News and media

High School Skills

• 08 Oct 2009

Te Kauwhata year-12 students recently set out to beat the swamp on the Meremere-Te Kauwhata Pumping Station section of Te Araroa’s Waikato River Trail.

Under instruction from Te Araroa construction manager Noel Sandford,  the students built a 16-metre boardwalk in three sections.

Te Kauwhata High School workers. From left: Jono Simpson,

Hangaroa Nathan and Neil Brinkman.

They uploaded the 5.4 metre sections onto a trailer.

Left to right: Keenan Nielsen, Peter Rawiri, Jono Simpson, Hangaroa Nathan

Danny Tari, Tylor Pedersen, Neil Brinkman and Matua Derek.

Then the carpentry students spudded a foundation into the swamp, and joined up the prefab  sections for

a 16-metre dry crossing of swampy ground on Rob Holmes’ farm.

Left to right on the new boardwalk: Jono Simpson, Sam Dockary,

Neil Brinkman, Zane Tekani and Tylor Pedersen.

Te Araroa Waikato Trust is currently arranging a schedule by which five schools can contribute to trail maintenance through their region ongoing. The schools being approached are Te Kauwhata High School, Huntly College, Te Awamutu College, Otorohanga College and Te Kuiti High School.