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issue3/june14 Conquering Sea2Summit7 The Perfect Spot To Stay Are You Brave Enough? Climbing at Froggatt – NCEA Unit Standards Spotlight on Safer EOTC Programmes

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Page 1: Bigfoot Issue 3

issue3/june14

Conquering Sea2Summit7The Perfect Spot To StayAre You Brave Enough?Climbing at Froggatt – NCEA Unit Standards

Spotlight on

Safer EOTC

Programmes

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1814

10CAMP PROFILE: The Perfect Spot To Stay 6

PROVIDER PROFILE: Are You Brave Enough?

12GEAR REVIEW: Outdoor Stoves

MEET THE TEAM: Meet the Shamrock Queen5

IN THE NEWS: Conquering Sea2Summit7 with Dave Williams

8 BIGFOOT TEAMS IN ACTION: Photo Gallery

BIGFOOT ACTIVITY PROFILE: Climbing at Froggatt – NCEA Unit Standards

16

contents

SAFETY IN THE OUTDOORS: Spotlight on safer EOTC programmes

Page 3: Bigfoot Issue 3

AboutBigfoot Adventures new e-mag showcases how we help you to have the time of your life, and introduces you to some great facilities, activities, cool new outdoor equipment and relevant industry news.

Editorial Content: Francesca Marcellino-ReedContact Francesca on 0800 Bigfoot or (09) 444 1446 or email [email protected]

Address:Bigfoot Adventures LtdPrivate Box 302 265, North Harbour, Auckland, NZwww.bigfootadventures.co.nz

Art Director:Jodi Olsson

Publisher: Espire Media Po Box 137162, Parnell, Auckland 1151

Enquiries: Phone Richard on (09) 522 7257 or email [email protected]

Cover photo: Rocking the Rock Climbing

This is a GREEN MAG, created and distributed without the use of paper so it's environmentally friendly. Please think before you

print. Thank you!

HAVE YOU SUBSCRIBED TO

Bigfoot Magazine?It’s free!

contents

SAFETY IN THE OUTDOORS: Spotlight on safer EOTC programmes

Page 4: Bigfoot Issue 3

w

fromtheeditor

Wow it’s term two already and welcome to the third edi-tion of the Bigfoot Magazine.

Term one flew past in a flurry of “busyness” as it always does at the home of Bigfoot. We had a very successful term and whilst things were extremely busy at times, I felt we managed exceptionally well this summer. This was largely due to the combined efforts of some great staff here at Bigfoot HQ and a team of committed instruc-tors whom did us proud. The weather was kind to us and the feedback from our camps has been very positive.

On reflection of term one, the words “long hours and lots of kilometres travelled” springs to mind but it also meant I was able to get around many of the camps and speak personally with many of the teachers and camp staff.

To top off a big term, I was lucky enough to take a group of people paddling down the Whanganui River. This is the second year in a row we have run this job, but it was the first time we had our own personal chef, Sam Cottrell-Davies. The ‘whole sirloin fillet’ was a major hit and his elaborate cooking at the end of each of the five days of paddling was a winner. This was such a success we intend to continue with this format for future bookings and we are looking to repeat this program as much as pos-sible with a variety of groups through our summers.

Last week we held our an-nual ‘post busy period’ debrief meeting in beautiful Mangawhai Heads. We spoke freely about the things that worked well and made notes on the things we felt

could be improved upon. I am particularly excited for the fu-ture of Bigfoot as there is some change afoot. We have recently welcomed Fiona Ryder to our team and she will be tweaking and fine tuning our current safe-ty processes and then consulting to other companies to do the same for them. Watch out for her safety article in this edition as well as an article on Fiona herself, our new Shamrock Queen.

As for me, I am off to Queenstown for a short family getaway next week with some work thrown in along the way. All the best for a wicked term two as we start to look at our winter programs around Na-tional Park and Mt Ruapehu.

