Taiaroa Paterson

Adventure Staff

Kia Ora, my name is Tai and I’m a qualified teacher from Auckland, New Zealand. I currently teach at a kindergarten (ages 2-5 years), and I also have experience teaching as a high school PE teacher. My biggest passion in life is definitely working with children and young people of all ages, so of course I'm super excited to be joining the CCB team for 2025!
I love adventuring in the outdoors all year round and across a variety of landscapes. I'm super excited to explore around CCB and NC as it seems there are very similar natural environments to what we have in New Zealand!
What are you most proud of/biggest achievement in life so far?:

My biggest achievements in life so far have been graduating twice from university. Once with a bachelor of physical education and then with a diploma in teaching early childhood education.
What is your favorite hobby/sport/thing to do during your free time?:

Aw man, I can't just pick one! I love surfing and paddle boarding in the summer and skiing in the winter. Growing up I loved playing sports but my favourites were field hockey, tennis, waka ama (outrigger canoeing) soccer and swimming.
On more chill days I love to sing and play my ukulele, do puzzles, watch Disney movies, play board games and learn languages. I'm currently working on becoming fluent in my home language, te reo Maori, and I'm also learning Mandarin and Spanish!
What is your favorite thing about working with children?:

One thing I love is seeing how excited and proud they are when achieving their goals, and being able to support them along the way. This includes helping them understand that it's okay to fail, or as I call it “F-first A-attempt I-in L-learning”, because we can learn from these moments and progress towards our goals. I look forward to many moments like these at CCB and doing all I can to ensure my campers believe in themselves as much as I believe in them.
What impact are you most excited to make this year at CCB?:

I'm stoked to be on the white water team at CCB this year and can't wait to show everyone that I'm strong and confident in the water. I'm also excited to share my Maori culture with everyone because a little birdy told me y'all love a good haka at CCB!
What goal or camp philosophy do you really want your campers to learn this summer?:

I wish to support my campers to be confident in themselves, take pride their achievements and appreciate all that nature has to offer. It excites me to think of having a 'tech free' summer where we can all disconnect from the digital world and tune in to nature, go on new adventures and make memories we'll never forget.