Ngaiotonga Valley School , located on the Whangaruru coastline, was involved in the Experiencing Marine Reserves programme in Term 4 of 2004. The whole school (28 students) and many parents attended a field trip to Leigh marine reserve.

This field trip was sadly the last official outing for Ngaiotonga Valley School , as the school is now closed and will merge with Punaruku and Helena Bay School 's in 2005.

After the marine reserve experience, the school's 'action' was to hold a marine expo, as part of their end of year prize giving. As part of the marine expo, the junior and senior class had their classes decked out with a marine theme. The junior class had underwater music playing, painted windows and an underwater kelp forest, with decorations to look like seaweed coming down from the ceiling and hanging fish paintings and poems. It was amazing!

This is one of the poems from the junior class to describe the difference between their local area and the marine reserve.

Local area:
Too little crayfish eating our kina
And then the kinas eat all the seaweed
Under the deep blue sea
People are taking all the food
Into their boats and eating all our fish
Remember don't be greedy, leave some there for
In the future

Marine Reserve:
Lots of fish, lots of sea life, lots of kina, lots of seaweed, lots of crayfish, lots of kelp, lots of paua, lots of crabs, lots of brittle starfish, and lots of cockabillies
Everywhere we go In the sea we swim, snapper swimming along
Goat Island is the place to be for you to snorkel and
Have fun; there is not a fisherman to be seen