Highlights from a pre-conference weekend

 

Before heading to Whanganui for the Round Square Conference, seven Scotch Oakburn students enjoyed three days exploring Wellington and Kāpiti Island. Their reflections capture the excitement, challenge and learning that shaped the start of their New Zealand adventure.

Ned Tatchell loved visiting Wētā Workshop and seeing how movie props are made. He also enjoyed learning about “Maori indigenous culture” at the Te Papa museum. Sunday’s climb on Kāpiti Island was a standout as he learnt “a lot about its history and the birds that live there.”

Edie Kwan arrived excited for “this long-awaited adventure.” She enjoyed navigating airports with Izzy and spotting “mountain ranges and random port seaside towns” from the plane. She loved how much Māori culture is present everywhere and found Wētā Workshop “insightful.” The boat ride to Kāpiti felt like “a mini roller coaster,” and she valued conversations with others.

Izzy Adams found Friday a great chance to build friendships and independence while travelling. She was fascinated by how Wētā creates prosthetics and animatronics and loved hearing Māori creation stories at Te Papa. Seeing endangered birds thrive on Kāpiti Island was “very inspiring.”

Grayson Edwards felt both nervous and excited for his “first overseas trip in seven years.” He especially enjoyed operating an animatronic at Wētā Workshop and was moved by the Gallipoli exhibition at Te Papa Museum. Reaching the summit on Kāpiti Island gave him “a great sense of accomplishment.”

George Lowe enjoyed getting to know the group better on Friday and loved the views from the plane. At Wētā Workshop she was fascinated by the models and animatronics, and at Te Papa she enjoyed the artworks and strong Māori influence. The climb on Kāpiti left her with “a feeling of achievement”

Oliver Brown said he was “in awe of the beautiful landscape.” As someone interested in film, Wētā Workshop was a major highlight. Kāpiti Island became “one of the best experiences in my life,” especially reaching the summit. He was also fascinated by learning about Māori culture.

Grace Watters spent Friday enjoying duty-free shopping and card games at Melbourne Airport. She loved learning about the origins of Wētā Workshop and was impressed by the Gallipoli exhibition. On Kāpiti she enjoyed seeing rare birds and climbing to the top for “stunning views.”

Maddi Gofton said their time in Aotearoa was full of “laughing and learning” She enjoyed getting to know everyone on the first day and exploring Cuba Street for dinner. Seeing the behind-the-scenes work at Wētā Workshop was a highlight, and climbing to the summit on Kāpiti—something she “didn’t believe I would accomplish”—rewarded her with a view that “felt like you were staring off the face of the earth.”

Together, these reflections show a group who embraced every moment of their pre-conference journey—learning, connecting and exploring as they prepared for their Round Square Conference experience in Whanganui, which will be reflected upon in a separate article.

Stuart Walls
Director of Round Square