Whenua Iti Outdoors

It has been a local institution for 23 years. Over 10,000 ‘students’ have experienced the ‘journeys of discovery’ it offers, it has provided a starting point for many of our local adventure tourism workers and, quite possibly, your own children may have even spent time there as part of a school trip. So why do so many of us know nothing about the place, and what really goes on at Whenua Iti Outdoors?

It is 1987. The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Act has been passed; Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue and Pseudo Echo are tearing up the music charts; unemployment in New Zealand is high and many young people are leaving school at the first opportunity, directionless and disillusioned with life in what is supposed to be the best little country in the world. At least we won the Rugby World Cup that year…

Meanwhile, perpetually optimistic Motueka woman Hazel Nash sees an opportunity. A strong believer in the value of using challenging outdoor activities to facilitate personal growth, Hazel (with the help of many others and using a portion of her own land) buys some gear, converts her barn into a bunkroom and sets about exposing local youngsters to adventures in the mountains, caves, rivers and oceans of our fabulous region. Local kaumatua Tom Bailey bestows a name on the place meaning ‘small piece of land’, and Whenua Iti is born.

Over the past 23 years, Whenua Iti Outdoors (WIO) has offered mostly free four-day-a-week courses for up to 40 weeks a year for folks aged 15 to 60+. One of the earliest courses was ‘Women Explorers’ – an empowering opportunity for fun and a challenge for women of all ages. ‘Adventure Tourism’ was another foundation programme aimed at getting students ready for work in local outdoor industries, many of whom have made long-term careers out of an enviable lifestyle or established their own successful companies. There have been many other programmes as well, as WIO has evolved to meet the needs of the local community, with diverse target groups ranging from young mums to aspiring outdoor leaders.

For some years, WIO also delivered the outdoor component of the Certificate in Outdoor Recreation for NMIT. And while they specialise in outdoor adventures such as caving, rafting, sea and river kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, abseiling and tramping, they are also proud of the diversity of opportunities they offer, as well as the wide range of ages and backgrounds of the participants that enjoy the Whenua Iti experience.

These days, students on longer courses may attend fitness training at a boxing gym, experience meditation or laughter yoga, learn the art of photography or spend a few days working with DOC at the Farewell Spit lighthouse.

Currently, ‘Infinite Possibilities’ is held several times a year. This is a 12-week course that acts as a stepping stone back into life for those who have been inactive or unemployed for some time. ‘Challenge’ steps things up a bit, with a greater degree of ‘safe adversity’, while ‘True North’ offers perhaps the sternest challenges of all and is solely for those aged between 16 and 24.

Located on the Moutere Highway, visitors to WIO are greeted by large, spacious grounds, an abundance of native plant life and mature fruit trees. An enormous abseiling tower gazes down impassively from a grassy knoll, inviting those below to take up the challenge, while a rope course and trapeze peek tantalisingly from behind the cabbage trees and manuka.

In summer, the place is at its most vibrant, with a multitude of school groups and corporates sharpening their problem-solving and team-building skills through a variety of tasks and games designed to test both mind and body. Schools must surely view WIO as a huge asset to the community, as they look to offer a different learning perspective to their classroom-bound charges.

Each year, as many as 1,500 school children run the fun-filled gauntlet of adventure-based learning activities at WIO. Many of these schools take advantage of the government-subsidised Active Focus scheme that is designed to extend the health and physical education curriculum of schools.

WIO’s development and communications manager, Catharine Wood, states that one of the key strengths of WIO’s role in the scheme is its ability to create a situation that cannot be replicated in the classroom and draw out positives that can be built upon and applied in school and family life.

Perception can be a funny thing, and WIO has probably been viewed in several different lights over the years. Often likened to Outward Bound, WIO is highly regarded by local Work and Income offices as a real and positive option in an increasingly difficult job market.

With the mission statement: “To encourage the holistic development of individuals through outdoor experiences”, the intention is that people walk out of WIO more positive about themselves, more aware of their strengths and what they have to offer their communities, with a greater sense of direction and having learned to be more resourceful, independent and resilient. As well as being able to make smarter decisions in life. In short, WIO aims to build a ‘better person’, with all the building blocks hewn, honed and assembled by the individuals themselves.

But back to the perception thing. Sometimes mentioning Whenua Iti can provoke interesting responses such as: “Is that that Maori place?” or “Isn’t that where the bad kids go?” or “Isn’t it part of the marae?” or a combination of the above. In a society where academic achievement and getting a job are valued so highly, what does WIO have to offer? And is it still a relevant organisation these days?

Perhaps the reality is that existing tertiary education opportunities don’t work for everyone, are expensive and don’t necessarily offer what a particular person needs at that stage in their life. WIO may well fill a gap in the local educational landscape, or meet some less conventional needs.

