Congratulations to our CEO, Tim Wills, for being recognised as an Honorary Life Member at the NZOIA Excellence Awards last week!

This award is awarded to a member who personifies the very best combination of an excellent instructor/guide, a high achieving personal performer, and an outstanding contributor to the work and promotion of the association.

Tim Wills has had a significant impact not only on NZOIA and our wider industry, but on countless individuals he has crossed paths with.

A NZOIA member for over 30 years, he has held a raft of both land and water based NZOIA quals: Alpine 2, Bush 2, Rock 2, Kayak 1, Sea Kayak 1.

Tim easily ticks all the boxes for the Life Member criteria: providing a long-term contribution as an Assessor, in governance, on technical committees and through qualification development. No one has been more dedicated to giving their time freely to NZOIA. He completed a term as the NZOIA TSC convenor and then had his arm twisted to stand for the Board. An impressive nine years of service in total!

Tim has spent a lifetime of commitment to adventure, with many years spent working at Adventure Specialties Trust. Whether he’s scaling mountains, riding waves or chasing the wind, he’s always excited and ready for the next outdoor thing!
It’s not only about what he has done, it is about how he has done it, always bouncing with enthusiasm for the next adventure. Tim is always positive, if the weather is marginal his attitude is that it might improve! He empowers others to go beyond what they thought they could do.

A Tall Tōtara recipient in the past, it is with great pleasure that we award honorary life membership to this humble and outdoor fun seeker…Tim Wills!

Text written by NZOIA
Awards Photo credit: Andy Thompson Photography NZ

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[Please note that the photos in this article are not from the RESTORE programme, to protect the privacy of the programme participants.]

The benefits of small groups include:

• Meeting other people who are in a similar situation to you,
• Getting to know them, making friends,
• Trusting others,
• Communicating your needs and emotions and ideas.

Especially for people who are anxious about social situations, it’s an opportunity to practice so many skills and really build confidence in a social setting.

All of these things are much harder to achieve in individual therapy.

We often find that one of the things the participants appreciate most is the peer support that comes from the group sharing their experiences and thoughts and ideas with each other.

Take, for example, our RESTORE programmes which have been running in Auckland and Christchurch this year.

RESTORE is for people who are off work for mental health reasons (like anxiety, depression, stress or burnout) and are on the Job Seekers benefit. We use Adventure Therapy to support them on their journey towards hauora (health and wellbeing).

Check out the feedback that we have received from the participants:

“It was comforting to learn that EVERYONE goes through stuff and everyone struggles from time to time.”

“It gave me a reason to get out of bed and have interactions with people outside my immediate circle. Being able to have meaningful conversations impacted my day positively.”

“It’s helped me realise that people do care and there are programmes that help bring change and help bring life back.”

“This programme has made me realise how important connection is for my wellbeing. Connecting with nature and people help to lift my mood and give me a sense of belonging.”

“This programme has made a difference in multiple ways: communicating with others, feeling better in nature, different ways to look at things, and feeling safer in the community.”

“I’m more positive, confident and clearer about who I am and what brings me to life. I’ve learned that I don’t have to be perfect and giving my best is fine. I’ve learned too that I have a lot to offer other people because of who I am. I have appreciated this opportunity. I am no longer suicidal, I have more hope and can feel joy, self-pride and gratitude.”

[This article is from our Christmas newsletter. Read the rest of the newsletter here (PDF)]

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One of KidsCan’s projects is the KidsCan Youth Council. It is a year-long scholarship programme which supports young people towards success, leadership and community
engagement.

The Youth Council is made up of ten students (aged 16-18) from all around Aotearoa New Zealand, who have been under-privileged or come from resilient backgrounds or who have benefitted from KidsCan programmes themselves. They are young people who have a desire to help others and want the opportunity to have a leadership role in their communities.

KidsCan partnered with us to create a 3-day outdoor adventure programme which focused on supporting the Youth Council students in gaining confidence and leadership skills, plus developing individual goals for themselves.

Our instructors, Nat and Joel, took the group kayaking and hiking around Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.

They also led the group in some leadership activities which focused on understanding different values and different comfort levels within a group. For example, they were asked questions like “How comfortable do you feel in deep water?” or “How much do you value time alone by yourself?” or “How connected do you feel to your culture?”

Seeing everyone’s different answers helped the students to understand how we all have different values and experiences, which, in turn, helps develop self-awareness as well as empathy and understanding for others.

