More than 400 intermediate school-aged students from across Porirua gathered at Te Rauparaha Arena last week for He Wawata Nui, Dream Big, a day dedicated to inspiring rangatahi to explore their interests, expand their horizons and imagine the futures they want to create.
Organised by Awatoa, this year's conference embraced the theme Deep Dive & Discover, encouraging rangatahi to look beyond what they already know, ask questions, follow their curiosity and uncover new opportunities in the world around them.
Throughout the day, students heard from an impressive line-up of speakers who shared the journeys, challenges and experiences that have shaped their careers. From exploring the wonders of the ocean and marine life, to creating visual effects for some of the world's biggest films, each speaker carried a common message – that there is no single pathway to success, and big dreams often begin with curiosity.
For underwater filmmaker and marine explorer, Steven Hathaway, that curiosity started close to home.
Growing up on Te Atatū Peninsula outside Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland City, Steven spoke about spending countless hours in and near the ocean fishing. He reflected on being coined the ‘hyperactive kid’ in class and how he just wanted to be outdoors catching fish.
“I had to read about other people’s adventures and it was able to take me away and imagine what I could go off to do,” he said.
He described how a passion for marine life eventually led him to a career documenting some of Aotearoa's most remarkable underwater species for international channels like Discovery, National Geographic and Disney Plus.
“I’m an accidental cameraman. I’m not a clever person, just a curious person,” he said.
That curiosity nearly got the better of him. He described an incident while filming New Zealand orca and their unique feeding habits as specialist stingray hunters, when he had felt “the most scared I’ve ever been in the water”. The audience gasped in fright as they watched the footage Steven had shot of orca in low visibility water when a large female snuck up behind him.
“We’re very lucky in New Zealand to have orca so close to the harbour. This was a great day in the office – a scary one, but a great day. I love sharing the ocean with other people,” said Steven.
His message to students was simple – dreams don't always start big, but they grow with every step you take towards them.
“You have so much potential in your lives, so surround yourself with people who help you make that dream bigger,” he advised the captivated tamariki in the auditorium.
Wētā FX producer Jeremy Hollis reflected on his own journey from Gisborne to working on internationally acclaimed films, including Avatar.
Through a skit with audience participants reading a script depicting himself as an imaginative child dreaming of being a movie star, Jeremy pushed home the message that one moment can be a story, and the story you tell can be the precursor to your dream.
“My dream was to hold an Oscar, I did want to be a movie star. And as I started to pursue that, firstly becoming a stuntman on the Power Rangers, I knew I wanted to be in the business of telling stories,” he described.
Jeremy pulled out a taonga to thank his audience volunteers at the end of the skit, and to their surprise it was the Academy Oscar Wētā FX had won for Avatar Fire and Ash.
His kōrero encouraged students to recognise that everyone has a story to tell and that each person is part of someone else's story, reminding them that their experiences and perspectives matter.
Other guest speakers included Dr. Thom Linley, a deep water scientist from Te Papa; Jess Bishop, a marine biologist and avid educator for Young Ocean Explorers; and Dr Kareen Schnabel, a scientist from Earth Sciences NZ specialising in taxonomy and crustaceans.
Beyond the presentations, rangatahi took part in interactive workshops delivered by Ora Toa Community Health, Te Papa, Earth Sciences NZ, BLAKE, Toi Rauwhārangi and The Matamoe Hub. These hands-on experiences gave young people the opportunity to experiment, explore and discover new interests in science, technology, creativity, health and the environment.
The event also carried a deeper message that resonates strongly with the aspirations of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira. Innovation Lead and Awatoa Manager Maria Dunlop is convinced that when rangatahi are encouraged to be curious, connected and confident in who they are, they are better equipped to shape their own futures and contribute to their communities.
““Every rangatahi deserves to dream, explore and discover the world waiting for them. The ocean is deep and the universe is vast. Days like this are about showing our kids what is possible, so it can spark their curiosity. When they see it, they can start to believe it’s for them too,” said Maria.
As students left the arena carrying new ideas, fresh inspiration and a greater sense of possibility, one thing was clear – He Wawata Nui is about more than dreaming big, it's about helping young people see that those dreams are within reach.