Over the past year, the Rangatahi Explorers Youth Group provided a structured, engaging calendar of activities designed to get youth out and about, having fun, connecting with each other, and engaging in new experiences.
Term 1
The term opened with an evening trip to the local speedway under a beautiful clear sky, providing a casual environment for group members to reconnect over trackside snacks.
Thanks to Nayland College and the NZ China Society, we changed things up and headed out on a Monday night for an entertaining cultural evening. We were treated to performances ranging from a Chinese student playing the traditional Erhu instrument to kapa haka performances, martial arts, sword dancing, Pasifika performances, Irish dancing, a jazz/rock band, piano, and violin. It was an amazing variety of performances from very talented students from a wide range of cultures and provided lots of new experiences for us to be a part of.
We ended the term with an active trampolining session at Jumpin' and a visit to the Isel Park Night Market, where youth spent time exploring local food and craft stalls in a relaxed community setting.
Term 2
We kicked Term 2 off with a trip to a Nelson Giants basketball game. It was a first for some to see live regional sports of such high calibre, and many came away with sore voices from all the cheering! Term 2 also saw us get involved with the Motueka Cadets for Youth Week, where they put on some fun team-building challenges and lots of yummy food.
We made the most of the stunning weather and daylight with some beach volleyball and a visit to a firm favourite, the Nelson Skate Park.
A highlight for many to finish off our Term 2 events was attending the Smokefree Rockquest. The evening began with a shared Thai dinner, followed by a walk through central Nelson to catch Te Ramaroa (Nelson Light Festival) before heading to the Theatre Royal to support local youth bands performing on stage.
Term 3
We started Term 3 off by supporting our local rugby heroes at the Mako rugby game. As part of this, we were super lucky to all receive our own Mako T-shirts to get behind the boys! We started the night off with a delicious feed of burgers and fries from Burger Culture and finished the night getting lots of signatures and photos with our favourite players—what a fun night out!
Next, we were off to the Richmond Aquatic Centre for some Friday night pizza and Wave Rave action!
We finished the term battling it out at mini golf and the indoor playground at the Action Centre. It has been a great three terms filled with lots of variety, new experiences, and strong connections with each other! We’re looking forward to what term 4 has in store!
Josie Orr Youth Coordinator