Kris Bartley

4 www.bigfootadventures.co.nz

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wWhat person studies a Bach-elor of Science and majors in PE and Maths? Then jumps on a plane and travels all the way from Ireland at the age of 28 to little old Auckland NZ, having never been here be-fore? I call that both bold and brave, she called it naive. Wel-come to the Bigfoot Team, Miss Bold, brave and no lon-ger naive, Fiona Ryder.

Born in the small rural vil-lage of Gortnagoyne (means ‘field of wild geese’) in West Ireland, Fiona grew up on a dairy farm, approx. 40 min-utes out of the city of Galway. She went to school in the local town of Dunmore, then onto the University of Limerick. She enrolled in the Bachelor of Science course majoring in the strange combination of both PE and Mathematics. During this time, she discov-

ered her love of outdoors and took time out of studies to gain multiple instructorships in water and land pursuits.

After graduating Fiona tried her hand at PE teach-ing and continued instructing in the outdoors. But by the age of 28 Fiona had reached a point in her life where she felt there were two options; to settle down, buy a house and live life the ‘Irish’ way, or take a leap of faith and travel to New Zealand on the recommenda-tion of some friends.

Always keen on a new chal-lenge, Fiona landed on Kiwi shores with only one ‘friend of a friend’ to collect her at the airport. Within 10 days of be-ing here, she was employed at Western Springs College as a mathematics teacher.

Battling homesickness, and knowing she must change

shamrockQUEENby Hayley Dorward

of outdoor processes and procedures in New Zealand despite being well known for its outdoor adventures. For a long time she believes Kiwis have gotten by with the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. But times are changing and the massive changes in immigration over the past 10 years have seen a shift in the clientele attempt-ing to take on the outdoors. ‘She’ll be right’ just isn’t good enough anymore and with Outdoors Mark becoming compulsory this year, Fiona will be making sure Big-foot maintains its Outdoors Mark and continues growing within industry best prac-tice standards. In addition to streamlining our own Safety standards, she will then be consulting to other outdoor companies assisting them to gain their Outdoors Mark in the future.

Fiona now sees New Zea-land as home, and despite her persistent Irish accent, with her residency sorted, she is official Kiwiana. She is in the right place to enjoy her pas-sion for sailing. Once again welcome to the team Fiona.

things in order to mentally succeed here, she soon quit her job, left her flat, put her things in storage and hired a yacht with friends for her first Xmas in NZ. They sailed the Marlborough Sounds, kay-aked the Abel Tasman and sea kayaked at Akaroa. In true four leaf clover style, Fiona was of-fered a Sea Kayak Guide posi-tion at Akaroa and stayed for four months. Akaroa was a major turning point for Fiona and it fuelled her passion for the Kiwi culture and slowly but surely her homesickness ebbed away.

Fiona then joined Youth-town where she worked as Program Co-ordinator from 2008-2014.

Fiona has joined Bigfoot as our Program Manager and Safety Consultant to help propel our organisation into the next stage of growth. In an industry where ‘Safety in the Outdoors’ is only just begin-ning to find its true meaning here in New Zealand, Fiona will be looking after our big-ger clients and developing our Safety Consultant program.

She was amazed at the lack

“LIVE! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching FOR NEW SENSATIONS. Be afraid of nothing.” - Oscar Wilde

MEET the team

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perfectTHE

spot to stayLocated in one of New Zealand’s leading outdoor adventure locations, National Park Village, Pipers Lodge has plenty to offer. by Jessie Lynskey

campprofile

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camp

perfectspot to stay JJust four hours from Auck-land, Pipers Lodge is a great place for schools and anyone keen on the outdoors to feel like they are getting well out of the cityscape of Auckland, without it being a major. It is a favourite lodging for Bigfoot adventures to utilise when running camps in Tongariro National Park.

Aside from Pipers’ geo-graphical location, it has plenty to be attracted to. Pipers can cater for groups as large as 140 or as intimate as you like. Perfect for camps, it has bunk rooms consisting of four bunks as well as eight four person rooms with an ensuite for the adults and supervisors of the trip. Pipers Lodge includes catering, which is a real bo-nus when you want to cram as much outdoor activity in the day without having to worry about spending time on pro-ducing a nourishing meal at the end of it!

