All aboard as students cruise the Whanganui River on the Waimarie

Primary students from five Whanganui schools enjoy a glorious day out on the Whanganui River. Photo/ Bevan Conley

Students from nine Whanganui primary schools enjoyed a cruise on the Waimarie Paddle Steamer last week.

They were invited by the boat's operating trust to participate in an educational cruise, with Waimarie manager Ann Petherick saying: "We feel that it's up to us to give something back to the community every year and also it's important we do something educational.

Last Monday, students from Mangamahu Primary School, Kai Iwi School, Brunswick School, Faith City School and Durie Hill School hit the decks.

"They went board the vessel at 1.30pm, then had a safety talk and a talk about the vessel from the captain," Ms Petherick said.

The students had a 45-minute cruise with commentary that covered the history of the vessel and its ties to the Whanganui River, and afterwards they visited the Waimarie museum.

"At the end they were presented with a certificate as they had been part of the river educational experience."

On Wednesday, students from Westmere School, Mosston School, Fordell School and St George's School will also experienced the cruise.

Ms Petherick said that the educational cruises started at the end of last season, but its continuation would depend on funding as "we can't afford to just give away cruises".

This time around, a grant was given by the Macarthy Trust so there was no cost to the students.

"The Waimarie has been traveling up and down the river since 1891," Ms Petherick said. "It's the biggest tourist attraction that Whanganui has, so they all need to know about it."

Durie Hill School principal Geoff Simes said it was a "really neat initiative".

"They'll learn about the history of the Waimarie and history of the river. Anything to do with local history is important for kids."