On 2 February 2016, Year 13 student Guy McDonald departed Devonport in Auckland harbour on board HMNZS Otago on a journey of a lifetime.

Bound for the Auckland Islands (which sit 465 kilometres south of Bluff) in the southern ocean along with 13 other young environmental leaders, the party faced swells of up to 10 metres high on the voyage south and encountered numerous pods of common dolphins which followed the ship.

The voyage continued the legacy of Sir Peter Blake's Blakexpeditions, which sailed to Antarctica, the Tierra del Fuego, and the Amazon. Hannah Prior, environment programme director affirmed that the purpose of the trip was to not only encourage the understanding of the science and conservation issues but to grow young people to lead, inspire, and motivate a team, “just as Sir Peter did".

Travelling on small boats using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to look at the sea floor, repairing the weather station at the proposed Blake Station site, and taking soil samples to understand the historical development of plants and wildlife were all part of the week’s activities as well as ample opportunities for some informal social times together.

The trip has served to reinforce Guy’s plans of pursuing a career in ecology and he encourages TBHS students who have a passion for the environment to apply for this year’s annual Young EnviroLeaders' Forum – acceptance to this forum means that they are then eligible to apply for the expedition. Applications can be made on www.sirpeterblaketrust.org and close on 31 March.