Expedition course proves popular with young Kiwis

A new trail-blazing course across the Marlborough Sounds is the latest offering from Outward Bound for young people with a sense of adventure.



Outward Bound Chief Executive, Trevor Taylor, said the new Expedition course for 16-18 year olds will totally immerse participants in the wilderness.



“Participants will prepare and cook their own food and camp in a different spot each night,” Trevor said.



“Along the way, they will also take part in a number of activities and challenges typical of all Outward Bound courses. Participants will also get to sail a Cutter and put their navigation and route finding skills to the test, as they chart their way through bush and across rivers and the sea.”



Trevor said the Expedition course was developed to provide young New Zealanders with a complete outdoors experience while, at the same time, taking advantage of the wider Marlborough Sounds environment and natural resources.



“For many of the participants spending 21 nights under the stars will be a completely new experience,” he said.



“It will be both challenging and rewarding, and give attendees a unique opportunity to get back to nature, while achieving personal growth.”

Aside from the physical component, participants will also learn about teamwork and leadership in ‘real’ situations, understanding values and how these learnings can be translated back into their day-to-day lives.



Adventurer Nathan Fa'avae who won the 2009 and 2010 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge and has participated in numerous adventure races locally and offshore, believes outdoor adventure reaps rewards and many young people would benefit from becoming involved.



“Outdoor adventure is incredibly rewarding and can have many positive effects on those involved - particularly young people.

“One of the biggest benefits young people gain from participating in outdoor adventure is that they gain a sense of perspective. The abundance today of technology and increasing amount of time young people spend indoors and inactive can often numb youth causing them to lose perspective on what’s important.



“Outdoor adventure is the ‘refresh’ button on the computers we all spend too much time on these days.



“Encouraging people to get outdoors can teach many valuable skills that can be woven into the fabric of their lives making them stronger individuals with a positive attitude towards challenges, more effective at communicating and a balanced sense of fairness.“

Trevor said demand for the course had been high with all places for the inaugural course already filled.



“Young Kiwis are increasingly yearning for that outdoors experience and this new course fits the bill. We’re expecting to make this an annual event and, depending on demand, could look to increase the number of Expedition courses on offer.”