In Outdoor Education, we go to special places. We respect kaitiakitanga to ensure that the places that we visit, and how we act in those places, safeguards the special qualities of the place for our future generations.

Sometimes, where we go depends on the experience, skills, equipment of our students and, more importantly, the weather.

The L2/3 OdEd group chose Lake Tennyson as the destination for their first tramp, an area as breathtakingly beautiful as it is relentlessly rugged and, as tranquil and peaceful as it is terrible and violent in the eye of a storm. 

So, as Autumn turns wintery and the windows of fine weather diminish, L2/3 OdEd were lucky to be blessed with a 48-hour window to explore this magnificent area. To work on their tramping stamina, develop their pinpoint navigation skills, practise their bush survival knowledge, catch fish, swot up on the stars and constellations, and for some, achieve some well-deserved credits for tramping and river crossing. However, with ground frost, 7mm of snow, a strong developing southerly wind and subzero temperatures forecast overnight, the price could be… hmm, much more than a little cold!

When the sun eventually came up, the frost quickly thawed and the tramping began. Quickly, the views became breathtaking and, speechlessly, all we could do was to soak them up.

Nevertheless, what impressed myself and Sarah, our instructor from OENZ, the most was the way our students displayed our Kaiapoi High School values and the ability to take care of themselves.

RESPECT - for the environment, for each other, for the wildlife.

Special mention:

Jacob Gibson, who took extra responsibility for ensuring that the campsite was kept clean and rubbish was collected bagged and stored AND, for going above and beyond to carry other students' rubbish.

Tim Andrews, who happily volunteered his time to teach others how to use a Trangia and to many L2/3 OdEd students who helped support each other in developing their Cartographic Literacy Skills and understanding!

All the fishermen/women who tried their 'luck'. 12 fish caught, and ALL returned swiftly, regardless of the diner or date fishing policy (and the possibility of smoked trout with lemon cooked on a campfire!!!).

Top fisherman awarded to Taylor Asher, first equal in the number of fish caught. His largest fish was confirmed as the larger of his, rather too competitive, rival!!!

With RESPECT we build ...

INTEGRITY - is simply doing the right thing. In the mountains, it is often the little things we do for each other that make all the difference and really matter.

Special mention:

Krisana Brown, Sinead McConchie, Marie Bush, Wiremu Raroa, Tyler Gill & Tyson Tongia, for building, lighting and taking care of and extinguishing the campfires.

Tyler Gill for being the “I’ll sort that, don’t you worry...” guy.

And, ALL of L2/3OdEd, including those students named above, for ALL YOUR UNSEEN ACTIONS that in all the little ways, make everyone's life easier.

And with RESPECT and INTEGRITY, we build our…

COMMUNITY - our OdEd community.

No special mentions here. It is important to recognise our diversity for developing our interest, knowledge, and skills in the outdoors. Our RESPECT and INTEGRITY and sense of COMMUNITY is essential to achieving…

EXCELLENCE - show respect and exercise integrity in your community every day to achieve your goals. Learn to walk the walk, we did.

So the walkout was a bit windy and wet and, at times, in knee-deep lake water. No snow, a bit disappointing perhaps, but what were our rewards?

Kaitiakitanga

Our OdED promise, our practice, is sustainable.

In the outdoors, quite simply, everyone has their own reward:

• the scenery

• the achievement of walking around the lake

• learning to be, and being, a leader

• building meaningful relationships with others

• learning to understand that a map is more than a map

• a better night's sleep than they would ordinarily get at home, despite subzero conditions

• the fishing

• keeping the environment clean

• learning to understand stars

• the campfire

• pushing up the mountain to the viewpoint

• enduring the hard stuff

• the good times

• a pukka pie in Culverden

• falling asleep in the minibus

• Just everything, just being there and surviving!