Holiday Programmes

Our holiday programs offer a range of exciting outdoor adventure opportunities for children ages 8+, blending education, confidence-building, and environmental connection. The programs take a deep dive into specific outdoor activities such as surfing, hiking & bushcraft & fly fishing.

3-Day Summer Surfing & Water Safety Programmes

We’re excited to announce our 3-day Summer Surfing & Water Safety Programmes, run in partnership with Andy from Waves 4 Wellness! Over three action-packed days, tamariki will have the opportunity to build their skills and confidence in the water, developing both surfing technique and essential ocean safety knowledge. (Participants sign up for the full 3-day programme.)

Dates:

Programme 1: Jan 6–8 2026 (FULL - Waitlist Open)
Programme 2: Jan 12–14 2026

Details:
Each day includes two 1.5-hour surf sessions and a land-based water safety activity, designed to build confidence, skills, and ocean awareness. All board and wetsuit hire is included.

Locations: Waimārama & Ocean Beach
Drop-off / Pick-up: Havelock North Village Green (33 Te Mata Rd)
Times: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Cost: $275 for 3 days
Age Range: 8-15 Years

Limited to 11 spots per programme!

This is an excellent opportunity for tamariki to develop their surfing skills, learn essential water safety techniques, and enjoy the summer in the waves with a highly experienced team of instructors. Get in touch today to secure your child's spot!

2-Day Fly Fishing Programmes

Join us for our Fly Fishing Holiday Programmes, an awesome opportunity for young anglers to learn the art of fly fishing and build confidence on the river. Perfect for complete beginners, this hands-on programme covers all the key skills needed to get started — including casting, rig setup, reading water, fly selection, and river safety. (Participants sign up for the full 2-day programme.) The small group size (5 anglers) means lots of time for 1-1 instruction.

Dates:

Programme 1: Dec 22–23, 2025 (FULL - Waitlist Open)
Programme 2: Jan 15–16, 2026 (FULL - Waitlist Open)
Programme 3: Jan 26-27, 2026

Locations: A mix of the Tukituki, Ngaruroro, and Waipawa Rivers (location dependent on conditions)

Drop-off / Pick-up: Havelock Village Green (33 Te Mata Rd)
Times: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Cost: $175 for 2 days
All gear provided
Age Range: 8 – 16 Years

Fish & Game Licence required:

Tamariki 12 years and under – Free
Tamariki over 12 years – $30 for the season

These two days offer a chance to explore local rivers, build practical outdoor skills, and discover the focus, patience, and excitement that come with fly fishing.

Get in touch today to secure your child's spot!

Summer Hiking & Bushcraft Holiday Programme

Join KOA for four epic days exploring some of Hawke’s Bay’s most stunning forests, rivers, and coastal trails! Each day combines hiking, bushcraft, river crossing, swimming, and hands-on outdoor learning in a safe, supportive environment.

Dates: 19th – 22nd January 2026
Age Range: 8 – 14 years
Cost: $85 per day or sign up for multiple days!

Daily Schedule:
Drop-off: 8:30 am – Havelock North Village Green (33 Te Mata Road)
Pick-up: 4:30 pm – same location

Programme Overview:
Each day features up to 3 hours of relaxed hiking through incredible bush and coastal landscapes, alongside two practical bushcraft sessions where tamariki will learn a mixture of:

Shelter building and rope skills
Navigation and map reading
River crossing techniques
Emergency and survival skills
Knife skills
Nature discovery – identifying native plants and wildlife
Team challenges, games, and plenty of fun!

Planned Locations:

Monday: Elsthorpe Scenic Reserve & Karakau Coastal Hike + beach swim
Tuesday: Blowhard Bush Reserve + river crossing & swimming in the Lower Tūtaekurī River
Wednesday: Mohi Bush Reserve + river crossing & swimming in the Mareatotara Stream (not the falls)
Thursday: Kaweka Twin Lakes + river crossing & swimming in the upper Tūtaekurī River

In case of bad weather, we’ll head to sheltered back-up locations, including:

Te Mata Peak
Waipatiki Reserve

Come for one day or join us for multiple — every day is a new adventure in the wild! Only 11 places available, so get in touch today to secure your child's spot!

Previous Programmes: Spring Hiking & Bushcraft Holiday Program

Adventure. Discovery. Practical Skills.

This spring, KOA invites tamariki on a journey through some of the most stunning bush and coastal environments in Hawke’s Bay. From wild coastlines to inland lakes and lush podocarp forests, each day brings a fresh opportunity to explore, connect with nature, and build bushcraft skills.

Our Spring Hiking & Bushcraft Holiday Programme is all about adventure, resilience, and learning practical outdoor skills – all while having an unforgettable time in the taiao.

