WIO is constantly evolving and trying new things – sometimes we think up great ideas but most often those ideas come from our community (and we are so very grateful!!). In response to enquiries asking for a programme that would extend both the skills of participants and the time spent in the outdoors, we came up with Adventure Skills Development and ran a pilot programme in January 2018. Feedback from students and staff who took part was incredibly positive including ‘best EVA’, ‘stoked’ and ‘sick man’ (which means just great we’re told).
We’re pleased to announce we are running a second Adventure Skills Development programme in the October 2018 school holidays followed by a third intake in January. If you are wondering what’s involved, here is a report from one of the participants from January 2018, an international student looking for something with a real kiwi feel to do in the summer holidays.
“You can´t imagine how excited I was when I got out of the plane in Nelson, not knowing how exactly I would spend the next 9 days.
The group size was amazing – we had come from all around New Zealand and some international students. For me it was the first time for years that people couldn’t hide behind their mobile phones, music or whatever – and I think we made the best out of it.
The programme turned out to be amazing. We spent the first days exploring caves, crawling through tiny chambers, climbing on the rock surface. Up and down. Seeing the life (e.g. glow worms) and death (e.g. Moa bones) hidden under the ground. It was the first time I have been caving and I really hope it won´t be the last.
We then did an overnight kayak trip in the Abel Tasman National Park. The environment here is just amazing! And I was surprisingly not as exhausted after the 12 km kayaking each day as I thought.
A personal challenge for me was the hike, which was a nice finish to our adventure. With 2 overnights was it also the longest time we spend away from the base in Motueka. The days in between the big activities we spent planning and doing activities like High Ropes, Climbing, Orienteering or lessons about how to use maps and a compass.
Over these nine days, I learned a lot and had experiences and explored places I may never have the chance again to visit again.
Thank you!”
If this sounds like something you’d like to get involved in please visit our website www.expednz.com/whenuaiti-courses/asd or email info@wio.org.nz