Wainui Park Camp

18/05/2026

Building the next generation of leaders!

Our youth leadership programme is all about giving back to the incredible young people who volunteer on our holiday programmes and camps.

This weekend at Wainui, they came together for an overnight experience focused on building confidence, connection and leadership - while growing the skills they bring into their volunteer roles.

This term’s focus was on managing risk — for themselves and others — exploring how to recognise, navigate and support each other through challenging situations.

High ropes, campfire chats and plenty of laughs made for a great weekend, with everyone stepping up and supporting each other

These are the people helping shape our camps and holiday programmes — and they’re doing an incredible job!

Bring on next term!
Interested in volunteering with us? Check out our website.

20/04/2026

These holidays were about more than fun — they were about connection.

From dancing and paddling to watching the sun rise together, our campers created memories, friendships, and shared experiences they’ll carry with them for life.
Thank you to our instructors and volunteers who bring these moments to life every school holiday.

17/02/2026

Learning, Rain or Shine!

This week at Wainui Park, camp students are discovering that outdoor education doesn’t stop when the weather turns wild. A sub-tropical low has brought heavy rain to Banks Peninsula, but thanks to our team’s forward planning, safety protocols, and experience with past weather events, it means campers are safe and well cared for while they learn in real outdoor conditions. Yes, it’s wet — and yes, the river is running high — but our young adventurers are thriving, laughing, and learning all the same.

Experiences like these offer valuable learning opportunities about the environment, resilience, and the changing climate around us.

There will be some clean-up work in the coming days, but we’re proud of how smoothly everything has run and how resilient both staff and students have been.

Outdoor learning isn’t always sunshine — and that’s part of what makes it real, meaningful, and memorable.

28/01/2026

Huge Thanks to our Holiday Heroes!

As we gear up for the new school term, we’re taking a moment to look back on our busy holiday season.

From the high-energy vibes at our Bishopdale, City and Riccarton holiday programmes to the wild adventures at Arthur’s Pass and Wainui, it’s been the best time to be a kid.

A major highlight was launching our brand-new kayaks at Wainui Park! We are incredibly grateful to www.KiwiGaming.org.nz - their generous grant made this possible, giving our campers the chance to develop water safety skills, explore and discover, and above all have FUN! The holidays might be wrapping up but we’re just getting started – these kayaks are ready and waiting for all the school camps heading our way this year.

None of this would be possible without our incredible team. A massive THANK YOU to our dedicated staff and volunteers, going above and beyond at every site. You have had a huge impact on our community's rangatahi, and we appreciate everything you do!

08/12/2025

Huge shoutout to our incredible Wainui Camp volunteers!

Last Friday, our dedicated volunteers went through comprehensive training in preparation for the upcoming Wai Camp. Their commitment to learning and delivering a safe and enriching experience for everyone attending camp is truly inspiring!

We wrapped up the day with an exciting teambuilding evening at The Adventure Centre. It was a brilliant time, reinforcing the essential teamwork and camaraderie needed to make Wai Camp a success.

Thank you to every volunteer for giving your time and enthusiasm, and a massive thank you to The Adventure Centre and Clip 'n Climb for hosting us!

27/11/2025

One Mission - To make a positive difference every day!

16/09/2025

🚨 Outdoor Education is at risk of being removed from the senior school curriculum.
At Wainui Park and the Arthur’s Pass Outdoor Education Centre, we see every day how powerful this subject is. It builds confidence, leadership, environmental guardianship, and life-long skills for young people.
If the government goes ahead with this change, it will:
• Limit pathways for students into outdoor, tourism & conservation careers
• Reduce opportunities to learn kaitiakitanga and care for our environment
• Undermine a subject that supports wellbeing, resilience, and community connection
• Erode a subject that changes lives including those who come through our doors at Wainui and Arthur’s Pass.
We believe Outdoor Education matters for our Tamariki, for our communities, and for the future of Aotearoa. 🌿
👉 Sign the petition to help protect Outdoor Education and the future of our young people:
https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/keep-outdoor-education-as-a-senior-curriculum-subject-list

Outdoor Education gives young people opportunities they can’t always get in a classroom. It builds resilience, confidence, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. It keeps students engaged in school, especially those who struggle in traditional settings, and connects them with Aotearoa.....

12/09/2025

The season is officially underway at Wainui Park Camp!

This past week, our amazing team of new and returning intern instructors have been hard at work. They've been training and completing inductions for all our awesome activities, from kayaking and coasteering to the Giant Swing.

They capped off their week with a Wainui tradition: the sunrise run and wharf jump. Considering the minus temperatures last night, that's what we call dedication! We're so excited to welcome everyone for an incredible season at Wainui Park.

03/09/2025

𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀. 𝗨𝗻𝗽𝗹𝘂𝗴 & 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿.

Holiday camps are so much more than you can imagine! We offer a 3-day 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 camp for 7-8 year olds, a 5-day 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 for 11-14 year olds and a 6-day camp for our 9-16 year olds at 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐢 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤.
Our programmes are designed to get kids off their screens and exploring the outdoors. We are all about letting kids be kids, encouraging them to learn by doing. They’ll spend their time actively exploring, discovering new skills, forging friendships and simply having a blast in the beautiful New Zealand wilderness.

Spaces are limited to book your child’s adventure today.
• Grasshoppers - 3 day camp : 1-3 Oct – 7-8 years
• Alpine Adventure – 5 day camp : 22-26 Sept – 11-14 years
• Wainui Camp – 6 day camp : 28 Sept–3 Oct – 9-16 years
Visit our website https://thekindfoundation.org.nz/what-we-offer/holiday-camps/ to secure your spot!

24/07/2025

We are looking for Intern Instructors to join us at Wainui Park for our 2025-2026 season in New Zealand! If this sounds like you, please get in touch!