We were fortunate to be given a scholarship by the Mackenzie District Council to attend an Outward Bound course. We set off for Outward Bound on Friday the 28th of July, going by the community car to Timaru then the bus to Picton.  We stayed at Piwaka Lodge; they were lovely hosts and the next day we met the Outward Bound staff at the shore front. Because the ferry was delayed we had the chance to talk to the staff and other students while waiting. After everyone arrived from the ferry we packed all our stuff on board the boat and then we set off. We stayed at a little place called Te Kainga Bay; it was our first home for this 8 day journey.  The next day we arrived at the homebase in Anikwa where for the most part we stayed for the remainder of our trip.  We got familiar with the grounds and we met all the instructors who gave us a warm welcome.

It didn’t take us long to get into activities. The main activities we did in the 8 days were a High ropes course, Rock climbing and an overnight solo bush experience.  In between there were a lot of group exercises getting everyone working as a team and breakfast, lunch and dinner obviously. Throughout the course we learned a lot about the different activities and the culture of the place we were calling home.  

The time we spent at Outward Bound gave us time to reflect on ourselves and connect with others. The first two days we spent rowing to Anakiwa and although there was tension within the watch group it was a good way to set off our trip. Outward Bound definitely pushed us out of our comfort zones but built our resilience that will be used within our daily lives. 

The skills we are taking back to school might not be obvious yet but we hope to incorporate them in our everyday lives.  We pushed ourselves everyday, even through sickness and mental and physical fatigue. The routines there keep you fit and the food fuels you up for the day ahead. It was an amazing experience for all three of us. We were pushed to limits we never knew we had and our comfort zones increased in size.  The moral of the story is that nothing is ever too big of a challenge if you believe in yourself. Thank you to all the people who made this experience possible, we all learned a lot.

Josh - “I wish I could go back!  The friendships and bonds I made there I will never forget as each person there taught me more about myself I never knew.”

Jayla -  “The time I had to reflect and just be myself was amazing, an opportunity I'll never forget.”

Shelton - "The memories and friends that I made on this journey will stick with me forever, thank you so much”.

Josh, Shelton and Jayla