As well as catering and practical bunk rooms, Pipers have three spa pools for peo-

ple to ease into at the end of a physical day, perfect for those chilly temperatures in the win-ter months. After soaking in a spa pool people can chill their boots in the common/living area, where they will remain toasty by the roaring open fire. A good place to plan what fun is to be had the next day. Also there is a separate games room and dining area.

Pipers Lodge is the perfect location for an outdoor adven-ture camp, with a large cross section of activities at its door-step. Just a few that we make use of here at Bigfoot, range from tramping the active vol-canos in Tongariro National Park to mountain biking in the thick native bush along the Old Coach Road track from Ohakune or more locally in the Pines, exploring the dark Okupata Caves and rafting the raging or not so raging rapids in the area.

There are also snow sport options in the winter months. If you want to mix some less physical camp activities, Pip-

ers have good connections in the area that Bigfoot have utilised before which have al-lowed us to run a few favou-rite activities such as archery, pancake race and indoor rock climbing, all within a walk from Pipers Lodge. We are not restricted to the above activities and have the ability to run more.

Bigfoot has been using Pip-ers for over 10 years, some-times solely running activities for a school camp or running total camp management for schools. Either work as well as each other using Pipers as a

base. Bigfoot has a great re-lationship with Bruce and Di-anne, who run Pipers, and they are incredibly generous to us. This enables us to tailor the ac-tivities or a whole program to schools/groups specific needs.

If you are looking to run a camp in the National Park area, or any area, please do not hesitate to call or email us with an enquiry [email protected], or call 09 444 1446. There are many parts of the country where Bigfoot Adventures have access to a place like Pipers Lodge which make a memorable camp very achievable.

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IN ACTION

TeamWORK

The Pose

KAYAKING OMAHA

Winner of our Issue 2 PHOTO COMPETITION wasKaren Stimson

LOVING IT

bigfoot teams

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IN ACTION

TeamWORK

Send us your activity photos - the winner for the best ac-tion photo will receive a $50 RnR voucher. Compet i t ion entry closes on Friday 25th July 2014, and the winner will be announced in our next issue.

blueBIRDday

BIGFOOTart

taking the scenic route

cooking time

surfs UP

ON ROAD

Cycle Safety

White WaterNATURAL HIGH

Gourmet Meal on theWhanganui River

bigfoot teams PHOTOCOMP

Page 10: Bigfoot Issue 3

Bigfoot Leads a Caving Expedition jJust because you’re breath-ing doesn’t mean you’re alive! This is the mantra of award-winning rafting and adventure specialists Rafting New Zea-land (RNZ). The key to their success is the fact they are not satisfied with just breathing. They are totally dedicated to living a life less-ordinary! And not only that, but showing others how to do the same. Read on and you will find out why Rafting New Zealand is New Zealand’s Most Awarded Rafting Business and the only choice for Bigfoot Adven-ture’s rafting trips.

Just because you’re breathing doesn’t mean you’re alive! Words by Jonny MoncurPhotos by Rafting New Zealand

AREyoubrave enough?

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providerprofile

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ties in Turangi are state of the art. They have even started a preservation fund for the envi-ronment in which they operate. They really do care. To prove that they enjoy what they are doing they have a bunch of athletes taking on the gnarliest waterways around the globe carrying with them the Team RNZ name. That’s right, your guides are nothing short of professional athletes. The only gripe I have heard so far in re-gards to a river guide was that he was too funny! Is that even possible? “That fulla was crack-up as!” exclaimed the student. “He was so crack-up that I couldn’t stop laughing and fell out (of the boat).” Talk about shifting the blame!

