Five students recently embraced the challenge and adventure of Outward Bound. This article shares their transformative experiences.

Becky; Outward Bound was seriously one of the best experiences of my life. Early December, I travelled up to Picton for my 21-day mind, body and soul

course. During this experience, I got to sail around the Marlborough Sounds, tramp up mountains and push myself to run a half marathon on the last day. The hardest challenge for me was a 15-hour tramping day. We started walking at 6:30 am and arrived at the campsite at 9:30 pm in cold northerly winds, with a 1500m elevation gain. Although the day had a few moments of anger and tear-filled eyes, it taught me how capable I am and that I can do anything I set my mind to.

At Outward Bound, I met some amazing people who will be lifelong friends, and I recently spent a week up north reconnecting with my watch. I am extremely thankful to the school for selecting me for the scholarship and to my parents for making this happen

Nevaeh; My time at Outward Bound as part of Batten Watch #720 was truly life-changing. Over 21 unforgettable days, I was pushed far beyond my comfort zone—physically, mentally, and emotionally—and came out stronger for it. From long, challenging days tramping through rugged terrain to sailing through the breathtaking Marlborough Sounds, sleeping under the stars on the cutter, tackling high ropes, rock climbing, completing a half marathon, and experiencing the solo, every moment helped me build resilience, confidence, and belief in myself.

I’m incredibly grateful to my school for selecting me for a scholarship that made this opportunity possible. The friendships I made—people who started as strangers but quickly became like family—are ones I’ll treasure for life. We plan to have a Batten watch reunion in December this year, around the same time we did the course together. Outward Bound helped me discover who I can be, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone ready to take on a challenge, grow as a person, and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Safi;If you're even thinking about doing Outward Bound—just do it! Seriously. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, you’ll probably cry. But the friendships you make and the skills you pick up totally outweigh the blisters, bruises, and occasional emotional breakdowns. Each day at “school” (aka a very intense version of camp) kicks off with a 3km run and a full-body dip in the freezing sea—because apparently that’s how champions start their mornings. Then it’s a mad dash to clean your watch house (your cabin, but with military-grade tidiness) before breakfast and assembly. The runs don’t get easier, but you do get faster—eventually. If you love the sea, the mountains, or just a good challenge, Outward Bound is for you. The discipline and self-awareness I gained will stick with me for the rest of my life.

And if you ever ask me about my camps, Outward Bound is the first one I’ll mention—probably loudly, and with a dramatic story or two. Like that first tramp, when we realised one of the girls’ sleeping bags was missing and the three of us had to survive the freezing night by squeezing into two sleeping bags. We barely slept, shivered the whole time, and laughed way too hard about it the next day. The best part? One of the boys swore up and down that he didn’t have the extra sleeping bag and refused to check his pack—only to admit the next morning that it had been in his bag the whole time. It was cold, it was tough, and yes, I smelled like seaweed half the time—but I’d go back in a heartbeat. There’s just something magical about being completely out of your comfort zone, surrounded by strangers who quickly become your team, your support, and your friends. Outward Bound didn’t just teach me how to hike, paddle, or clean a toilet to inspection standards—it taught me how to push through when things get hard, and to trust myself when it matters most.

Charlotte; Outward Bound was one of the best things I have ever done! I think that everyone should have the opportunity to experience this. If you have access to funding, scholarships or can afford the course, take advantage of this. It is an experience you won’t regret, and you will leave with lifelong friendships, skills and memories. 

When I signed up for the 21-day mind, body, soul course, I thought it was an odd name, but after completing my 21 days, I realised that that is exactly what it is. You will be challenged physically and mentally, but will learn new skills in the outdoors and also ways of thinking that will change and challenge the way you see things and how you treat yourself and others. One of my favourite days was when we got to wake up and see the sun rise on the cutter and had to do PT on the boats, and got to swim with jellyfish afterwards. Later that day, we finally got to sail on one of our last days at OB, after having to row the whole way on all of our previous trips.

I am so grateful that I was able to have this experience, and I highly recommend Outward Bound to anyone even considering it.

Cormick; Outward Bound was honestly one of the best things I've ever done. In late October, I headed up to Picton for a 21-day Mind, Body, and Soul course. While I was there, I got to sail around the Marlborough Sounds, hike up some big hills, and ran a half marathon on the last day.

I met some amazing people who I know will be lifelong friends. Each Wednesday, everyone sends a video about how they're getting along. I'm so grateful to Outward Bound for giving me a scholarship and to my parents for driving me down there. It was great,  I’ll never forget it!