An organisation like ours would struggle to exist without volunteers. We always welcome individuals, families and interested groups to become Friends of Aongatete Outdoor Education Centre and Lodge.

We have several Working Bees in a year and we rely on volunteers (Friends of AOEC) to lend us a hand for up to 4 hours on the working bee days that they can attend.

We understand that everyone has busy lives and we would like to add value to your lives in return. We want to give you the opportunity to be part of AOEC, to not only contribute with your time, experiences and skills, but also to give you and your family the opportunity to enjoy what AOEC has to offer.

• If you have children bring them along to our working bees and we keep them busy with activities like rock climbing, archery, orienteering, nature walks and learning about the environment through games and activities.
• We provide morning or afternoon tea for everyone and after the working bee a sausage sizzle with plenty of opportunity for family & friends to connect and hang out together.
• We are also looking into having a couple of special days/events in a year where you as our AOEC Friends can hang out at the lodge, enjoy activities, learn about the environment or maybe participate in a guided walk, a river challenge or an adventure race.

We also know that many of our “Friends” cannot make it to our working bees but would like to somehow be part of AOEC. We often have projects and tasks that require help that can be done from home or in specific situations on any other chosen day, and this may suit some of our “Friends” much better. So please let us know what skills, experience and interests you have and how you can help and add value.

If you are interested, please do the following:

1. Please request an AOEC Friends Registration Form by contacting [email protected]
2. Also let us know the ages and names of your family members who would come along to working bees and friends events and activities
3. Follow us on Facebook , where we keep everyone informed and involved about what is happening at Aongatete Outdoor Education Centre and where we announce working bees and any hep we may need for special projects
4. Pass this onto your friends who may be interested.

Scheduled Working Bees:

Sunday 5th or 12th November (back up day)

Sunday 18th February (no back up date)

Sun day 12th or 19th May (back up day)