RNZ offers a variety of trip options with grades (diffi-culty levels) to suit everyone, from family trips to multi-day expedition rafting and kayak-ing trips. The trips on which Bigfoot students embark are not only fun and exhilarating adventures but provide appro-priate levels of challenge to ob-serve team work and commu-nication at play in an adrenalin

AREyoubrave enough? fuelled environment. Students not only have a blast but learn a great deal about themselves and their classmates at the same time.

If you’re after a less devel-opmental approach just jump onboard a fishing charter like no other. You and your mates will be escorted by raft to all the best fly fishing spots. Or if rivers aren’t enough for you they complement their rafting adventures with hiking, skydiv-ing, jet boating, sailing, scenic flights & flat water kayaking. If you are allergic to water they have a world-first 4D rafting ad-venture at their booking centre in Taupo. Paddle down some of New Zealand’s most scenic riv-ers, descend waterfalls and feel the rush of running rapids, all from the comfort of your spe-cial effects armchair! Failing all of this you simply cannot pass up the opportunity to sample a heavenly cup of freshly brewed espresso coffee.

So, quit fumbling around for excuses cos there aren’t any. Get yourself down to RNZ and find out what it feels like to re-ally be alive!

You would be hard-pushed to find two human beings more dedicated or passionate than Luke & Pianika Boddington who manage a superb team at RNZ headquarters. Rafting New Zealand began in 1991 un-der the name of Rock’n’River Adventures. Pianika’s Father Rod was one of the founders and clearly instilled a passion in his daughter to carry on the family business. Perhaps this is why RNZ feels so much more like a family than a work place. They say that once you have completed a trip you are part of the RNZ team for life. What a cool vibe!

I was fortunate enough to go on a rafting trip back in my high school days. With ten years be-tween visits some of the finer details of the trip have faded from my memory, yet it still remains lodged in my brain as

one of the coolest experiences I have had to date. The rapids and white water were all part of the experience but not what made it memorable for me. I can still remember the guide’s cheeky grin, his hilarious jokes, and his infectious personality. He was one of those classic kiwi blokes who instantly became everyone’s best friend. Return-ing as an employee of Bigfoot Adventures I was blown away to see that the passion and culture of the business was stronger than ever more than ten years on. Luke talks about ‘team spirit’ being an integral part of their business, and be-lieve me these guys have got it sorted! Their team spirit is worth bottling.

To have a trophy cabinet like RNZ you need to go the extra mile. RNZ go an extra five. Their equipment and facili-

If you are allergic to water they have a world-first 4D rafting adventure at their booking centre in Taupo. Paddle down some of New Zealand’s most scenic rivers, descend waterfalls and feel the rush of running rapids all from the comfort of your special effects armchair!

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bBigfoot staff recently enjoyed an awesome rock climbing trip with Albany Senior High. The purpose of the journey was for the out-door education students to be assessed for NCEA unit and achievement standards in their climbing ability and knowledge. The assessment covered rope work, commu-nication, belaying, and climb-ing technique. The progress that these students made over the four days they were with us was impressive to see.

Bigfoot started out with them at one of New Zealand’s most historic crags, the Auck-land Grammar Rock Climb-

ing Wall, a.k.a The Quarry. This is a great place for an introduction into rock climb-ing, as it’s a mere stone throw away from Auckland’s CBD. At The Quarry students can experiment on a variety of climbs ranging from begin-ner to advanced, whilst hav-ing the opportunity to grasp the fundamentals in climbing movement, knot tying, belay-ing, and communication. Af-ter The Quarry, the students had a couple of weeks for some much-needed practice before we met again at the mecca of North Island rock climbing, Froggatt Edge.

Froggatt is the ideal place

Climbing atFROGGATT

bigfootactivityprofile

Bigfoot Adventures assess NCEA unit and achievement standards in rock climbing, mountain biking, white water kayaking, sea kayaking and tramping at a variety of locations around the North Island. by Matt Cloonan

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Climbing atFROGGATT

As an outdoor education provider, IT IS PROMISING to see students taking up the challenge and being inspired by future prospects.

to transfer indoor climbing experience into the outdoors and to really come to grips with climbing on real rock. The students started off a bit rusty (which is usually the case with any group), but by the third day they were su-per solid! Belaying and knot tying was slick, and their communication impeccable. With all these bases cov-ered, each student was then able to focus on pushing the envelope. This was really in-spiring to see, as with such a limited amount of climbing

experience these students were already demonstrating attributes held by accom-plished climbers.

