OUTDOOR EDUCATION and accommodation IN AUCKLAND

On behalf of our Church congregation, we would like to thank Kokako Lodge management for all the support that you all have provided to make our Easter Camp running well. Special thanks to the staff who were personally involved in taking care of us. We had so much fun and the kids were definitely enjoying the outdoor activities.

My team is feeling a little down this week because same day last week, we were having such a great time and enjoying seeing the students enjoy themselves as much as they did. The recounts they wrote this week speak volumes. Students who normally struggle to write 4 lines have written 2 pages. That is the effect you had on our students.

We had a great time at the retreat this weekend. Thank you so much! The camp was lovely and we enjoyed the glow worm trail. It was so beautiful! It was the first time for most of us to see glow worms so that was really a treat for us! And the waterfall was amazing!

We'd like to thank you and the team for providing us with such a great programme on camp. The facilities and environment were all that we'd hoped for and our students took away amazing memories for life. We found that staff were professional at all times and only too happy to help. Our students made great connections with the instructors and enjoyed all of the experiences they had. We won't be doing a camp next year. But will certainly be in contact again, to plan another event some day. Thanks again for your hard work and organisation.

The staff and systems in place at that facility are amazing. Real friendly and professional that have a wide range of knowledge and abilities. Cannot talk any more highly about them. Will be returning next year. The programme is such an amazing way for students to achieve NCEA level 2 Credits.

Kokako Lodge Staff were very professional and very patient with our more challenging students. The safety and programme delivery were excellent. No worries with any activities. There was a good mixture of very challenging activities with chilled out ones. Overall, very happy, the students were engaged and got a lot out of it. They won’t stop going on about camp for a while.

The staff rostered for this camp were outstanding. The quality of instructions, discussions initiated by the instructors, relevance to assessment were all at a very high standard. This group of instructors are highly experienced and have all developed a great rapport with our girls. All instructors have been very accommodating and have taken the assessment discussions very seriously. This is by far the best group of outdoor instructors I have come across in the many years of Kokako experience. Having a large number of female instructors has also been positive bonus for our girls.

Our church and youth members were all happy at your place compare to other places we have camp before. They commented about how clean the toilets are, the wideness of the beds and the thickness of the mattresses they were so comfortable. The fresh air from the trees around and they love their walks in the mornings and spare times. But for us the chefs, we love everything in the kitchen so handy. So on behalf of our church and youth I would like to say thank you very much for having us stay at your place. We are very much appreciated everything your team had done for us.

The instructors were engaging and friendly. Our students enjoyed working with you all! Very safety focused - instructors were often checking in on student’s safety gear and surroundings. The activities and instructors were the highlights of the programme. Thank you all for an awesome time, your flexibility and willingness to cater to our needs has been excellent!

Our time at Kokako Lodge was outstanding. The scenery is breathtaking, the glow worms not to miss, and the facilities impeccable. But our highlight was the support the instructors gave our students to push them out of their comfort zones. They encouraged students to climb one step further, go one step higher, think a little more outside the box and often to stop and listen to others! This allowed them to accomplish tasks and often complete an activity deemed too hard initially. The sense of accomplishment and pride the students gained will stick with them for life. Thank you!

All staff were friendly and approachable. They were knowledgeable and did a fantastic job. We were very pleased. The camp was very well planned and thought out. We had no concerns. The team building games, rock climbing and archery were highlights. Well run programme, making it stress free for teachers and parent helpers.

I absolutely loved my time at this camp! The scenery was stunning and I loved how it was so close to a beautiful waterfall. The instructors were awesome. They taught us how to make a raft, rescue someone hurt, climb all sorts of things and always believed we could do it. Thank you Kokako lodge for this amazing camp.

In February 20 of our year 13 leaders attended Kokako lodge for 3 days in a combined school and Lodge Leadership Development programme. As a result of this initiative these young people are effectively contributing in an outstanding way to our learning environment. We have made this an annual booking as we are delighted with the facilities, the dedication to safety and the professional staff at Kokako.

It was cool seeing all the different students stepping up as all the activities were a range of levels of challenge and the staff encouraged our programme goals of motivation, communication and self-management.