Whenua Iti Outdoors

05/10/2026

As part of our 40th anniversary celebrations we've teamed up with Bowater Toyota and the Nelson Airport to launch our 'Donate & Drive' campaign. From 5 October - 21 November you can enter the draw to drive away a brand new Toyota EV BZ4X Pure for 40 days! Full details including how to enter are on our website https://www.whenuaiti.org.nz/donate/

This amazing car has been kindly supplied by Bowater Group Ltd and is currently at the Nelson Airport New Zealand outside the departure entrance. You'll also see it at the Richmond mall later this week.

03/10/2026

Don't miss out on thousands of dollars of prizes. Start planning how you're going to film your summer adventure today. We can't wait to see the next round of films!

01/10/2026

Ngā mihi to our Year 11 group who wrapped up four days of Explore Manaaki Tāpoi with us. Over the programme week they got to know te taiao, each other, and what Manaaki Tāpoi (cultural tourism) looks like in practice. Manaakitanga, atuatanga, karakia and whakawhanaungatanga weren't just words on a page. They were part of every day. The group also headed home with 5 Level 1 NCEA credits under their belts. Thanks for bringing such good energy. It was a pleasure having you at Whenua Iti!

24/09/2026

More scrapbook moments from WIO's history! Hazel and the team planting what has since become a beautiful ngahere that we all enjoy daily.

Reminder: Keep the 21st November free because we have a public open day for our 40th birthday celebrations. See less

22/09/2026

What a week for our Chathams Island crew who travelled a very long way to be on programme with us! From team building and the climbing wall on day one, to a half day walk in Abel Tasman where a few brave souls swam despite the cold, and a visit to the source of the Riuwaka. Then a windy, chilly half day on the waka followed by a fun slalom and kayak session in the afternoon. This crew were energetic and absolutely loving being outside, it was great to see. Huge credit to the rangatahi who took on every challenge with courage and resilence. Resourceful, capable, and up for anything, even when the weather wasn't always playing along. Some of the Chathams whānau are now looking into schooling options here in Nelson. If that's not proof of a week well spent, we don't know what is. Ka rawe, Chathams Crew.

18/09/2026

Four days, four groups, one great fortnight with Henley School in Richmond. Over the last two weeks we've hosted four groups from Henley School for a day out of the classroom. The programme covered orienteering, adventure based learning games, and high ropes elements including the Flying Kiore and the trapeze.

Every group brought energy from the first activity to the last. Watching tamariki push themselves on the ropes course and problem solve their way around the orienteering course is exactly why we do this mahi.

Henley School

17/09/2026

If you've been to our site in Lower Moutere chances are you've seen the gear shed at some point. Did you know that early on in Whenua Iti's history our vehicles could drive right through the building? We're really enjoying going through the archives and finding pictures like this.

Reminder: keep the 21st November free. We're busy planning our 40th birthday celebrations and we're running a public open day between 11 - 3pm.

16/09/2026

Small group, but a big week! Reid kicked things off solo on Tuesday, tackling the climb at Charleston and finding out exactly what "comfort zone" means by stepping right out of it.

Then the crew grew. Five more students joined in for a huge Wednesday: team building, into the dark at Winchead Cave, and a cool down swim in the Nile River to wrap it up. Thursday's mission into Cave Creek was awesome. The tutors loved watching this group show real respect for the history of the place which made the whole day.

Three days. Four locations. A whole lot of growth. The team are buzzing to have this crew back down with us in Term 2.

Buller High School

15/09/2026

We’re very excited to continue our partnership with NBS. Their support makes our programmes more available to local primary and secondary school students.

Supporting local youth for over 10 years 💚

We're proud to continue our partnership with Whenua Iti Outdoors who is helping local tamariki and rangatahi access outdoor learning experiences that build confidence, resilience and lifelong skills. By helping remove financial barriers, more young people from our region can take part in programmes that challenge, inspire and create lasting memories.

Here's to more opportunities for local youth to learn, grow and thrive.

Read the full article here 🔗 https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01mtpt0

10/09/2026

In partnership with Te Āwhina Marae, join us for an enriching multi-day wānanga of transformative experiential learning designed to deepen reciprocal relationships with Te Taiao through understanding and connection. This opportunity is ideal for active recreation professionals and outdoor educators who are interested in enhancing their environments and practices through deeper engagement with Te Ao Māori (the Māori worldview).

30th November - 3rd December | Motueka, Nelson. $850 pp.

Your registration fee includes:
• all sessions and activities (excluding waka)
• all transport within the wānanga and airport transfers (at set times)
• 2 nights x noho marae accommodation (nb. first night is up to you, you're welcome to camp at Whenua Iti)

Food Provided:
Day 1: Lunch & Afternoon tea (dinner is up to you)
Day 2: Morning & Afternoon tea, lunch & dinner (Breakfast up to you)
Day 3: All meals
Day 4: Breakfast & morning tea

The dawn waka paddle (limited numbers) is an extra $85pp, you can sign up when you register.

Register here > https://www.whenuaiti.org.nz/wananga-2026/