It’s fair to say that a great time was had by all. As an outdoor education provider, it is promising to see stu-dents taking up the challenge and being inspired by future prospects. We know these students will go far.

If you would like to know more about NCEA unit and achievement standard assess-ment, please email Kris at [email protected]

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FGEARreview

by Sam Cottrell-Davies

First of all you need to de-termine what you will be using the stove for. If you are embark-ing on one-off overnight trips you can get away with a cheap ‘direct mounted’ design (see Furno stove). However, if your stove will be battling the ele-ments for days on end, year af-ter year, a more durable option is what you need.

OutdoorStovesUnless you are planning on cooking over a fire, a camp stove is an essential piece of gear if you are entering the outdoors. But which one is right for you? Here we review three different cookers, detail their merits and highlight their flaws.

Furno 360 Degree StovePrice: $40 (Bivouac)Weight: 99gGas type: Butane/Propane compressed canistersThis is your entry-level stove. This cooker is undoubtedly the most common among Kiwi back packers. For a very reason-able price they offer a lightweight and compact cooking option.

Pros • Quick and easy to set up: simply screw onto butane

canister*• Reasonable price • Adjustable strength allows for simmer control• Ultra light weight

Cons• Unstable cooking surface Pots sit high above the

ground, with minimal stability.• Low durability• Operates poorly in cold conditions

VerdictThis stove is best suited to an individual who occasionally heads into the wilderness. The instability of this design really detracts from their adequacy to use with students, creating a potential for pots of water to spill and burn. While the price is attractive, the longevity of the product must be taken into account. If you were after a stove for an overnight tramping trip this one would be great. However, if you’re running an Outdoor Education department in a school or you own a company looking to invest in gear for the long-term, then this is not the stove for you.*See safety instructions for correct fitting.

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Outer Limits Huntsman StovePrice: $80 (Bivouac)Weight: 246gGas type: Butane/Propane compressed canisters This design is a winner in my eyes. It incorporates the ease of use and affordability of the above stove. However, it combats the instability issue by way of a hose attach-ment, providing a very low and stable base to cook on.

Pros • Quick and easy to set up. Simply screw

onto butane canister *• Stable cooktop• Ignition switch - no need for matches • Simmer control

Cons • Larger unit to carry around• Ignition switch will inevitably fail you• Non-repairable in the field – if for example

the hose breaks• Operates poorly in cold conditions

Verdict This is a solid unit and would make a fine addition to anyone’s gear list. The stability offered by having the cooker low to the ground is great. It provides piece of mind if you are facilitating novice cooking groups. The price is very reasonable. Looked af-ter well you could expect a fair amount of use out of this cooker. *See safety instructions below for correct fitting

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*All compressed gas burners require the stove to be screwed onto the fuel canister. Ensure when doing this it is not being cross-threaded, as this can result in gas leaking from the valve and potentially combusting the canister.

MSR WhisperlitePrice: $200 + $50 for essential fuel canister (Living Simply)Weight: 410gGas type: Liquid fuel – white spirits. Refillable containerScary price isn’t it! But before you rule out the Whisperlite let’s see if it can be justified. This design has been left almost unchanged since 1982. Undoubtedly it has been put through some vigorous tests and still remains the weapon of choice for the expeditionary, wilderness enthusiast. The design allows for full repairs and maintenance to be conducted by the owner, provides a great learning opportunity for students and cre-ates a stove that, if looked after, will keep on going and going.

