Aoraki Bound Reaches Milestone Course

Aoraki Bound Reaches Milestone Course

The success of a partnership between Outward Bound and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu will achieve a milestone next week as the 10th Aoraki Bound course gets underway.

The course, a 20 day cultural and personal development programme, combines Ngāi Tahu cultural knowledge with the classic challenge, leadership and outdoor adventure activities typical of Outward Bound.

Outward Bound Chief Executive Officer, Trevor Taylor, said the course caters for up to 14 students and has two dedicated Outward Bound instructors along with a Ngāi Tahu facilitator to provide full context for students.

“The students spend eight days at the Outward Bound School at Anakiwa learning leadership, team work and networking skills centred around personal development.”

At the end of the eight days, participants take part in a 12 day hikoi where they navigate their way through Ngāi Tahu sites of historical significance including ancient pounamu trails. They then paddle a waka the length of Lake Pukaki to arrive at the foot of Aoraki - the Ngāi Tahu ancestral mountain. The course concludes with the traditional Outward Bound half marathon.

“Ngāi Tahu wanted to further develop their people, their future leaders, their culture and their place in Aotearoa and had a desire to share their knowledge and values with all New Zealanders. Aoraki Bound was developed in 2005 in response to that need,” Trevor said.

Ngāi Tahu Leadership Programme Advisor, Kari Kururangi, said “The course has been designed not only as a course for Ngāi Tahu, but for all New Zealanders. It aims to create access to Ngāi Tahu culture, tikanga (traditions), mahinga kai (food gathering) and reo (language) through Outward Bound’s experiential personal and social development learning.”

Kari said, Ngāi Tahu felt it was important to develop an initiative that was aimed at building relationships with other organisations.

“We recognised the importance of building lasting relationships with others who share our core values and philosophy. Cultural revitalisation is essential to the future sustainability and development of Ngāi Tahu which is why we were eager to develop the course to strengthen and build relationships,” Kari said.

Currently, over 100 people have participated in the course since it began in 2006.

The 10th Aoraki Bound course begins on Sunday 28 February 2010.

ENDS

© Scoop Media