Wednesday 29 May – Tuesday 4 June 2013
Tai Tokerau Tall Ship Challenge, sponsored by Northpower and Top Energy
The R.Tucker Thompson Te Tai Tokerau Tall Ship Challenge, sponsored by Northpower and Top Energy, is a competition to find out which school team can demonstrate they have what it takes in terms of leadership, initiative and of course teamwork.
Teamwork will play an important part for the selection of the winning school, and the winning team will also demonstrate that they can work not just with the partner from their own school, but also members from other schools to complete their tasks. There will be physical hard work, some mental challenges as well as a lot of fun.
Challenges set during the 7-day voyage will be based on a range of activities such as sailing, physical activity, standard of daily drills and duties, swimming as well as positive interactions between others. They will also need to demonstrate that they understand Safety at Sea and how they can work together to ensure they complete the challenges in a safe and responsible way.
The Tai Tokerau Tall Ship Challenge will be held once a year and is open to all schools with secondary aged students. School places are allocated as follows:
- Whangarei District / Kaipara districts (3 places)
- Far North District (2 places)
Only 5 schools can compete so schools wanting to enter will need to register their interest as soon as possible. For more information, or to register your school’s interest please complete the application form (MS Word) / PDF application form.
Previous winners are:
- Dargaville High School (2012)
- Whangarei Boys (2011)
- Bream Bay College (2010)
And the winner is….
Dargaville High Schoool!! It was a nail biting finish with Otamatea leading until early this morning. But the crew reviewed all the scores, considered the overall team effort and tallied up all the results and declared that by a whisker of a cat-o-nine tail, that Dargaville had taken the trophy. The certificates were handed out to all sail trainees with the results still not known; Captain uncle Steve sang his song of farewell to the trainees and then Belinda Peddie from Top Energy and Graham Dawson from Northpower put them out of their...
read moreDay Six Squalls at Cape Brett
The trainees had a great birthday evening, including a birthday cake made by Jessica and Ngature and toffee apples made by Christine and Nathan for the pudding challenge. The evening celebrations went on until 10pm and then it was time for bed. With the wind picking up tomorrow was set to be a big day. The trainees were up before 7am and waiting for Captain Steve to open the sea gate and let the swimming competition continue. Everyone jumped in together but Opononi were first around the ship with Otamatea a close second then...
read moreDay 5 Happy Mothers Day and Happy Birthday Leon!
We had a great sail to Whangamumu with the sun coming down and all trainees up on deck having loads of fun getting to know each other and talking about their different lives. Michael and Michelle made a great dessert of apple, fejioa and pear crumble (which I have to say is my all time favorite) and dinner was eaten early up on deck with a great sunset as a back drop. Mita and Jaelyn got into a bit of fishing and a carpet shark was caught much to the amazement of all the trainees. Morning swim was mentioned a few times though!!! We caught up...
read moreDay Four at the Poor Knights
As the sun set on another full day the trainees were getting tired but it was only early so another knot tying lesson was called on. I have to say all trainees have mastered our basic 5 knots in just 2 days and are now onto anything else they can get their hands on. Jaelyn and Dahna were busy in the galley making their dessert and after dinner we had the big taste test. There was none left at the end and it was chocolate based so it had to be a big hit. I hear that it’s Michael and Michelle “M&M’s” turn tonight. The Edmonds...
read moreDay three Off to Mimiwhangata
Jelly and ice cream success! We all had an amazing dinner of snapper and lamb chops with Jelly, ice cream and bread and butter pudding made by Leon and Mita as part of the pudding challenge. It was then time to announce points for the day with Jaelyn receiving most for being an excellent crew member, by taking the initiative and helping out. Christine and Zoe also scored with the most tidy bunks. All trainees are getting into the swing of things now and are leaping at all the opportunities available and keen to make full use of their time on...
read moreOff to Tutukaka….. Day Two Yth1203
Dinner last night was a great hit with everyone! All the trainees seem to have slipped into their new lives easily and are getting to know each other and making new friendships. It had been a long day though, with many of them up early travelling to Whangarei so it wasn’t suprising that everyone was very tired. At 9pm and even before dessert the trainees were asking to go to bed already! So we did our usual high and low points for the day, with all trainees saying their high point was being on the ship, even those who had been reluctant...
read moreYth1203 Taitokerau
An amazing hot and sunny start to the Taitokerau Challenge. What a change after yesterdays weather! The trainees were a little quiet to begin with, maybe eyeing up the competition, but as soon as the name game started and everyone got to know each other there was no stopping them. With a tour of the ship and everyone unpacked we dropped the anchor at Smugglers Bay. Soup and cheese scones were served for lunch and the trainees now hot in the sunshine were keen for a swim, however, safety drills were next on the agenda and the trainees had to...
read moreTai Tokerau Challenge departed today
12 students, 6 schools all competing for the one trophy! It was a good call to delay departure by a day as Wednesday dawned grey and cloudy, but by the time the youngsters had arrived at Marsden cove, the clouds had departed, the skies were blue and the temperature warm and balmy. Mount Manaia hovered above the clouds like some ethereal city in the sky and as the ship departued the clouds rolled away. Teams from Dargaville, Otamatea, Pompallier College, Whangaroa College, Opononi Area School and Whangaroa will all be competing for the trophy....
read moreA day’s delay
A heavy Nor’easterlie system is heading our way…. right in time for tomorrow’s departure. In the interest of everyone’s safety and enjoyment, Captain Steve has made a call to delay departure by a day. The Tai Tokerau Challenge will now be departing Wednesday 9th May from Marsden Cove Marina and returning to Opua on Tuesday 15th May.
read more
Facebook
Google+
Twitter
YouTube
