Kaukau Oranga/Conscious Swim
Returning in 2024 - Save the date Sunday 7th April 2024
Details and registration info will be published here very soon
In March 2022 as part of Seaweek we ran the prototype ~
Kaukau Oranga/Conscious Swim.
In this ocean swim workshop participants were invited to experience the many ways that you are connected to the ocean. They delved into the waters of this motu/island and were guided by ocean swimmers Rosie Walford, Carys Templer, Louise Marra. They swam through a journey of our felt senses, the water cycle, ocean symbolism for emotions and discussions around the mauri of what we saw beneath us. This is a swim unlike most others.
For the summer of 2023 we will be offering a series of swims for different voice groups across the island.
Who are these for?
Ocean lovers who are confident swimmers
Kai moana gatherers
Builders/landscapers
People who feel off balance
Oneroa Business owners
First Event: Saturday 18th Feb 10-12pm Conscious Kai Gathering
Who this is for: kai moana gatherers - fishers, spear fishers, divers…
Context: Collaborating with Renee Taylor from SALT Aotearoa who specialises in free diving, working with wahine Māori and collecting kai moana. This event invites you to connect with your inner self, with each other and with your food source to deepen your reciprocal relationship with the ocean.
Second Event: Either 19th or 22nd Feb Belonging and the big blue.
Who this is for: Those that sometimes feel off balance
Context: ‘ Te whare tapa whā’ – physical, spiritual, family and mental health make up the four cornerstones of Māori health. Should one of the four dimensions be missing or in some way damaged, a person, or a collective may become ‘unbalanced’. Exploring the ways that ocean immersion can recalibrate our state, this swim is for those wanting to find balance and belonging through connection with the natural world.
Third Event: Friday 24th February Ride the wave from land to sea
Who this is for: Our island’s builders and landworkers e.g landscapers, vineyard workers
Context: We invite this hardbody audience to notice the many dimensions of their experience of the sea - so that the ocean is encountered as a living entity whose waters are inseparable from their own body and the work that they do on land.
Fourth Event: Wednesday 8th March 8-10am The beach is our business
Who this is for: Oneroa Business owners
Context:
We invite Oneroa business owners to come together for a recalibrating Seaweek swim. In the immersive context of the living ocean, we will shift attention to the whole self (beyond the businessperson) and play with different perspectives as prompts to wellness and creativity. Connecting to one another over lunch, we’ll see what ideas those perspectives inspire for business above the beach.
More details to come but if you identify as a member of these groups, please get in touch.
Core Details:
Meeting Place: This swim series will be taking place around different locations of Waiheke
Included: Guided swim, post swim lunch provided by WMP
How to book your place:
Email team@waihekemarineproject.org
What to bring:
Swimwear/wetsuit (we have free wetsuits available if you’d like to book one)
Googles (we will have some free ones)
Plenty of water
Sun Protection for outdoor lunching
Towel/sarong to sit on
An open mind
Important Info:
LIMITED SPACES - Each event is capped at 12 people. Spots will be given on a first come first served basis. If you miss it this time we will notify you of future events. If you cannot attend after booking, please tell us so we can reallocate your space.
WATER SAFETY - Please be aware that this event is based in the Moana and we intend to be in there for an hour. Please wear suitable swim wear that will allow for this duration in the water. If you would like to borrow wetsuits we have free ones available for use
SWIMMING ABILITY - We ask that all participants are capable ocean swimmers: comfortable at depth, able to swim 1km and tread water for conversations. Speed is not relevant - confident enjoyment of the water is.