Charlotte

Once it was confirmed that my placement was in Kaikoura, I was actually quite excited to say the very least. I was going somewhere that had an environment I was used to and that was close to home, as I’m from Christchurch. Some of the things I experienced there varied each day as everyday was never the same, I went from shredding old files and learning the history of the local Marae to helping with a small health and fitness program that was held at Hapuku school, and attending a few small events within the community. My overall experience whilst spending my time there was very eye opening as I was able to learn more about myself and I had many conversations with the people I worked alongside with, that was able to help me get an idea of what I want to do next year. I learned how to be more sociable and how to interact with more people, which was a huge challenge for an introvert like me. I could definitely say now that my time there was very memorable and I was able to make connections with people that I feel will be lifelong friends.

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Cassidy

My placement in Kaikoura went really well, I was pretty nervous for placement due to being outside of home, outside of wellington on my own for three weeks, but the people I was with made me feel like Kaikoura felt like a home away from home. I stepped out of my comfort zone in the first week, helped run a programme at a primary to intermediate school, learnt a lot about the students there and had a good time playing alongside them. Got to see a lot of Kaikoura and some of the South Island. I am very grateful for this experience because it has been such an eye opener for me and has given me ideas of a possible future.