Pros • Super durable• Repairable design• Liquid fuel option better for environment i.e. no piles

of half-full butane canisters• Wind shield• Very stable• Operates well in cold conditions Cons• Difficult to set up and use: requires priming

(pressurising fuel) and fiddly ignition process. • Expensive

Verdict A tried and true design ideal for those wanting longevity and durability. Whilst these stoves are expensive they will last the distance if you do a significant amount of cooking. Money will be recuperated eventually through lack of replacement and a cheaper fuel source. Although the Whisperlite does pose some significant hurdles for young students it could be argued that the educational opportunities associated with learning to han-dle these cookers safely could in fact outweigh the risks.

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HWhile on a personal trip up Mt Taranaki, Dave’s Sea-2Summit7 dream was ignited - to be the first person to climb the highest mountain in every continent beginning from sea level. He will run, climb, crawl or walk from the nearest feasible coast line to each summit.

“My life recently came to a cross road where I was desperately searching for a fresh adventure that would see me both travel the world and test my limits.” Dave Williams.

Thus far Dave has success-fully ticked off Mt Kiliman-jaro in Tanzania, which in-

volved a mammoth effort of nine consecutive marathons, as well as Mt Kosciuszko in Australia. The remaining mountains include Mt Vin-son Massif in Antarctica, Mt Elbrus in Russia, Denali (Mt McKinley) in Alaska, and Mt Everest in Nepal. He needs to return to Mt Aconcagua

in Argentina as his first at-tempt to summit was unsuc-cessful due to weather con-ditions. A tough but crucial decision was made to turn back just short of the sum-mit, however he is returning again in January 2015 for a second attempt.

So what is the driving force

Conquering Sea2Summit7 with Dave WilliamsWords by Francesca Marcellino-ReedPhotos by Dave Williams

NEWSin the Dave Williams, or Mr. Williams to his students,

is an Outdoor Education teacher at Edgewater College. After completing the Diploma of Outdoor Recreation and Leadership and a De-gree in Sport and Recreation at AUT Univer-sity, Dave decided to become a school teacher as he wanted to form a closer relationship with the students he was taking into the outdoors.

Jonny Moncur

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behind this madness? What keeps him going? Other than the obvious achievement of being the first person to ac-complish it, Dave’s drive is to raise $100,000 and aware-ness for male mental health in New Zealand. The cause being very close to his heart as he has lost a few friends to this serious issue.

Spending days alone with only your thoughts keeping you company, motivation to carry on is a major chal-lenge. Dave’s toughest men-tal challenge so far came in

Tanzania while climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. After complet-ing his 4th Marathon, the re-alisation that there were still another five to go, matched with the brutal heat and dry-ness, long straight roads and having seen nothing for the last three days, the gravity of the task ahead began to weigh him down. He started walking, almost stopping and sitting down, until realis-ing that he was in the middle of Africa (so couldn’t stop anyway). He picked himself up and kept going until he

finished that day. That night an anonymous donation came through for the cause which reminded him that what he was doing was not just about him and his emo-tions. People were following his progress and willing him on from a distance - that is what made him keep going.

“Gear can save your life” says Dave. Sponsored by Bivouac, Dave is supplied with the latest equipment which he says is essential. This not only means hard-ware but more importantly the correct fuel for his body. After collapsing on the side of the road in Africa follow-ing a 56km day carrying 23kg on his back, and a local wom-an dragging him into her car, this experience was a big les-son for Dave. When doing consecutive days of endur-ance the body must be num-ber one, it’s all about physi-cal preservation. During his summit attempts Dave takes USANA supplements. These supplements support his general diet; for example in Africa his diet consisted of bread, goat and tomatoes. He needs the supplements to keep his body going. In the harsh climates that he’ll

be embarking, keeping hy-drated is essential, as well as taking any steps possible to reduce the severe impact of his endeavours, like running during the night to avoid the harsh heat of the day and making sure he is taking enough electrolytes so he doesn’t dehydrate. All this learning and new knowledge will enable him to complete the bigger climbs.

