The Wilderness Early Learning Centre in Yaldhurst, Christchurch, is built around three values: love, laughter and learning. Owned by Luke and Sarah Dixon, who have spent 11 years creating Early Childhood Centres in Christchurch, the centre aims to reflect the family values they were raised with in rural New Zealand.
A central feature of The Wilderness is its onsite native forest, vegetable gardens, orchard and animal paddocks, giving children genuine opportunities for nature play alongside more structured learning activities. The centre organises children into age-based rooms — Tui and Mohua (approximately 0–18 months), Takahe (18 months–2.5 years), Kea (2.5–3.5 years), Toroa (3.5–4.5 years), and Whio (4.5–6 years) — each staffed by dedicated teaching teams.
For infants in the nursery, The Wilderness uses a Primary Caregiving model, giving each child a Key Caregiver who builds a close, consistent relationship with them and advocates for their family throughout their time at the centre. Parents are kept connected to their child's day through Storypark and individual profile books documenting learning moments, achievements and artwork throughout their time at the centre.
On Yaldhurst Road in Christchurch, The Wilderness Early Learning Centre brings together an onsite native forest, vegetable gardens, orchard and animal paddocks to give children genuine opportunities to play and learn in nature, alongside a strong focus on family values.
The Wilderness is owned by Luke and Sarah Dixon, who describe whanau as everything to them. Having grown up in rural New Zealand, they've spent 11 years creating Early Childhood Centres in Christchurch that reflect the family values instilled in them growing up. As parents of three children themselves, they understand how difficult it can be to trust your child to someone else's care, and they've built The Wilderness with the aim of making every parent feel like they're leaving their children with whanau, not just a childcare provider.
The centre's three core values — love, laughter and learning — run through everything it does: modelling love, kindness and respect between staff and children, filling days with laughter, adventure and play, and creating peaceful, inspiring learning spaces where children feel nurtured and celebrated.
One of The Wilderness's defining features is its onsite native forest, vegetable gardens, orchard and animal paddocks — a rare setup for an early learning centre, and one the owners see as one of the greatest gifts they can give children in today's fast-paced, technology-heavy world. Research cited by the centre points to a range of benefits from nature play, including increased self-confidence, resourcefulness and resilience, better ability to manage risk, greater creativity and imagination, and calmer, happier temperaments. Children at The Wilderness get both free-play time in these natural spaces and more structured learning about the world around them.
Children move through six age-based rooms as they grow: Tui and Mohua Rooms for children roughly 0 to 18 months, Takahe Room for 18 months to 2.5 years, Kea Room for 2.5 to 3.5 years, Toroa Room for 3.5 to 4.5 years, and Whio Room for children aged 4.5 to 6 years, each led by a dedicated team leader and teaching team.
For the youngest children in the nursery, The Wilderness uses a Primary Caregiving model. Each child is assigned a Key Caregiver who takes time to really get to know them, spending quality one-on-one time during care moments like feeding, dressing, nappy changes and sleep. This consistency is designed to build a close, trusting relationship and ease the transition into care for both children and families.
Once children turn four, they're brought together for group experiences aimed at building the knowledge and skills they'll need for school. The Wilderness also works closely with local schools to help make the transition to school as smooth and enjoyable as possible for both children and parents.
The Wilderness uses Storypark to share moments from a child's day — whether that's their first day at the centre, mastering the monkey bars, or getting muddy in the sandpit. Alongside this, each child has their own individual profile book documenting learning goals, achievements, special moments and artwork throughout their time at the centre — a keepsake many families treasure long after their child has moved on to school. The centre also hosts whanau evenings, education evenings and celebrations, giving families more opportunities to connect with the team in person.
Located at 483a Yaldhurst Road, Yaldhurst, Christchurch, The Wilderness Early Learning Centre offers families a genuinely nature-focused, whanau-centred alternative to typical childcare, backed by more than a decade of experience running Early Childhood Centres in the city.