Year 5 Boys Find Their Sea Legs at MERC

For many of our Year 5 boys, the trip to MERC marked their first extended stretch away from home. The four nights on the coast were designed to test their independence, teamwork, and willingness to step outside the familiar. By the end of the week, every boy had answered that test in their own way.

The programme was as varied as the coastline itself. Sailing, kayaking, surf skills, boogie boarding, giant stand-up paddleboarding, rocky shore exploration, outdoor survival, and a series of team-building sessions kept the boys active across the week. Each activity carried its own demands and the boys met them with eager willingness to give things a go.

A highlight of the camp – the Moana and Whenua Mission’s – saw all 78 boys take to the water together. Yachts, kayaks, and paddleboards moved across the bay as a single fleet, navigating their way to Granny's Bay. Strategy and teamwork were essential in their journey, with every vessel relying on the others to reach their destination.

Back on land, the focus was on problem-solving and collaboration. Working through challenges around the reserve, the boys developed a stronger connection to the environment, with kaitiakitanga woven through the activities as a quiet reminder of their responsibility to the land they were exploring.

The week culminated in an Amazing Race across the reserve and beach. Teams worked their way through stations that ranged from slingshot accuracy to urgent paddling sprints and surf-based challenges. The energy was high, but what stood out most was the encouragement within each team. Our boys cheered each other on, picking up teammates who stumbled, and pushed through fatigue together. It was the spirit of the week distilled into a single afternoon.

Each evening, the boys enjoyed restful walks along the shore at sunset before reflecting on the day in their camp journals. A Movie Night on Thursday brought the week to a close, the boys winding down together before the final day's challenges.

MERC was founded by six friends with a clear vision, and the instructors noted that our boys displayed the same qualities of creativity, imagination, and resilience that built it. Our thanks go to the MERC instructors and to our parent whose patience, encouragement, and good humour made the week what it was. Their contributions, alongside the boys’ brotherhood, are what turned camp into something the boys will remember for years.