Outward Bound New Zealand

Outward Bound New Zealand (OBNZ) is a non-profit organisation providing experiential education in New Zealand. Its stated goal is to help participants reach their potential "through challenge in the outdoors".[1] In total, more than fifty thousand students have attended the school.[2]

Outward Bound Trust New Zealand
AbbreviationOBNZ
Formation1962 (1962)
Founded atAnakiwa
TypeNon-profit organization
PurposeOutdoor Education
HeadquartersWellington
Location
Region
New Zealand
CEO
Malindi Maclean
AffiliationsOutward Bound International
Websiteoutwardbound.co.nz

Like other Outward Bound International member organisations, its educational philosophy is derived from the work of German educator Kurt Hahn. Its motto is a favourite saying of his, "plus est en vous" ("there is more in you").[3]

The school is located in Anakiwa. Its governing body, Outward Bound Trust New Zealand, operates from Wellington.

History

The Anakiwa school was founded in 1962 by Christchurch lawyer Hamish Thomas.[4] Thomas had previously visited English Outward Bound schools, and conducted a trial course on Auckland's Motutapu Island (in 1961). His daughter remarked that he "gave up a successful criminal law practice and a very comfortable existence to do something he truly believed in".[5]

A guest house (originally built by the Beauchamp family, who had farmed Anakiwa since 1863) was purchased and restored using £100,000 in donated funds.[1] The school was opened by then Governor-General of New Zealand Lord Cobham, who landed in the Marlborough Sounds for the occasion on board an RNZAF flying boat accompanied by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake and Leader of the Opposition Walter Nash.[6] It was named "The Cobham Outward Bound School".[7]

The school was intended for young men originally, who attended for a period of 16 days.[8] A regimented program awaited them. Days would begin with a 4:30 AM wake up, a cross-country run, then into the sea and off to breakfast.[9]

Outward Bound began accepting female students in October 1973.[10]

Curriculum

Parts of the curriculum are deliberately obscured from prospective students. In fact, participants are often kept in the dark about what they will be doing next even while on the course.[11]

However, most courses share activities drawn from a common pool and modified by the capabilities of the participant group: physical training, rock climbing, kayaking, sailing, tramping, and a solo experience.[1] On some courses a half marathon or shorter distance run over part of the Queen Charlotte Track is completed at the end.[12] The outdoor activities are not undertaken with the goal of becoming an expert kayaker, sailor or mountaineer. Rather, they are "the classroom" in which students gain in self-knowledge, confidence, and learn to work together.[9]

Students are organised into "watches" of up to 14, a group they will remain assigned to for the duration of their course. Here watch is used in the nautical sense, "a group of sailors and officers aboard a ship or shore station with a common period of duty". Each watch is named for an iconic figure in New Zealand history; examples include Hillary, Kupe, Batten, and Cobham.[1] Watches sleep together in a "watch house", eat together in the dining hall, and spend most of their time together.[13]

Courses

Broadly, Outward Bound divides course offerings into five categories based on their intended participants: teens, young adults, adults, professionals, and people with disabilities. The 'classic' Outward Bound experience is generally considered to be the 21 day course, offered for teens, young adults, and adults (aged 27 and up). Shorter courses are available, typically lasting five to eight days. These offer a more 'concentrated' version of the curriculum, with some being modified or targeted to particular participants. The organisation also offers to work with participant groups on custom-designed courses tailored to their needs.[1]

Facilities and equipment

The school maintains three 10 metre cutters, small sailing vessels capable of carrying all 14 students in a watch and up to three staff.[14]

The cutters have been part of the school since its inception,[15] and were also called whaleboats.[16] The cutters were based on an old naval design, comparable to the James Caird used to cross part of the southern Atlantic Ocean by Ernest Shackleton.[17] The original clinker built cutters were replaced with a slightly modified fibreglass design in 2012.[18]

The school's quarterly newsletter is named The Cutter.

