FIELD TRIPS
All Field Trips are on Friday 4th December
Field trips can be booked as part of your conference registration, please note that there are
limited numbers on each trip so book early to avoid missing out!
Please note; minimum numbers may apply for field trips to go ahead, we will keep you informed of any changes.
Kumutoto Urban Water Walk
All proceeds from this field trip will go to the Kumutoto Restoration Project
Price: $50 + gst
Departs: 9.30am Friday 4th December from Ngā Kina, Te Whanganui-a-Tara waterfront (Queens Wharf)
Approximate walk time: 2 hrs from waterfront to Nga Mokopuna. Then 10-15 mins to walk back down the hill to VIC.
Approximate return time: 2.00pm, this trip will finish at Ngā Mokopuna, Victoria University of Wellington
Lunch will be provided at Ngā Mokopuna.
Bring: Clothing suitable for all weather conditions, sturdy footwear.
Please bring any additional food/snacks you would like & a water bottle
In the 1860’s Kumutoto was the first of the once thriving streams flowing through Pōneke to Te Whanganui-a-Tara to be incarcerated in pipes as the city grew. Where once Kumutoto kāinga and pā celebrated her waters, the bustling CBD and motorway now hide all but 40 meters of stream below concrete and steel.
Yet, the essence of Kumutoto remains. Join us for an informative and enlightening water walk to explore the past, present and future of Kumutoto and indeed, all our precious urban awa.
Since late 2024, the Kumutoto Restoration Project has been focussed on connecting our urban community with the cultural, ecological and social richness of Kumutoto to revitalise connection with our catchments and empower participation in urban freshwater enhancement.
Linked is a beautiful piece on the awa that speaks to the essence of the hīkoi.
Kia Mouriora Te Kaiwharawhara Water Walk
All proceeds from this field trip will go to Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne
Price: $80 + gst
Departs: 9.30am Friday 4th December from James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor (Conference Venue)
Approximate walk time: 3 hrs return trip from Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne Visitor Centre to top dam.
Approximate return time: 3.15pm, this trip will finish back at James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor
A packed Lunch will be provided, this will be collected before you board the bus
Bring: Clothing suitable for all weather conditions, sturdy footwear.
Please bring any additional food/snacks you would like & a water bottle
Kia Mouriora Te Kaiwharawhara Sanctuary to Sea is an interorganisational collaboration that works to restore the mouri/lifeforce of Te Kaiwharawhara, the largest water catchment in Wellington city. Its stream system extends from Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne to the highest summit of Tarikākā/Mt Kaukau, and flows out to sea via Wellington’s last semi-natural estuary connected to Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington Harbour.
Te Kaiwharawhara is subject to similar pressures as other urban catchments. Large sections of its stream are piped underground and over one kilometre flows beneath two buried landfills. Stormwater runoff and ageing sewerage infrastructure further contaminate its waters. Over 100 barriers prevent the free movement of diadromous fish species and constrict the arteries of the wider stream system. Still Te Kaiwharawhara holds onto its mouri and its resilience allows us to hope for a better future.
In a coordinated approach to restore Te Kaiwharawhara, Kia Mouriora Te Kaiwharawhara works to prevent and gradually reverse this historic degradation. Our collective work approach is structured primarily by te ao Māori ontology and Western knowledge systems. Through this framework, we respect Te Kaiwharawhara as a personified entity. Our 100-year multigenerational strategy therefore focuses on projects that enhance the wellbeing of her body made up of te awa/the stream, te ngahere/the forest, and te tangata/the community.
We invite you to Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne to learn more about recent and ongoing collaborative projects that enhance the mouri of this beautiful catchment.
Learn more about Kia Mouriora Te Kaiwharawhara Sanctuary to Sea here.
Te Awa Kairangi (Hutt River): The Living River
Price: $80 + gst
Departs: 9.00am Friday 4th December from James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor (Conference Venue)
Approximate return time: 4.15pm, this trip will finish back at James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor
A packed Lunch will be provided, this will be collected before you board the bus
Bring: Clothing suitable for all weather conditions, sturdy footwear.
Please bring any additional food/snacks you would like & a water bottle
Join us for a bus trip investigating Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River, from the headwaters down to the river mouth. Beneath the river lies the Waiwhetū aquifer, a vital source of freshwater for the greater Wellington community, while above the waters flow through forest and heavily modified urban reaches to the harbour.
This journey will explore the work of different partners along the awa.