Dates:

Monday 29 September – Friday 3 October

Join for individual days, or come along for a multi-day adventure!

Age Group:

Years 5 - 8

Locations:

Each day we’ll explore a different location:

Monday: Elsthorpe Scenic Reserve & Kairakau Coastline
Tuesday: Mohi Bush & Maraetotara River
Wednesday: Twin Lakes (Kaweka Ranges)
Thursday: Boundary Stream Scenic Reserve
Friday: White Pine Scenic Reserve & Waipatiki Coastline

In case of bad weather, we’ll head to sheltered back-up locations including:

Te Mata Peak
Elsthorpe Scenic Reserve

Daily Schedule:

Drop-off: 8:30 am at Havelock North Pavilion (33 Te Mata Road)
Pick-up: 4:30 pm at the same location
There will be an Eskdale Drop-off & Pick-up available on Thursday & Friday

What to Expect Each Day:

Up to 3 hours of relaxed hiking through spectacular bush and coastal landscapes
Hands-on bushcraft sessions including:
- Shelter building
- Navigation & map reading
- Fire skills
- Rope skills
- Emergency skills
Nature discovery – learn about native plants, animals, and ecosystems
Team challenges, games, and plenty of fun!

New this spring:

Fishing at Twin Lakes (for licence holders)
Knife safety & use

Cost:

$85 per participant, per day

Spots are limited (only 10 per day) – contact us now to secure your child’s place in this unique spring holiday programme!

Previous Programmes: Winter Hiking & Bushcraft Holiday Program

Adventure. Discovery. Practical Skills.

This winter, KOA invites tamariki on a journey through some of the most special native bush environments in Hawke’s Bay. From one of the last remaining coastal forests on the East Coast, to inland lakes, and ancient podocarp forests, each day offers a new enviroment to explore. Our Winter Hiking & Bushcraft Holiday Programme is all about connecting with nature, building confidence, and learning essential bushcraft and survival skills – all while having an unforgettable outdoor adventure.

Dates:
June 30th (Full), July 1st (Full), 2nd (Full) & 3rd (Full) - Bonus Days: July 9 (Full) & July 10 (Full)

Join for individual days or come for a multi-day adventure!

Locations:
Each day we’ll explore a different location. These locations are:

Mohi Bush Scenic Reserve
Kaweka Twin Lakes Track (Lake Rototuna & Lake Rotorua)
Boundary Stream Reserve
White Pine Scenic Reserve

In case of bad weather, we’ll head to sheltered backup locations like:

Waipatiki Beach bush tracks
Elsthorpe Scenic Reserve
Te Mata Peak

Daily Schedule:

Drop-off: 8:30 am at Havelock North Pavilion (33 Te Mata Road)
Pick-up: 4:30 pm at the same location

What to Expect Each Day:

Up to 3 hours of relaxed hiking through stunning landscapes
Hands-on bushcraft sessions including: Shelter building, navigation & map reading, rope skills, cooking with gas burners & first aid for emergency readiness.
Nature discovery – learn about native plants and animals
Plus, games, team challenges, and heaps of fun!

Cost: $85 per participant, per day

Spots are limited (only 10 per day) – contact us now to secure your child’s place in this unique winter holiday programme!

Previous Programmes: April Surfing Holiday Program

KOA is excited to join Waves 4 Wellness to offer our Surfing Holiday Program! Open to all levels of skill and experience, each day will be packed full of fun, learning and of course, plenty of time in the water!

Dates:

This program will run on the 14th (FULL), 15th (FULL), 16th (FULL) and 17th of April (FULL). Sign up for one day or the full program! However, we only have 10 spots available each day so be sure to get in quickly!

Daily Timetable:

Pickup: 8:00 am - 8:30 am, from the Havelock North Pavillion
Travel: 8:30 am - 9:15 am, travel out to Waimarama Beach in the KOA van
Water Safety Session (1 Hour): A classroom session on water safety, delivered by Andrew Callinicos, head coach of OBK Surf Lifesaving Club and Waves 4 Wellness lead
Morning Tea: 10:15 am - 10:45 am, tamariki enjoy morning tea (byo)
Surfing Session One (1.5 Hours): Surf coaching from experienced surfers who are both qualified surf lifeguards (1 coach to 5 participants)
Lunch: 12:15 am - 1:00 pm, tamariki enjoy lunch (byo) and an organised game
Surfing Session Two (1.5 Hours): Children build on skills from the first session
Pack Up: 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm, pack up and leave Waimarama Beach
Dropoff: 4:15 pm - 5:00 pm, caregivers can pick up their children from the Havelock North Village Green - organised games and sports will be run during this time

What's included?

Wetsuits and surfboards will be provided for all participants.

Cost: $95 per participant, per day.