W.A.L.K. Trip to Waitata Bay in the Marlborough Sounds
Tenants and Staff enjoying each others company, celebrating a great trip!
On Wednesday 7th February, 10 wāhine from Te Whare Nukunoa loaded into a van and set sail on the 7:00am ferry to Picton for our annual W.A.L.K. Programme holiday trip. This year's trip was to the stunning Waitata Bay Lodge in the Marlborough Sounds where we stayed for 2 nights.
For many of our wāhine, it was their first time sailing on the ferry or making the journey to Te Waipounamu (South Island). We had a pitstop in Blenheim for lunch and continued our four-hour drive to Waitata Lodge. The van was filled with music and laughter from our wāhine.
Arriving at the lodge, we were in awe! The lodge was absolutely beautiful with the most incredible views. There was plenty to do; there was a games room, a library, a private beach and even a private jetty – which we had all to ourselves! Waitata Lodge is tucked away amongst the native bush and overlooks the beach, there was nothing but the sound of cicadas and the waves washing the shore. A lot of our wāhine commented on how safe and free they felt. We spent our time outside going for walks, kayaking, fishing, stand-up paddle boarding, swimming with stingrays and most importantly, relaxing. It was a peaceful and safe environment for our wāhine to have some much-needed rest away from the city. We had comments from our wāhine such as “it is actually nice to be sober” and “this would be a really good spot for a rehab.”
On our final night, at dinner, we shared our gratitude and things we love about ourselves as a group. It was incredibly beautiful to hold space where we were all vulnerable and honest.
One of our Staff members said, “Hearing the wāhine talk about themselves in such a positive way and sharing the things they love about themselves was the highlight of my experience. I have come away refreshed but also incredibly grateful to our wāhine for sharing themselves with us and grateful to be a part of this space and to receive the kōrero that was shared with me.”
As a collective, none of us wanted to leave paradise but we reluctantly loaded our gear back into the van for the long journey home, feeling refreshed, inspired and ready to take on the year.
Reflections
Our wahine shared their reflections from our trip away:
“This trip was amazing. I didn't realise how much I needed a holiday until I was there. I realised I had not been still in such a long time. The scenery was amazing and the river we swam at on the way home was gorgeous. I really enjoyed that we focused a lot on self-love and the staff joined in as well, showing some vulnerability and expressing that we are all human. It was really positive. Since then I have been implementing things discussed on the trip when it comes to self-care and I have let go of quite a bit and I feel ready now to focus on going forward. It was really uplifting not having to worry about people either, we were all women there and we could all just be comfortable in our bodies and not feel judged.”
“My highlight was watching the stingray wave at me, it was so majestic and felt like it was saying goodbye to us on our last night. I felt peaceful and calm being there. I went on a walk up the hill and I was getting puffed out but looking at the view from up the top was majestic, there was a family of fantails up there and they were all talking to us. I went fishing and caught a fish and caught another one but it unhooked, it was the size of my arm! Pretty sure it was a blue Cod. I took away the fact that I enjoy being one with nature and I have connected with the women of the house. Because I have always been anti-social for the last 10 years, connecting with mana wahine that are also in the same waka as me without social media was great. I enjoyed not being on my phone. There was no down buzz, no tension or negativity or if it was it was towards ourselves, but we uplifted each other a lot. The laughter was crack up. I overcame a couple of fears, especially swimming in the water with the stingrays. I really enjoyed my time, it was very majestic and almost like a painting in a dream.”
“I want to thank Te Whare Nukunoa for the beautiful memories I will have while in my time of need. It has been wonderful with my illness to configure and adjust my mind state that has been harmed by others. This retreat is amazing and I would like to do it and the staff have been wonderful. Second day of our Retreat watching the girls on the water warms my heart. I feel awesome. Loved it so much thank you Whaea’s I did Whakawatia, it was soothing with Te Paki I felt safe and wish I could have stayed there forever.”
“Reflection on a perfect getaway with Te Whare Nukunoa. The gentle rocking of the kayak against the pristine water mirrored the peace that settled within me. Each stroke of the Oar was like a slow deliberate release of tension and was replaced by the rhythmic harmony of nature and birds. Having the stingrays beneath me was like the cleansing of one's soul. It took away our worries and we could come back to just being ourselves. That's what leaving the city and the stresses of day to day life did for me.”
To make more trips like this happen, please consider supporting our W.A.L.K. Programme by making a donation.
These trips would not be possible without community donations and wider funding efforts. By donating, you are giving someone the opportunity to improve their situation by experiencing something they thought may never be possible. It also enables WHWT to provide the best possible service we can to our wāhine and set them up for a future they can control.
Homelessness is a by-product of much bigger contributing issues – mental health, physical health, generational trauma, environmental and many societal issues.
Trips like these take wāhine away from these negative influences, open them up to new experiences and highlight the potential for a brighter future – they have a significant impact on our wāhine that will be with them long after their time with us.
Thank you to all donors for your generosity and for enabling us to continue our meaningful mahi.