Other fair questions that come up, particularly from parents of younger folk looking at joining a WIO programme, are: “What qualifications do they get?” and “How is it going to help them get a job?” Good questions.

The answers may lie in the metaphors for life that the variety of activities offered can draw out: the ability to face a stern challenge and succeed, to contribute to a functioning team, to be able to identify and implement positive changes, and to communicate constructively. Then there are learning to manage yourself and your equipment in difficult situations; to identify, build on and apply personal strengths; to believe in your ability to maintain these qualities and demonstrate that these are all transferable skills – skills that would be highly valued by a potential employer.

We’ve all seen the graph that rates ‘the right attitude’ at the top of employers’ wish lists of features of the ideal employee, well ahead of qualifications and even experience. This is WIO’s area of expertise – holding up a mirror to its students and inviting them to sort out the blemishes and enhance the good bits.

Senior tutor Charlie Martin, who has been at WIO for 10 years, puts his longevity in what can be a challenging job down to several positive aspects. He sees his work as more than just a wage and finds reward in facilitating personal growth and sharing in the success of his students. He feels that the value of contributing to one’s community is underrated, and that his role in making people’s lives more positive is very much a community service.

Charlie also points out that while WIO, as a largely government-funded charitable trust, is always operating on limited resources, there are positives in the organisation that demonstrate the ability to do the best with what you have and use your imagination to solve life’s conundrums. He also enjoys offering others the chance to discover nature, and the freedom and spirituality that can be found in beautiful places.

Manager Anne Grantham sees WIO’s strengths as its location, its strong safety record, its adaptability and flexibility, and its staff. Anne believes WIO has always had a strong connection with the land, and it is hard to argue with the location; within easy reach of two of New Zealand’s most spectacular national parks, with caves, rivers, oceans and mountains in abundance.

“The staff’s knowledge of such locations within these parks is a huge asset,” says Anne. Their familiarity with the land and its myriad routes and locations enables the staff to lead students safely while imparting confidence, awareness and appreciation of these environments.

Anne likes to quote American writer and park ranger Edward Abbey who says: “The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth… the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need – if only we had the eyes to see.”

Anne also believes in WIO’s guiding principles of empowering people, protecting the environment, committing to safety, modelling what is taught, upholding the Treaty of Waitangi and offering opportunities for both staff and students to grow.

But how do students feel about WIO? What are their expectations and are they being met?

Jenny – in her mid thirties and a member of the current ‘Challenge’ course – is experiencing a revelation at WIO. She cannot believe how much higher her energy levels are, and the way she feels about the world (and herself) is so much more positive.

Jenny is a kiwi who saw much of the world while based in London for 13 years; many of those working as a nanny. She returned home seeking respite from the intensity of London only to find herself struggling to readjust to New Zealand culture. After studying child and adolescent psychology (and realising it was far too bureaucratic and office-bound for her), Jenny returned to London for a time before finally drifting back to New Zealand – lost, disillusioned and about to descend into what she describes as a “pit of depression”.

She saw ‘Challenge’ advertised in a local paper and the words “gain confidence while being challenged by outdoor activities” were an instant magnet. She’s been amazed at how 13 people with such different personalities and perspectives can get along and form such a tight group, and sees the diversity of students as a real positive. She feels that not only has she found confidence from within, she’s actually gained a lot from being with the other members of the group. While the future is still a little daunting and uncertain, Jenny is developing some real focus and direction as the weeks go by, and says that WIO has changed her perspective for the better.

Amy, 26, is another current student who came to WIO looking to rediscover herself after giving so much to her role as a mother. She says she’s at a stage in her life when she needs to push her limits in all ways, not just physically. After suffering a serious health scare, she’s benefiting from the social side of the course and the positive adult contact. Interestingly, she says that the staff at WIO contributed to her return to form as much as her fellow students did. She has no doubt that WIO has offered her real support and helped hugely with her motivation, confidence [that word again…] and focus.

And what of the corporate groups that visit WIO? Ranging from construction companies and major banks to local veterinary practices, various companies come for different reasons. Some just want a fun day out to ‘break the chain’ of the stress and routine of workaday life; others want to strengthen staff relationships or see staff perform in an unfamiliar environment. Some even come to address specific issues. Regardless, WIO’s staff can create an experience to suit, with benefits such as improved working relationships, greater staff cohesion and bonding, a stronger sense of empathy for fellow workers and happier, more productive staff.

So there you have it. Perhaps Whenua Iti Outdoors has a lot more to offer the Nelson Tasman region than we once thought. Incidentally, while writing this article, I happened to bump into three different people in one day who all had tales of friends or family members who had spent time at WIO, all in different eras of its evolution. The comments were all positive. Perhaps I should finish with a remark from one of them who said that WIO had really helped his son who was “at a crossroads in life”. And we all need good directions at a crossroads, don’t we?