Stunning wilderness locations

 

The pristine white sand beaches in Northland, peaceful native bush on Coromandel Peninsula, the rugged mountains and plateau of the Central North Island, the windswept Canterbury plains, the crisp mountain passes of the Southern Alps. Our programmes cover a wide range of stunning locations within Aotearoa New Zealand

Our offices are based in Auckland and Christchurch, but instructors will quickly tell you that they spend a lot of time travelling outside these urban centres into the Great Outdoors!

 

A variety of pursuits

 

Sea kayaking, rock climbing, abseiling, alpine, hiking, camping and bush skills, caving, coasteering, surfing, mountain biking, canyoning.

Do you have a favourite?

Our instructors get the opportunity to build skills in lots of different disciplines, and there is lots of room for instructors to structure programmes based around their strengths and favourite pursuits. There is also lots of opportunity to learn and improve in those disciplines where they are less experienced.

Dave (instructor) says, “I love the freedom to create and facilitate with my own style, or teach a skill a certain way, plus meeting people from all walks of life.”

 

A team that feels like family

 

Here are some quotes from staff who work at Adventure Specialties Trust:

“[Adventure Specialties Trust] Treats their staff really well, there is a whānau/community feel, and you get to take students on epic adventures!”

“Great people to work with that are full of love for the outdoors which means you can only but be inspired to get out more and have lots of your own fun adventures – with the added bonus of having a wider network of people to adventure with.”

“I really love the supportive workplace environment and the effort that is put into developing staff – through staff training, PD, observations etc.”

“I have heaps of respect for Tim, the CEO, he is a genuinely nice guy who cares about his staff.”

“Community. Going away overnight, all the time, your colleagues become like family. The friendly office staff are always keen to hear your stories and support you (in all areas of life not just when you’re instructing).”

“That it’s a community of like-minded people.”

“Work variety! Experiencing lots of different parts of NZ. Staff culture.”

“Family vibes, array of different pursuits, working with a variety of different clients.”

“One thing I love about working at Adventure Specialties is the commitment to being together for training events. It helps us get on the same page and understand our why.”

“Definitely working with a great bunch of people. It’s a fun job and no day is the same. Great family atmosphere where we all look after one another.”

Staff benefits

 

All instructors are offered the following benefits (as of August 2022):

• 8 weeks annual leave!
• Competitive salary based on your experience
• A specialised gear allowance for purchasing any clothing and gear necessary for work (for example a pack, head torch, helmet, tent, PFD, gas cooker, personal locator beacon, etc.)
• Payment of your professional organisation fees e.g. New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association (NZOIA)
• A ‘long day’ and ‘overnight’ allowance for programmes requiring you to work long days or overnight.
• Phone allowance (and a wickedly cheap phone plan!)
• Up to 10 days per year Personal Development (PD), for example gaining new qualifications or attending workshops
• Up to 10 days per year national in-house training (see Annual Retreat and Staff Training below)

 

During the first six months of employment, instructors are also supported towards gaining the following competencies:

• Low ropes and Adventure-Based Learning initiatives
• General bush skills
• General rock climbing and abseiling skills
• Flat water kayaking and sea kayaking skills
• Coasteering skills
• High ropes and flying kiwi (Christchurch-specific)
• General cave skills (Auckland-specific)

 

Annual Staff Retreat and Staff Training

 

Each year, we all meet up for Staff Retreat (a week) in January, then again later in the year for Staff Training.

Staff Retreat is a chance for everyone to catch up, to reconnect with each other, and to refresh our Vision, Mission and Values.

Staff Training is more aimed at the instructing team, and there are normally a couple of days of theory-based learning or admin or practical catch-up jobs. Then a few days of adventure, refreshing skills, sharing learnings, etc.

Previous staff training weeks have included caving, rock climbing, sea kayaking, zipline, canyoning, alpine, hiking, coasteering, and even a week-long raft trip where all the gear and food and accommodation were carried downstream by raft for the whole week!

 

We’re not perfect

 

Let’s be honest, no job or workplace is perfect. We are a bunch of people with different personalities and different ideas, trying to work together in a team, which naturally leads to “opportunities for growth” from time to time! Instructors can sometimes get sick of being away from home so often. The clients and participants can sometimes be challenging.

But these negatives are far outweighed by the positives: the fun-loving and helpful attitude of the whole team, the genuine thoughtfulness and kindness of the management team, the exciting places that we visit, and the real impact that we have in the lives of the youth and adults that we work with on a daily basis. Read their feedback below …

 

We make positive change in people’s lives

 

We work with a range of clients, from upcoming student leaders to youth offenders, to people with disabilities, to adults that struggling with mental health problems, to people keen to feel closer to nature. And we work with all of them to create positive change in their lives.

Here are some quotes from participants who have been on our programmes:

“I saw that people have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. This programme helped increase my patience and understanding.”

“I love getting out in nature. It makes me feel calm.”

“This programme has helped me come out of my comfort zone.”

“I’ve learnt that I can work with others and I don’t need to be alone.”

“I never realised that I could be a leader.”

“I want to spend more time outdoors in all weather and encourage my family to spend more time outdoors in nature.”

“I’ve been more respectful to my family.”

“When I see others having a hard time, I feel more empathy towards them.”

Our Vision, Mission and Values

 

 

Our Vision

Lives Inspired by Adventure.

 

Our Mission

To respond to community needs by providing purposeful adventure to facilitate therapeutic outcomes and positive growth.

 

Our Values

We are guided by our Christian faith which places the love of God at the centre of all we do. This is expressed by the following:

 

We are Hopeful –

Change is possible for everyone. We are optimistic, confident and use a holistic, strength-based approach that supports hauora, “the winds of wellness”.

 

We are Stronger Together –

We practice mahi tahi. We encourage each other and our participants, grow community partnerships and collaborate to achieve shared goals.

 

We are Adventurous –

Outdoor adventure will transform lives. We use healthy adventure and a connection with Te Taiao, the natural world, to nurture growth and learning.

 

We are Inclusive –

Everyone is welcome. We honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We practice respect, equity and manaakitanga.

 

We are Safe –

We embrace physical, emotional, social, and cultural safety. We continually invest in our team and resources to ensure all that we do is of high quality.