His biggest and hardest climb will be Everest, a summit that Dave will be doing solo. His goal is to raise enough funds to get to Nepal in two years’ time, and his prepara-tion for this will be intense, starting with making sure he is in the right mental state.

Dave’s next box to be ticked off is in Russia on the 26th June, conquering Mt Elbrus. He estimates this will take him 3 ½ weeks and you can track his progress on his website as he posts blogs and photos on route. If you would like to do-nate money to his cause “Male Mental Health” this can also be done on this website. Bigfoot Adventures wishes Dave all the very best with his next challenge on Mt Elbrus, and for his quest to conquer the highest summits in every continent.

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IIf any of you have been watching the news or in par-ticular TV3’s current affairs programme ‘3rd Degree’, you will be very familiar with the shakeup in the Adventure In-dustry with regard to safety. While the shakeup is primarily aimed at the tourism industry, leaders of school groups and private groups intending to get out in our beautiful, ad-venturous Aotearoa should also be aware of the improve-ments and changes happen-ing for adventure activities.

It certainly is a very exciting and proud time for outdoor education as we collectively and consciously work towards quality outdoor education out-comes with a high focus on pre-ventable incidents. Schools and group leaders now more than ever need to be a part of this. While principals and boards have always held a duty of care to safeguard their staff and stu-dents from preventable harm, today the board are ultimately responsible for the safety of their staff and students.

However, this is not a scare tactic by any means. It simply ensures that due diligence is taken when engaging with any person or provider to deliver adventure activities. This is easily achieved by demonstrat-ing that all practicable steps are taken to ensure the environ-ment and facilities, equipment and correct use of, instructors and leaders plus participant information have all met ac-ceptable industry standards and that correct policies and procedures are followed.

by Fiona Ryder

The 2011 Adventure Regulations have provided excellent impetus for provid-ers like Bigfoot Adventures to review and improve their safety management systems. The development of a safety quality mark, namely ‘Outdoors Mark’ is the current benchmark for providers around safer delivery of activities.

safetyintheoutdoors

Spotlight on safer EOTC programmes

spotlightONsafer EOTCprogrammes

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spotlightONsafer EOTCprogrammes

With regards to EOTC, en-suring that your provider has their safety audit is a great starting point. The deadline for passing this audit and reg-istering with the Government (MBIE) is 1st November this year. So as of November, a school should reconsider us-ing any provider that is not registered, or at least get an

understanding of how the provider is working towards this. It is only fair to say at this point, that a back log of au-dits due for completion may be the sole reason that your provider is not registered. In either case – registered or not – due diligence should in-volve taking the extra time to vet their safety management

Other useful links are:http://eotc.tki.org.nzhttp://eotc.tki.org.nz/EOTC-home/For-boards-and-principalshttp://www.supportadventure.co.nz/http://www.adventuresmart.org.nz/http://www.eonz.org.nz/

It certainly is a very excitingand proud time for outdoor education as we collectively and consciously work towards qualityquality outdoor education outcomes with a high focus on preventable incidents

systems. It may pay to engage an expert in the activity or programme to support in the vetting process.

Bigfoot Adventures, as leaders in delivery of qual-ity outdoor education pro-grammes, passed our safety audit in 2011 and continue to improve our systems each year. This is a valuable ex-ercise for any provider de-livering outdoor education. Schools delivering a dedicat-ed outdoor programme can also avail of the safety audit to improve and gain an indepen-dent review of their systems. Bigfoot Adventures can sup-port a school wishing to gain

the ‘Outdoor Mark’ safety audit. We are also happy to support any provider a school wishes to use that has not yet completed their audit or reg-istered with the government. The list of current registered providers can be found here.

As long as group leaders are careful and thorough in planning and following proce-dures, risk should be minimised and no serious harm is proba-ble. And this is ultimately what we all want – fun adventurous learning outcomes with suc-cessful risk management.

For more information, contact [email protected].

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“ Life is like riding a bicycle TO KEEPyour balance you must keep moving

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