Outward Bound

Thanks to Outward Bound Scholarships, four year 12 students were able to attend an eight day course in July. They each share their experiences ...

Elina Valu

I thought we were just going away for a few days and I took that chance to also escape school life for a while. But Outward Bound had a different kind of lesson in store for me. The way I learned these lessons reminded me of the film Karate kid in a way but I’ll explain that later. On the first day we were drenched in rain lying on the beach shore and received instructions to rub mud all over our faces, at that moment I thought to myself “what did I sign up for?” My first impression was that this felt like some sort of military camp.

As I started to shiver and yearn for a warm shower, one of my leaders, Abby, decided to explain the purpose of this activity. The mud was meant to represent the ‘masks’ we often wear in our everyday lives, to hide our insecurities and flaws to fit in and protect ourselves. It symbolises a thick layer we wear everyday to feel it physically on our faces. After Abby explained this, she then instructed us to jump off the jetty into the ocean to rinse everything off. It wasn’t about getting clean, it was choosing to show up as ourselves. It then clicked to me when reflecting on my experience, all the activities we were told to do, actually was preparing ourselves to go back into the real world with a fresh new perspective on life.

Just like in the film Karate kid, Mr Miyagi instructed Daniel to do chores like waxing cars, sanding floors, painting fences. He felt pointless, like Mr. Miyagi was using him for free labor and all the activities had no relation to training for karate. Eventually Daniel discovered each “wax on” and “wax off” motion mimicked a block that protected his body from attacks. By repeating these motions over and over, Daniel was actually building muscle memory for his body to learn how to move correctly without thinking about it. So, “wax on, wax off” wasn't about cleaning cars; it was a clever way to teach Daniel fundamental karate moves through everyday tasks, helping him develop skills and discipline without realizing he’s training.

Just like the Outward Bound activities we were training and developing skills everyday without realising . At first it felt strange and almost ridiculous like pulling on elastic bands until they stretched tight, jumping ropes like kids, and walking around blindfolded trying to lead each other. It all seemed like pointless play. But slowly, it started to make sense. The elastic was about testing limits, learning how far we could stretch beyond our comfort zones. Jumping taught us to take risks and move forward with others, even when it felt uncertain. And the blindfolds? They were about trust in ourselves, in others, and in the process. What felt silly at first became something much deeper, a way to relearn connection, courage, and leadership. I made new friends and bonded with people I already knew but never thought I would. I did things that the person I was at the start of the year would be absolutely terrified to do. The experience was a quiet but powerful reintroduction to the world we know but with new eyes.

David Dai

Outward Bound was fun and exciting, marking a new chapter in my life, meeting new people and doing activities that always push me to my limits. My instructors, Abby and Noa, always say, "You can do it," which always pushs us to our limits. We went hiking on the Queen Charlotte Track, then sailed for 2 days back to Anakiwa. Even though the activity was tough, our entire watchhouse got each other's back, which made every one of us keep going forward. On the sail back to Anakiwa we experience the beauty of nature, seeing the ocean creatures, feeling the outside fresh air, and feeling the peace that the world provides. This experience was amazing, but there was actually no wind, so we had to row back to Anakiwa, and my arm felt like it was about to snap. On the second to last day at Outward Bound we had to run 8 km around Anakiwa. The ground was full of mud, and I accidentally fell on the electric fence, which was not a sight to be seen. Outward Bound taught me that being a leader is not about being the strongest nor the smartest; it's about working as a team as one individual. Though the journey has ended, I will forever cherish the memories that were made; the friendship we made along the way was one of the many good things that the course provides. If there was another chance to have this same experience, I would without a doubt do it again.

Giorgio Bevan

Outward bound opened a whole new perspective on my life. Within the first few days the military base to the program was obvious, morning fitness, silence at the start of dinner and sticking within your watch for example. Along with this strict routine we were put through various activities either for team bonding or to learn about ourselves. Most memorable was sorting ourselves into four different social types, either introvert or extrovert, combined with either task focused or people focused. Not only did this help understand how our group could work better, as certain types would talk over others, but also reflect on ourselves, I thought of myself as a task focused introvert meaning I often take a while to share my ideas, and find it hard to combine mine with others. Along with the activities were rules the instructors abided by. ‘Ma te Wa’ (Time will tell) was always the reply from the instructors if you asked about the future plans. This meant I learnt to live in the moment instead of thinking about our future. Even with the hard and uncomfortable challenges our watch faced I learned to work properly as a team and stay in the moment. The whole experience benefitted my everyday life in countless ways, and will forever be a treasured memory.

Pearl Glanville Hall

Recently I attended an eight day Mind, Body and Soul Outward bound course at Anakiwa. These days were packed with new adventures that incorporated physical and mental challenges. The aim of Outward bound is to help individuals discover their full potential. I would say they definitely achieved this goal with both me and my group. On the very first day I met the twelve strangers (and Giorgio), who I would be spending the next 7 days with. The second day consisted of team building exercises and getting to know Anakiwa. On day three we set off on our 4 day scheme which included tramping and sailing. Unfortunately the wind was not on our side and we had to row for the majority of the time and by the end (once we had run out of snacks) we were completely exhausted. The last few days back at Anakiwa were spent doing activities like high ropes and doing our 8km run. A part of my course I really enjoyed was getting up early and getting active, it was a huge change from my normal routine. I found that after the dip in the freezing ocean, I actually felt so energized and prepared for the day, so much so that I ended up looking forward to the swims. Another idea that will stick with me is “getting comfortable with being uncomfortable,” our watch leaders said this on the first day. It is about being okay with leaving your comfort zone and understanding that you won't always be uncomfortable. It is just a temporary feeling and you should not let it stop you from enjoying the moment.

Overall it was a really great opportunity that I am immensely grateful for. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a mixture of challenge and adventure.

Report abuse