The eight kids had a fun-filled surf lesson at Town Beach with plenty of thrills and spills before visiting the spectacular Marine Discovery Centre at Newman Senior Technical College.

Amy Hudson from the surf school said the popular school holiday activity is always well received by the kids.

“They get to have a look at all of the creatures in the underwater world. It works well with what we do and I think it’s important to know what’s out there in the ocean and why they are there,” she said.

“We have been doing it for years and because it’s winter it’s a smaller group, but they always love catching waves and learning about all of the marine creatures.

“Some of them say it’s the best day of their life.”

Kristy Kawaguchi, a marine biologist at the centre, said the kids are often surprised by what they learn.

“A lot of the kids don’t even know what’s here in their local environment and the wider marine environment,” she said.

“The kids always ask about the Nemo fish, because of the movies. We breed clown fish here so they love looking at them, and always like learning about sharks.”

With pollution still an issue, it is a matter she drives home to the children who attend the centre.

“The main message we give to kids is to respect the marine environment,” she said.

“We are lucky enough to live here in Port Macquarie, and a lot of the kids go to the beach often.

“We show them the animals they can find and how to respect them. We are also focusing on the marine debris and plastics.

“We have a new display here to do that, and we like to teach the kids to respect the environment that we call home.