Aoraki Bound

Aoraki Bound is a leadership, cultural and personal development programme combining Ngāi Tahu cultural knowledge and expertise with the experience and reputation of Outward Bound in a 20-day journey-based course.

A pilot course was run in March 2006, and to date, eight courses have been completed with a total of 91 students participating, more than 70% of whom have been Ngāi Tahu. Two courses were held in the 2008-2009 financial year:

Course 7 - 31st January – 19th February 2009
Eleven students participated, including seven Ngāi Tahu, two Non-Māori and two participants from other iwi.

Course 8 - 1st March – 20th March 2009
Eleven students participated, including eight Ngāi Tahu and three Non-Māori participants.

In September 2008 an external review of Aoraki Bound was conducted. The aim of the review was to evaluate the success of the programme in achieving its targeted learning objectives and to highlight areas for key operational improvement. The methodology included a questionnaire sent to all past Aoraki Bound graduates, interviews with current and past staff of both Ngāi Tahu and Outward Bound, a questionnaire sent to all rūnanga, interviews with selected participants and rūnanga, and a document analysis of historical Aoraki Bound reports. According to the review, Aoraki Bound continues to be a success and is possibly Ngāi Tahu's best known programme, having developed a strong brand and a solid reputation of its own, as distinct from Outward Bound. Not only is Aoraki Bound comprehensively meeting its achievement objects, there is enormous potential to develop Aoraki Bound further in order to have a much bigger impact across Ngāi Tahu and the wider New Zealand society.

Developments since the review process include the establishment of an Advisory Panel consisting of Tā Tipene O'Regan, Maika Mason, Ranui Ngarimu and Joe Waaka as well as the appointment of Iaean Cranwell as the Lead Instructor for Aoraki Bound. Increased emphasis has also been placed on marketing, promotion and recruitment efforts with the aim being two fully subscribed courses for 2010.

KMK

Corban Te Aika is confident te reo has changed his life.

Taking a break from his duties as a tutor in Te Reo Māori and Māori Indigenous Studies at Canterbury University, he talks about the power of language immersion and unquestionable benefits of attending Kotahi Mano Kāika's well-established te reo wanaka, Kā Pari Karakaraka and the inaugural Kura Reo Kāi Tahu held at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff in July. [More...]