Te Rā O Ngā Tamariki
National Childrens Day
- Ocean Adventure Cruise -

Conservation Kids NZ endeavors to celebrate

Te Rā O Ngā Tamariki - National Children's Day each year.

We have a mission to ensure every child in Marlborough has experienced our amazing marine environment!

Each year to celebrate our wonderful tamariki we host an Ocean Adventure Cruise to the amazing Lochmara Lodge!

Come along to follow our adventure and celebrate Childrens Day with us.

Marine Cruise

Exploring the Ocean

Every year we kick start our national children's day celebrations with an Ocean adventure cruise through the Marlborough Sounds.

We believe that by experiencing the beauty and magic of our wonderful moana and its marine life, it helps to build a stronger bond and connection with it. Along the way we share information about what you might spot while exploring the Marlborough Sounds .

Marine Life

While on our Ocean Adventure cruise we look out for some of our amazing marine life that can be found here in the Marlborough Sounds. Every trip out in the Marlborough sounds can be very different and you may come across many different species. Just remember wildlife is wildlife, they go where they want to so it is never a guarantee you will spot them but keep an eye out just incase.

Below are some of the things we keep an eye for on our ocean cruise.

Dolphins

There are five types of dolphins you might be lucky to spot in the Marlborough sounds.

1 - Dusky Dolphin

2 - Bottlenose Dolphin

3 - Common Dolphin

4 - Hector Dolphin

5 - Orca (yes, surprise it's a dolphin!)

If you want to learn more about these species, click on the names to head on over to our species page.

Seals

The NZ native fur seal loves to enjoy our beautiful sounds as well !

You might spot these guys laying on the rock on the shoreline soaking in the sun. You might event spot a cheeky seal or two sunbathing on a jetty. These guys are pretty cute but remember to give them space, they can bite!

Birds

The Marlborough sounds is full of amazing bird life! There is always plenty of birds to try and spot. If you are out enjoying the sounds, see if you can spot any of these birds.

Parekarka/Spotted Shag
White Faced Heron
Australasian gannet
King Shag
Fluttering Sharewater

Blue Penguins

If you are lucky you might even spot a little blue penguin ! The Little Blue penguin is NZ's smallest penguin and can be found right here in the Marlborough sounds. Let us know if you are lucky enough to spot one.

Keep an Eye out for our Marine Cruise Video coming soon!

Marine Life Activities

Click the image to download the PDF sheet!

Ocean Cruise Bingo

Next time you are out exploring the beautiful sound's why not print off our Bingo card and see how many things you can spot.

Rocky Shore and Underwater Observatory

Exploring Rocky Shores

The next part of our Childrens day celebration takes place at the fantastic Lochmara Lodge!

Lochmara Lodge has an underwater observatory, which is a great place to be able to spot some rocky shore creatures and marine life.

Here you will get to see up-close some of the species that life in or round the shorelines.

Touch Tank

Lochmara also has a touch tank as part of the underwater observatory experience. This gives tamariki a chance to see some species up close and hold them safely.

It is always important to respect all creatures and treat them with care, this is a great experience to learn how to hold them correctly with our harming them. Below is some of the different species you might get to see in and around a rocky shore - keep an eye out next time you are near a shoreline and let us know what you spot.

Below are some of the species you might spot on a Rocky Shoreline

Reef Sea Star

These reef stars can be found on most west coast shores in NZ - they prefer to live in 'high energy' waters, meaning they like a bit of wave every now and then. The reef star normally has 11 arms but sometimes you might be lucky to spot one with twelve !!

Stingray'

There are always plenty of stingrays around in the Marlborough sounds. You can normally spot them in the shallow waters bathing in the sun. When they get moving, boy are they fast - keep an eye out for them and when you do spot one, watch it for a while. See if it races off when it spots you ? did you see how fast it swam?

Sea Cucumber

Did you know that there are over 100 different types of sea cucumbers? but only one is common in NZ the Stichopus mollis, or rori.

These weird brown squishy creatures can be found almost everywhere in the sounds. Some culture even eat them!! but be careful, the need to be cooked properly, otherwise they will make you sick.

Brittle Star

These alien like creatures are called Brittle star or Patakaroa in Te Reo.

These specific brittle stars are called snake brittle star, and they can be found under rocks and living in shallow water in the sounds.

Kina

Although these guys are tasty and pretty cool to look at, they can create havoc on some of our seabed's. Kina like to eat our kelp and can often completely clear whole areas of any seaweed.

Rocky Shore Guides

Otago University helped to put together these fantastic marine guides to help you identify more species along our shorelines.

If you are heading out to a rocky shore near you why not print one off to take with you. You can have hours of fun trying to spot and identify all kinds of life along the shore.

Click the image to take you to the webiste where you can down load the guide.

Keep an eye out for our Rocky shore Video coming soon.

Rocky Shore Activities

Rocky Shore Coloring

Otago University have also put together this great 'Rocky Shore, Who eats Who?" coloring in book.

Why not print it off and have some fun filling it in.

Click the image to download the PDF sheet!

Nature Walk

Exploring Lochmarah

The final part of our fun Children's Day experience is exploring the nature walk and all it has to offer. Along the way there are several animals you can have a look at up close and personal. Tamariki get a chance to learn a bit about each species along the way.

Below are a few of the different species the tamarika get a chance to see.

Below are some of the species you might get to see along your walk

Tuna - Eels

Lochmara has a fantastic eel tank, with some amazing long fined eel's.

These guys are amazing to view and are huge!! if you want to find out more about our Long Fin eels, click HERE!

Kākariki

Opps - we have not quite made it this far, information coming soon!

Geckos

Opps - we have not quite made it this far, information coming soon!

Arapawa Goats

Opps - we have not quite made it this far, information coming soon!

Keep and eye out for our Conservation Walk Video coming soon.

Nature Walk Activities

Click the image to download the PDF sheet!

Nature Scavenger Hunt

If your heading out to Lochmara or anywhere else in nature, why not print off one of our nature scavenger hunts and see what you can spot.

Thank you

We want to say a massive thank you to all our sponsors who help make this amazing day happen for us. With our your support and help we could not put on this incredible day for our tamariki and their whanau.