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Pataua South Waka ama Challenge - Mental Health Awareness week 9th to 16th October 2011
On Saturday a group of Parihaka club members, Northland District Health staff and the local community turned up to sleepy Pataua South estuary southeast of Whangarei Northland.
The theme for the day was to engage with a rural coastal community on our National Mental Health Awareness Week to do a bit of waka ama, mau raku, swimming, have a healthy kai and ultimately have fun.
The day was opened with a karakia and then we jumped straight into it with getting the young ones into rigging the waka, learning a basic paddle stoke, water safety and then onto the water.
We had two W6's so could only get 10 people on the water at once. By the end of the water session 45 new paddlers had been taught the basics.
We then made up 8 teams to race around the big island ( which was a small rock in the estuary but the name sounded cool ). Everyone enjoyed that little competitiveness. It was a great day had by all: fun by the beach, sunny day, waka ama, mau rakau, and healthy kai shared with Whanau and friends.
Richard Pehi
The day was opened with a karakia and then we jumped straight into it with getting the young ones into rigging the waka, learning a basic paddle stoke, water safety and then onto the water.
We had two W6's so could only get 10 people on the water at once. By the end of the water session 45 new paddlers had been taught the basics.
We then made up 8 teams to race around the big island ( which was a small rock in the estuary but the name sounded cool ). Everyone enjoyed that little competitiveness. It was a great day had by all: fun by the beach, sunny day, waka ama, mau rakau, and healthy kai shared with Whanau and friends.
Richard Pehi
