The Nelson Year 3 – 6 students were fortunate to have two excursions on Wednesday 10 February and Thursday 11 February.

On Wednesday they had a day out in Wakefield where they enjoyed cicada spotting on a bush walk and walking up to the lookout in the Faulkner Bush Reserve. A highlight was hearing from one of the local police constables and having a look at all the gear he carries personally and in his car.

The children had lunch at Higgs Heritage Park followed by a look inside the numerous museum sheds. They saw model railways, implements and household items and many different types of vehicles and agricultural machinery.

On Thursday the students enjoyed a full morning at the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary in Nelson. They learned all about the predator proof fence that runs for 120 km around the sanctuary, and saw the stoat and rat traps inside the fence. They learned about different plants and berries and saw and heard many different birds as they walked through the bush along by the stream.

Some highlights were the two beautiful waterfalls and spotting the very large eel that was swimming in the stream. The children also had the opportunity to do some tasting of kawa kawa leaves and supplejack shoots, and they were able to view a stoat, a weasel and a possum at close quarters when Rick, our guide, pulled some specimens out of the freezer.

The children had some fantastic experiences over the two days out of the classroom, and the visit to the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary will support Inquiry learning over the rest of the term.