Opportunity of a lifetime for tamariki living in Whangārei group homes
Published: June 19, 2026
Through the generosity of the Air New Zealand Manaaki Fund, 10 tamariki living in Oranga Tamariki group homes in Whangārei got to experience the capital city for the first time, with many other firsts being ticked off along the way.
Great opportunity seen by Oranga Tamariki staff member
Oranga Tamariki Placement and Resources Manager Alesha Lewis is based in Whangārei. She says she saw advertising internally at work to apply to the Air New Zealand Manaaki Fund. The fund provides tamariki an experience they might not otherwise receive. She thought it was a great opportunity.
“I work in the family homes space. We provide placement options for tamariki in our family homes. Our team agreed this was an amazing opportunity, so we put a proposal forward to take our tamariki as well as their kaitiaki away for a night.”
The Air New Zealand Manaaki Fund is a specific benefit for select government and corporate partners, allowing them to redeem funds for travel on Air NZ operated services, or for Koru memberships.
Time well spent in Wellington
The proposal was accepted and in April, the group flew from Whangārei to Wellington for the overnight visit. The schedule was jam packed. Alesha said:
“It was a huge day, in the plane here in Whangārei at 9.30am then down to Auckland, through to Wellington arriving at 1.30pm and headed straight to Te Papa Tongarewa and Parliament.
Te Papa Tongarewa is amazing. We emailed their tours team who have an education component, we gave them an insight into our kaupapa and asked if there was any possibility we could have a tour for our tamariki.
Te Papa Tongarewa were more than happy to support this free of charge. They provided a guided tour and structured time in key areas, which was incredibly helpful. Given our limited time, this allowed our teams to really maximise the experience.
One of our kaimahi booked our teams into tours via the Parliament website. Those tours followed the Te Papa visits. An eye opener for all of our team."
These are the environments that foster curiosity, connection, cultural pride, and aspiration. For many, this was their first time stepping into such significant spaces, sparking inspiration, expanding their sense of possibility, and helping them imagine a future larger than the challenges they have faced.
Alesha Lewis , placement and Resources Manager
Lots of memories made
Lewis says for some of the young people, even the flying was a big step for them.
“For probably 80% of our tamariki, it was their first time flying, so a huge experience for them just doing that.
They loved every bit of it, they got some cool photos, we’ve had really beautiful feedback."
Lewis says it was an opportunity she is glad she didn’t let pass them by.
“It was one of those dream opportunities. You have to look outside of the circle for our tamariki and let them have those experiences, so they know there is more out there.
These moments are meant for whānau, and when our tamariki are with us, we have a responsibility to make that time meaningful. While they are in our whare, why not create memories they can look back on, whānau moments that feel just like any other family experience?”
Our goal is to create fun, joyful memories, not to keep tamariki feeling held within a system. We want them to simply be kids and going on holiday, having adventures, and making memories they’ll carry with them.
Alesha Lewis , Placement and Resources Manager