Haere ra, Hoani!

Our educator Hoani Eriwata, is leaving us the education team this week, to spend more time with his whanau.

Hoani has been with the Puke Ariki Education team for several years, and we've all enjoyed working with him - especially for his knowledge of te reo Maori and his interest in the environment and nature.

Hoani working with a group of students on our Term 2 Wild Foods programme.

We wish you all the very best Hoani, as you head off on your next adventure!

Upcoming education events at Puke Ariki

Stuck for something to do these holidays? The Puke Ariki education team is involved in a series of family friendly educational events. Bring your whole family along for some fun learning, offered in partnership with the Taranaki Regional Council.

Spaces are limited - we recommend you register early on 06 759 6060.

Coastal Birdtrackers
Wednesday 11 April, 9.00am-10.30am - meet outside Chaddy's Charters
Join educator Nathan Hills to consider the impact of urbanisation on coastal environments. Come and learn how to identify birdtracks! This event is weather dependent and may be cancelled due to bad weather.

Volcanic Taranaki
Thursday 19 April, 2.00pm, Opunake Library
Explore the geological history of Mt Taranaki and learn about some of the emergency procedures you should know when living under our very own volcano!

Safe Fun in the Sun
Saturday 21 April, 10.30am-12.00pm, Noel and Melva Yarrow Education Room, Puke Ariki
Margaret Amore presents a session on having fun in the water. Families will enjoy learning about different techniques for surviving in the sea. Please bring a hat and a towel!

Check out the Puke Ariki website for more information about school holiday events.

Free Taranaki Wars teacher resource!

The Taranaki Wars: A Teaching Resource was produced by Puke Ariki in 2010 as part of the award winning exhibition Te Ahi Kā Roa, Te Ahi Kātoro Taranaki War 1860–2010: Our Legacy - Our Challenge .

We have copies of this resource available free for teachers and schools. Please contact us for your copy.

The Taranaki Wars: A Teaching Resource


The Taranaki Wars fought in the 1860s are a part of New Zealand’s history that everyone should be aware of. The dodgy land deals, the villains and heroes, the warriors and peace-makers. It’s all part of what happened and is retold here in this CD Rom. Discover the key figures from the past, learn about the battles, the forts, the pa sites and weapons used. Find out why the Taranaki Wars have been called ‘the never ending war’ and how the wars were a result of unrest and disappointment with the Treaty of Waitangi.

The activities on the CD Rom, in English and te reo, are aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum and unit plans and teaching guidelines are included, along with social inquiry templates. Teachers of the social sciences will find this resource a valuable complement to the units of study on the Treaty of Waitangi, Human Rights and Social Justice.

Our very popular programme focusing on the history of Taranaki rugby Rucks, Boots and Bulls kicked off at the start of September. Focusing on the history of Taranaki rugby and based in the fantastic new exhibition It's Not Just a Game, we've had several excited classes take part in the programme. The feedback so far has been brilliant: one teacher said "this has been the best visit - ever".

Educator Hoani teaches a class from Devon Intermediate. The amber and black looks great!

We really encourage you to bring your students to enjoy this fun programme, filled with interactive and engaging activities for students of all ages. Rucks, Boots and Bulls is available until Week 7 of Term 4 (week beginning 7 November): book online or contact us for more information.

Did you visit us for Rucks, Boots and Bulls ? What did you think? Leave us a comment.

Puke Ariki Science Fair Workshops

This week members of our 60 Springs & Education teams - Nathan, Fiona and Hoani - organised a series of fun workshops focusing on the theme of 60 Springs: sustainability, education and creativity.

Based at Puke Ariki, 60 students from 4 schools around Taranaki participated in a variety of interactive, fun workshops which included demonstrations of electric bikes, promoting a sustainable future, inspirational videos and terraquaculture, with presentations from Michael Lawley (EcoInnovation), Kama Burwell (Hive Taranaki) and Nathaniel Benefield (New Plymouth District Council).

Did you take part in these workshops? What did you think? What future workshops would you like to see at Puke Ariki? Leave us a comment.