Recently I was lucky enough to attend Spirit of Adventure, a 10 day development voyage, alongside 26 other teenagers in Years 11-13 who would soon become friends for life. Due to the Auckland lockdown, we departed from Tauranga Port just feeling relieved that the trip was able to go ahead in these uncertain times.

We began every morning by jumping off the boat into the crystal clear waters of the Coromandel, always greeted with a vibrant sunrise and a fun jump-jam style warm up led by whoever was feeling the most awake. Over the course of the 10 days we learnt ‘the ropes’ of sailing, rafted to Cathedral Cove, tramped on Great Mercury Island, climbed up the mast, swam with dolphins (my highlight!) as well as participated in so many more awesome activities - we even saw a whale!

You met people from all walks of life on the ship, and living together phone-free meant that forming close friendships was inevitable and you became like one big family. I found that the challenges I faced allowed me and everyone on board to grow as individuals, learning more tolerance, more people skills, teamwork, overcoming fears and we all encouraged each other to participate more and be a constructive leader within the group.

My main message to anyone considering putting themselves forward for a trip like this is, go for it! Spirit of Adventure is a trip that I will never forget. It’s for anyone of any ability and although it can push you out of your comfort zone, the crew always make sure you’re enjoying yourself while doing it. Look out for scholarships that pop up in the notices or fundraise for your voyage as I highly recommend this course to anyone and everyone!