Taupō's Monday Walkers begin their own adventure at Tihoi Venture School west of Lake Taupō.
Taupō's Monday Walkers begin their own adventure at Tihoi Venture School west of Lake Taupō.
Well, it is quite some decades since most of us attended school, but for certain it didn’t encompass the adventures and challenges offered to the students at Tihoi Venture School west of Lake Taupō.
We began our own adventure there by walking up a gentle slope to the chapel.
Nestled between native trees and protected on one side by tall, grey, smooth rocks is a small, quiet amphitheatre.
A simple cross and then the revelation that the rocks serve as a beginner’s abseiling wall was the first dichotomy of the day.
We made our way down past the purpose-built student houses. Smoke puffed gently from each. We later learned the boys must keep their house fires alight so they can cook and keep warm.
Parents of incoming youths help split and stack wood when a new class arrives.
Taupō's Monday Walkers begin their own adventure at Tihoi Venture School west of Lake Taupō.
Each hut is decorated with a history board recording characters who once lived on the site, but is also decorated with neat rows of washing and tidily arranged shoes. A sight to gladden any parent’s heart.
We were treated to a warm welcome and a log fire in the dining hall, and heard a little of the philosophy of the school and the history of the site.
The timber workers are long gone, and the Tihoi Timber Mill ceased operating in the late 1970s.
St Paul’s Collegiate School purchased the disused mill at auction and by 1979, were offering its students an opportunity to have an outdoor educational experience in the re-adapted facility.
Today’s emphasis is on achieving a social education in an outdoor setting. Interpersonal skills are developed via interactive activities such as kayaking, caving, survival skills and mountain craft, and academic goals are reached using local resources.
Anxious for some action ourselves, we walked the paddock track to the Next Level abseiling wall.
Taupō's Monday Walkers having a break at Tihoi Venture School.
An astonishingly high, smooth-walled rock face greeted us. No wonder the school has the less intimidating, practice chapel wall.
Given there were no takers, we headed off to walk some of the many intriguingly named tracks in the area — Ninja and Frodo among them.
Dotted in the bush along the trail were tiny, cleared and numbered areas where students bivouac alone. Initially for a short period, but near the end of the 18-week course, for 42 hours.
The tῡī were in full voice and rimu, tree ferns, horoeka, rewarewa, kahikatea and rangiora were just some of the many trees seen on our way.
Yes, the boys usually run these trails, but we kept a more sedate walking pace.
A fallen tree proved insurmountable, so we bush-bashed uphill and detoured around before rejoining the Tutaka track leading us up to an old pā site.
Trees now obscure the view, but it’s situation high on a hill, protected on three sides by steep terrain, seemed a perfect spot for observation.
Several very deep holes were found, and we wondered if they had been used for food storage.
The slope down was steep, but we all descended unscathed.
Later we walked streamside to a man-made obstacle course. A few were tempted and scaled the rope climbing net, but we all avoided the high rope challenge course.
We left with great respect for those who had the foresight to create a place for young learners to be challenged both physically and socially, but also after having a happy and challenging day ourselves.
Next week we are hoping for great lake views on our walk. If you would like to join us on a Monday, or for more information, please email walkersmondaytaupo@gmail.com