After the programme, the students gave us some feedback:

“The group activities have helped me be able to talk and communicate with people I don’t know.”

“I’ve learned to be ambitious [with my goals]. It could pay off.”

“Our hike was so hard. It felt good to complete it, though.”

Ray, the KidsCan co-ordinator, gave this feedback:

“Kayaking was a youth fav. There was a good balance of education, skill, ease, exploration and playfulness. The hike was incredible and a great challenge for the youth. [The instructors] both had a very relaxed nature which made it easy for youth to feel comfortable and safe around. Good safety and risk management. I look forward to working with Adventure Specialties Trust again!”

This article is taken from our December 2023 Christmas newsletter.

Click here to read the rest of the newsletter.

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Thank you, Foundation North, for funding the purchase of our new mountain bikes so that more young people can experience the joy of being outdoors!

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UPCOMING YOUTH CAMP: Our North Island IGNITE youth camp is now open for applications! Keep reading for more details …

WHAT: IGNITE is an adventure therapy youth camp, where we combine ADVENTURE (kayaking, bush walking, high ropes, etc.) with THERAPY (like group activities and facilitated discussions, one-on-one chats with our caring instructors), with time and space built in for rest, reflection, and spending time outdoors in nature with its proven therapeutic benefits.

WHY: This camp is aimed at young people who might be struggling at the moment – maybe with anxiety, stress, depression, or other mental health challenges.

WHERE: We will be based at an adventure camp in Ahuroa (north of Auckland) with one overnight camping trip during the week (there is also a South Island camp, check our website for more info).

WHO: Young adults (aged 15-18 years old). We have extremely limited spaces so please get in touch sooner rather than later! Our staff will include a qualified mental health professional and one or two highly experienced outdoor instructors.

WHEN: The IGNITE camp happens most school holidays. The next one is during the September school holidays. Five days of fun! Monday 25th – Friday 29th September 2023.

Find out more about the IGNITE camp on our website:
www.adventurespecialties.co.nz/programmes/ignite-north-island

Come join us on an adventure!

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THANK YOU RECREATION AOTEAROA! For funding some amazing programmes over the last few months: Big Brother Big Sister and Upside Youth Mentoring in Auckland, plus Active Muslim Explorers Camp and Big Brother Big Sister in Christchurch.

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Thank you, West City Sports Academy, for this wonderful feedback about our partnership with your alternative education programme.

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We took a group called “Mums on the Move” out kayaking with Instructor Caitlin. Isn’t it a stunning location? And they even got to hang out with some seals!!! 

#betterworkstories

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Check out this 17-second video of a favourite coasteering spot called “The Washing Machine” at Tāwharanui Regional Park in Auckland. It’s called the Washing Machine because it’s the sweet spot between several rocks where the waves come in from multiple directions and wash the group around in circles (extra spinning added for laughs!) while staying basically in the same spot.

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The stunning views from Cape Brett / Rakaumangamanga on the Cape Brett Track in Northland. Our 10-day Journey with Kaipara College students finished at this incredible location, next to the Cape Brett lighthouse.

More info about the Cape Brett Track:
https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/northland/places/cape-brett-and-whangamumu-area/things-to-do/cape-brett-track/

More info about the Cape Brett Lighthouse:
https://www.doc.govt.nz/cape-brett-lighthouse
https://tohuwhenua.nz/te-tai-tokerau-northland/r%C4%81kaumangamanga-cape-brett

Rakaumangamanga, which stretches back into Te Pēwhairangi (the Bay of Islands), is of particular spiritual and traditional importance to Te Tai Tokerau (Northland) Māori. The light reflecting off the crystalline rocks below helped guide the earliest ocean voyagers to a safe landfall in this new homeland.

The Cape Brett lighthouse is noted for its spectacular cliff top location. It operates using a giant clockwork mechanism and is the last complete example on site in New Zealand. Visitors from Paihia arrive by walking (8 hours), or water taxi (35 minutes), or both, and can experience the lighthouse lifestyle by overnighting in the keepers cottage now repurposed as a DOC hut. See Cape Brett Hut.

The Cape Brett lighthouse was first lit on 21 February 1910 under the watchful eyes of Robert McIver (Principal Keeper) and Frances Earnest Lee (Assistant Keeper). The light proceeded to act as a guide to vessels for the next 68 years until the tower was decommissioned in 1978. A replacement light still functions here today.

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