Kandoo's Journal

Here you can read what I have been up to in my journal, as I travel from school to school!

Visiting the far north:

Hey everyone!  Right now I'm visiting Kiwi Can schools in Kaikohe, after spending two exciting weeks with kids in Whangaroa.  I really enjoyed meeting everyone and being shown around the community.  Some of the highlights included visiting beautiful Matuari Bay, climbing Mount Ohakari and visiting the local Marae where I got to see some amazing carvings and learn a bit about protocol on a Marae.  It was really great to learn more about the region and see what Whangaroa means to our Kiwi Can students.  So thanks Whangaroa Kiwi Canners!

Kandoo

p.s to check out more photos from my journey, click here.

Learning a few things in Whangaroa:

After visiting Whangaroa I popped over to Kaikohe where I was met by Whaea Khystal, Whaea Leigh, Whaea Meagan, Matua Piripi and Matua Edward.  The Kiwi Can Leaders showed me around the cool schools and introduced me to the many friendly kids around the playground.

While in Kaikohe I learnt some new activities, which the kids participate in as part of Kiwi Can.  My favourite was 'Snakes in the grass' which taught me how to listen to instructions and play fair.

I also learnt how to keep safe in our community with the awesome help of the local Constable Hoani Hippolite and took part in the local Literacy and Numeracy Festival held at Northland College.

One of the best parts about the trip, was being given a beautiful Korowai (cloak)  which has many different colours and feathers from Tautoro School student, Kathy.  The black represents night, red represents the separation of Papa and Ranginui, yellow represents the day, green represents the growth of all living things and white represents the sky and water.   

Well now I'm off to the big city!

Sailing into the big city:

Hey kids!

I've reached the city of sails and on my way through to Kiwi Can Auckland I stopped off at the Kiwi Can head office in Albany.  Here I had a chance to catch up on some work and I met the amazing team that run Kiwi Can including the National Manager Marie-Jo Wilson and Graeme Dingle and Jo-anne Wilkinson (the big bosses) and their dog Bella.  Now I'm heading off to the city to catch up with Kiwi Can Auckland.

I'm loving the beautiful weather!

See you soon,
Kandoo

 

Getting fit and active with Kiwi Canners in Auckland:

Wow, I have had such a fabulous time in Auckland!  As well as visiting all the local Kiwi Can schools in South Auckland I was lucky enough to attend the Lion Foundation Bike the Bays at Orakei Domain on March 30.  As part of the event, 70 lucky Kiwi Canners were rewarded for their positive attitudes and behaviour with a brand new Avanti mountain bike and helmet from the Lion Foundation.  They then got to try out their brand new 'Black Thunder' Avanti bikes in the cycle along Auckland's waterfront.  It was awesome to see Kiwi Canners out their really giving it a go and getting active! Well next I'm off to sunny Coromandel, so bye for now.

Kandoo

Visiting the beautiful Coromandel:

The weather has been just peeerfect for my trip to the Coromandel!  Over the past week I visited students at Coromandel Area School and Colville School and then I got to spend some time with students on school holidays.  I really enjoyed learning about 'resilience' at Colville School, which was the Kiwi Can theme for the term and it was great to see all you students trying your best at Kiwi Can lessons.  It makes me even more excited about my visits to other Kiwi Can Schools across the country!  Oh well better start packing, I'm off to Kiwi Can Te Kuiti tomorrow.

Kandoo

Sheep mustering in King Country:

I have had an awesome time in Te Kuiti, the shearing capital of New Zealand visiting students from Centennial Park School, Te Kuiti Primary, Rangitoto Primary and Pukenui School.  I had a chance to visit the famous glow worms at the Waitomo Caves and got to watch some local residents in action doing some sheep mustering and shearing, it was fantastic.  I'm hoping to pop into Otorohanga on the way home from my tour to visit some of my cousins at the Kiwi house.  Well I'm off to the Ruapehu District now.  Hopefully there will be enough snow so I can get some snow boarding in! 

Bye,
Kandoo

Testing the slopes in Ruapehu

I was sad to say good buy to Ruapehu Kiwi Canners and the ski slopes but I had heaps of fun!  I got to do so much while in the Ruapehu district from walking through native bush tracks, going up Mt Ruapehu and visiting some of the other amazing landmarks in the region, even the big carrot in Ohakune!  I definitely needed my winter wollies down there.  Well better go, my bus is about to leave to another Mountain.....Mt Maunganui and Kiwi Canners in Tauranga.

Catching some waves

Hey kids!  I've just come in from the surf after catching some great waves at Papamoa Beach in Papamoa, Tauranga.  It's been great to be back in the sun after the snow and there's nothing like sand between your toes! I went walking up Mount Maunganui (Maori for large mountain) the other day and with some binoculars I was even able to see White Island, which is off the coast of the Bay of Plenty.  Did you know White Island is New Zealand's most active volcano? 

Better go now, I'm about to leave for Opotiki.

Talk soon,
Kandoo

The gateway to the East Coast - Opotiki

Hello!

Well I've just spent the last week exploring the beautiful rugged coastlines Opotiki has to offer and visited some absolutely amazing remote sandy beaches (I got some good sand castle building in).  Opotiki is a small town, but there's still lots to do if you love the outdoors!  I also helped with the planting of native grasses along the sand dunes to help stabilise them, which made me feel really good that I was doing my bit to help the local environment.  Oh well, better pack my things up and make my way to Rangitikei - gumboot throwing here I come!

See ya,
Kandoo

Throwing gumboots in Rangitikei

Hello

It's been a busy two weeks in Rangitikei throwing gum boots  and visiting some of the key landmarks in the community, including checking out the Gravity Canyon Flying Fox, the many love-abull murals and signs in Bulls and the amazing maze in Sanson.  I was also very excited to visit Taihape Area School who have just started Kiwi Can this term.  They've been doing some really exciting things in the classroom.  I'm off to the capital now, Parliament here we come!

Bye
Kandoo

I'm in the capital city!

Hey everyone

I've had an awesome time in Wellington meeting all you lovely Kiwi Canners and I even had a chance to do some sightseeing.  My favourite landmark was the Te Papa museum and I highly recommend it to anyone travelling to Wellington.  There we so many exciting and interesting exhibits it's hard to pick a favourite, but I particularly enjoyed the MAF display which showed insects and plants that they stop from coming into our beautiful country.  As a Kiwi I particularly know how important it is, pests can be a real threat to me and my family.  I'm now off to South Canterbury Kiwi Can.

Bye
Kandoo