Profile
At Rangimārie Bush Centre, our aim is to promote outdoor education and bush skills to youth in New Zealand in a safe and accessible way. We do this by using passionate, skilled instructors to guide groups of youth through immersive activities in a natural bush setting. We believe in deep, experiential learning to develop independence and resilience.
Rangimārie Bush Centre is set on 12 hectares of native bush and farmland in the Waikato. There is comfortable accommodation for up to 36 people with bunk rooms, a covered communal kitchen with wood stoves, hot showers and flush toilets. Outdoor areas include open fields for games, direct access to bush tracks and the opportunity to sleep out in the bush in self-built shelters. The natural surroundings allow students to experience the beauty of native bush, explore local ecology and enjoy the benefits of being outdoors.
All of the activities are designed to promote a thoughtful engagement and understanding within participants of their interaction with the whenua. Activities include primitive crafts, bush skills, team-building challenges, environmental studies and opportunities for group reflection. The setting is ideal for integrating science, sustainability and outdoor recreation into classroom learning, while giving students the chance to build resilience, cooperation and self-confidence. The programme can also be tailored to run structured, curriculum-linked studies such as ecology, PE, technology and more.
The centre is managed with a focus on providing a safe and supportive environment for young people. Teachers and leaders are supported with facilities that make it easier to run structured programmes, from curriculum-linked study to camp activities, plus offering staff PD.
For schools seeking a venue that combines outdoor adventure with opportunities for personal growth, Rangimārie Bush Centre is an excellent choice. It offers students the chance to connect with nature, develop life skills and create lasting memories in a unique bush setting.
Key points of difference to other camps:
– Everything included – we provide instructors from dawn until dusk, all your food and teach the students how to cook.
– A focus on immersive outdoor activities and crafts from first principles.
– An opportunity to slow down and reconnect with nature.
– A structured programme which promotes resilience and independence.
– We can work with you to deliver specific journeys (e.g. primitive technology, craft, bush skills, tree planting, ecology, etc.).
– Small groups (max. 36)
