Outdoor Training NZ has celebrated its tenth anniversary. Over the past decade its volunteers have helped to upskill more than 7500 people.

The organisation was founded in March 2015 following the Mountain Safety Council’s decision to stop offering courses, and the first groups were taught in May of that year. 

“Outdoor Training NZ started when a gap in the volunteer sector arose and we recognised a strong need for bushcraft and risk management in the outdoor area,” said founder, national and Manawatū branch chair Heather Grady. 

Outdoor Training NZ now has branches in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Manawatū, Wellington and Canterbury. Courses include bushcraft, navigation, first aid, survival skills and river safety.

“There are not many places where you can learn about river safety, and this has become our signature course,” Grady says, noting it is especially popular with Te Araroa walkers.

Participants on Outdoors NZ courses range from youth, training for Duke of Edinburgh, to adults wanting to stay safe in the outdoors. The organisation also upskills groups from LandSAR, DOC and city councils.

Recent years have seen an increase in mountain runners and adventure racers. However, the biggest shift came post-Covid.

“After the lockdowns people wanted to get into the outdoors, and quite a lot of them had limited experience,” says Grady. “There was a big uptake in courses and this demand has continued.”

She says it is incredibly satisfying to see someone grasp a new skill.

“There’s nothing better than having a student who, for example, can’t understand how to read a compass, and you’ve been trying for half a day – and then the lightbulb goes on.”