation sparked many conversations among the students about taking small steps to improve our environment. It was a powerful lesson in sustainability and creativity.

The Ruru Scavenger Hunt was a standout activity, offering a fun and challenging experience that encouraged teamwork and problem-solving. The students thrived on the challenge and enjoyed working together to find the hidden ruru.

The raft-building activity was well set up and proved to be an engaging challenge. The students loved the hands-on experience and the opportunity to apply their problem-solving skills in a practical setting.

The park's range of interesting and amazing sculptures captivated the students. Each piece sparked curiosity and discussion, and the information provided about the different sculptures helped maintain their interest throughout the day.

The 2km walk through the park was pleasant and interesting, offering a good mix of hands-on activities and opportunities to observe and appreciate nature and art.

Tauwhare Sculpture Park provides excellent resources for both preparation before the trip and follow-up tasks afterward. This support helped maximize the educational value of the visit.

Overall, Tauwhare Sculpture Park was a fantastic destination for our inquiry into innovation and design. The combination of engaging activities, beautiful surroundings, and educational resources made it a highly enriching experience for our students.

Ngā mihi nui,

Heidi Littlejohn Senior Team Teacher St Peters School

I really did enjoy the tutorial given by Mark Hamond and the information he provided and the opportunity to wander around and take some photos with his support and guidance.

The booking was easy to follow and the hospitality shown on the day was great as was te food and the peaceful nature of the park.

Maria

What a great Team building day with the Team, fun and great food and company

Amanda and I were excited to be the first High Tea guests at the Sculpture Park.

Th food selections was awesome and the rugs made the experience more enjoyable.

The Duck Island ice cream was the treat on top of the Mother’s Day Treat!

Amanda and Mum

“We were thrilled to discover the Sculpture Park which is right on our doorstep. The kids had a great time running around trying to spot the Ruru while we got to admire the beautiful landscaping, and art, and have a coffee. We will be back!’

“Took the Parks & Open Space team for a team away day to the Waitakaruru Sculpture Park for a curated walk and talk and team building exercise.

I have been here several times as a private individual and it gets better and better with each visit.

It was a great place to bring the Parks team as we were abale to bond together in a different environment which was interpreted wonderfully by the Curator, John Wakeling.

He spoke knowledgably about the arboricultural and sculptural assets of the park, with little anecdotes about each piece and tree species.

We also opted for a catered option after our discussions, and the food was absolutely top notch.

All in all, it was a great day out, and great value for the outcome that we received.

Thanks to John, Sue, Dorothy and the team!”

“A former quarry has been turned into an arboretum combined with a sculpture park. It was beautiful and interesting and peaceful all at the same time. It only takes an hour or two once you get there, but it’s worth it.”

“A visit to The Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum is a great day out where you can wander through their 2km art and nature trail. Along the way, you can see Tuis and Fantails along with other wildlife while enjoying the unique sculptures and installations.

It is well worth a visit, there is something for everyone. After your trail sit and relax with a coffee and an ice cream.”

“A wonderful winter’s day spent at the Sculpture Park with visiting Japanese students Seika and Nanami and Austrian rotary exchange student Marie. So many sculptures by very talented local and visiting artists. A true labour of love by Dorothy and John.”

I purchased some Park entry vuchers for a git nd it was easy and quick.

As simple process that worked well

A Happy customers

We brought two 11 year olds and two 12 year olds. They had never done anything like this before and I had wondered if it might not be pitch at an appropriate level for them. I shouldn’t have worried though; they loved it! They found all the boxes and with a bit of prompting were able to work out all the lock codes. They also just enjoyed the sculptures.

The rurus were a bit more challenging - 15 out of 17 spotted.

Thanks so much. It was a very entertaining school holiday activity.

David