This New Year’s weekend is not just the start of a new year for kiwis but the start of over a week away at a Scout jamboree for thousands of kiwi Scouts.

On Saturday, December 30, two western Bay of Plenty Scout contingents, each with 36 kids, aged 12-14 years old, plus volunteers leaders, headed off to the 23rd Aotearoa New Zealand Scout Jamboree at Mystery Creek in Hamilton for eight days. 

This follows many months of planning, pre-jamboree camps and Scout fund raising events to make this happen.

Western Bay of Plenty Scouts and leaders are at the 23rd Aotearoa New Zealand Scout Jamboree at Mystery Creek this week. Photo: Andy Morse.

Examples of fund-raising included sponsored walks, Bunnings Barbecues, Christmas wrapping at Bayfair Shopping Centre, selling pies, as well as voluntary donations/contributions from organisations such as Carrus, Lions, Rotary Club, Pub Charities, and Ballance Agri-Nutrients.

Jamboree is a national Scout camp held every three years, with the 2023 camp being held at Mystery Creek.

It is attended by 4000 or more Scouts, leaders and staff from throughout New Zealand and the world. Scouts Aotearoa serves over 13,000 young people all across NZ and is the world’s largest non-formal education institution.

Setting up camp at the Scout Jamboree at Mystery Creek. Photo: Andy Morse.

“Jamboree is a life-changing experience for our Scouts that showcases everything that Scouting has to offer,” says Scout leader Andy Morse.

Andy says the two contingents comprise Scouts from the Mauao, Greerton, and Te Puke Scout groups and from Waipukurau, Gisborne and Queenstown Scout groups.

“Contingent names are WBOP Red Warriors, led by Johanna Hearn, and WBOP Tropicool Tigers, led by Trudy Morrison."

Western Bay of Plenty Scouts and leaders are at the 23rd Aotearoa New Zealand Scout Jamboree at Mystery Creek this week. Photo: Andy Morse.

On Saturday, leaders started loading trucks from gear from 8am, with the kids meeting at 9am in uniform at the Greerton Scout Hall in Hynds Road, Gate Pa, before departing at 9.30am.

Andy says at Jamboree their Scout youth will learn self-reliance, self-confidence, as well as learning to look after others, experience leadership and training opportunities, and create friendships with new Scouts that often last a lifetime.

For more information on the Scout Jamboree, click here ww.nzjamboree.com

To find out more information on joining Scouts phone 0800SCOUTS or 0800 726 887 or go to https://scouts.nz/join