The big walk up Mt Kaukau

People walking on Mt Kaukau (known as Tari by M ri) at lunchtime on Friday 28 April may have heard a massive cheer echoing down the mountainside.

Almost all Daisies Te Pihinga children and teachers and several parents were very vocal in expressing pride in achieving their goal to walk to the top of Tarik Maunga.

They walked along Johnsonville streets to Trustcott Avenue and up the tracks to the top.

After everyone enjoyed water and lunch, they descended countless steps to Khandallah Park and Khandallah station to train back to Johnsonville.

A teacher’s smart watch recorded 7 kilometres had been covered in total on foot.

Many in the Daisies community supported these 30 children aged between rising-3 and 5 years to use their strong muscles, and grit, to reach the summit.

Only small groups of children have achieved this goal recently.

“A summit climb used to be a goal all older tamariki wanted to achieve before transitioning to school,” Daisies leaders said.

Tar s recognised as “our”’ maunga in Daisies’ pepeha. Climbing it expands our sense of belonging/mana whenua .

“We really developed our gross motor skills and stretched our comfort zones,” teacher Anna Blandford said

“Children showed awesome positive attitudes, determination,” teacher Martina Gratzer added.

Some comments from children included:

Izzy - “We were up the top of Mt Kau Kau.”

Hugh - “When we got to the top, we played with each other.”

Vicky - “Eating crackers.”

Harry - “Walking all the way, and everything.”

Max - “Walking and talking with my mum up the mountain.”

This year, Daisies kaiako (teachers) and tamariki (children) have been investigating ways to build their sense of community.

Walks around the centre of Johnsonville and on the lower slopes of Tari helped children learn about the physical environs of the Johnsonville community.

By autumn, kaiako were thinking big. They planned a larger shared experience to strengthen children’s sense of connection to nature in Johnsonville by climbing Ta and to strengthen a sense of our social community amongst Daisies’ people.

Martina and Anna, the organisers, commented on the feeling of kotahitanga that was evident at the end of walk.

“It was so successful we would love to do it all again, in the Spring,” they concluded.