A small fleet of three powered launches are maintained to complement the cutters. One, Matakana, was originally constructed as a lifeboat for Wahine. Wahine sank before the lifeboat came into service, and subsequently the Union Steam Ship Company donated her to Outward Bound. Staff added an engine, deck and wheelhouse to convert it into a launch, and she remained in service nearly 50 years before the old fleet were replaced with newer Tortuga designs.[19]

Safety

As with many outdoor education activities, Outward Bound participants agree to undertake an increased level of risk when attending their course. The organisation's terms and conditions state in part, "Although we have procedures in place to minimise risk, none of these risks can be completely eliminated. When undertaking any activity, you will be briefed on the risks and how to manage them." They further note that no life-changing injuries have occurred at the school in the past decade.[1]

Perhaps inevitably, students are occasionally injured during activities. Because some activities take place in remote areas of forest and terrain inaccessible to ground vehicles, helicopters are sometimes used to airlift injured participants to treatment at nearby Wairau Hospital.[20] The need to evacuate students in this way is unusual, and they may be able to rejoin their course following assessment.[21]

In 2011 the Outward Bound cutter Matahorua was struck by Delphinus, a 12.9 metre catamaran owned by a Picton ecotourism company. The twelve students on board the cutter were forced into the water after the impact sheared off the cutter's bow. They were later treated for minor injuries. Delphinus' captain was convicted of failing to keep a proper lookout and was ordered to pay reparation.[22]

In its entire history, five participants have died during an Outward Bound course. However, no deaths have occurred at the school since 1993[10] when journalist Suzanne Consedine fell while tramping with her group. These accidents have informed Outward Bound instructor training and curriculum, following a global outdoor education trend away from acceptance of occasional accidental loss of life.[23]

Darryl: An Outward Bound Story

In 2017 New Zealand actor and writer Millen Baird produced and starred in Darryl: An Outward Bound Story, a comedic take on the experience of attending Outward Bound. Baird, an OBNZ alumnus, filmed the series on an 8-day "Discovery" course, which all the New Zealand cast participated in. Speaking of his first Outward Bound experience, Baird remarked, "It kind of set off some sort of light inside me and I took a lot away from it."[24]

Baird and John Argall won the award for Best Script: Comedy at the New Zealand Television Awards in 2017.[25]

References
  1. "Outward Bound - Outdoor Education New Zealand". Outward Bound. Outward Bound Trust New Zealand. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  2. "Outward Bound headed for overhaul in $3 million upgrade". Marlborough Express. Stuff Limited. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  3. editors, Bob Stremba, Christian A. Bisson (2009). Teaching adventure education theory : best practices. Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics. p. 58. ISBN 978-0736071260.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. "Adventures for body and soul". The Press. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  5. McNabb, Katie. "The First Days of Outward Bound, Anakiwa". The Cutter (December 2012 Commemorative ed.). p. 6.
  6. Mateparae, Jerry (1 September 2012). "Outward Bound 50 year celebration". The Governor-General of New Zealand. Office of the Governor-General. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  7. Inside Outward Bound, The New Zealand Journey (Motion picture). Outward Bound Trust New Zealand. 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  8. Dollery, Helen (5 May 2011). "Youth organisations - Outward Bound, adventure and travel". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  9. "The story of Outward Bound in Anakiwa". Written & Recorded. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  10. van der Heide, Maike (3 September 2012). "Outward Bound turns 50". Marlborough Express. Stuff Limited. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  11. Nichol, Tess (24 March 2018). "Tess Nichol: Confronting hard truths on Outward Bound". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  12. "Outward Bound turns 50". Marlborough Express. Stuff Limited. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  13. Burgess, Michael (13 June 2012). "Outward Bound: Find out why you're here". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  14. Pickford, Kat (10 June 2013). "Outward's cutters bound for glory". Marlborough Express. Stuff Limited. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  15. MacLean, Rob. "Outward Bound Cutters: A New Generation". The Cutter (May 2012 Commemorative ed.). p. 14.
  16. "Outward Bound for Adventure". Nelson Photo News. No. 26. 8 December 1962.
  17. Newton, Kate; NZPA (7 February 2011). "Praise for 'cool heads' in boat collision". Stuff. Stuff Limited. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  18. Beer, Emma (26 October 2012). "New cutters a safer option". Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  19. Eder, Jennifer (6 April 2018). "Outward Bound's Wahine lifeboat seeks new home". Marlborough Express. Stuff Limited. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  20. New Zealand Newswire (17 December 2017). "Rescue for man with Outward Bound". Newshub. MediaWorks TV. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  21. Kitt, Jeffrey (7 July 2017). "Airlift emergency at Outward Bound". Stuff. Stuff Limited. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  22. "Skipper convicted following collision". Maritime New Zealand. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  23. Roy, Elanor Ainge. "Bound to succeed". Sunday Star Times. Stuff Limited. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  24. Taylor, Gracie (27 March 2017). "Meet Darryl Walker, the star of a new Kiwi web series you need to see". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  25. "Stars out in force New Zealand Television Awards". Stuff. Stuff Limited. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
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