Apply for a community partners scholarship

Our fitness requirements aren't as rigorous as you might think. The benchmark is really quite achievable for most people. You just need to be able to run/walk 3km in under 25 minutes and complete a full day of activities.

With that being said, fitter you are, the more you will enjoy all the physical aspects of your course (especially if you're doing a three-week teen or young adult course).

Check out our guide on how to prepare for Outward Bound for more info.

Absolutely. Plenty of people arrive having never tramped, sailed or slept in a tent, and nobody expects you to know what you're doing on day one.

Kaiako teach you everything from scratch, from tying knots to steering a cutter. You're never thrown into something you haven't been shown how to do. You're also doing it with your watch, so there's always someone figuring it out alongside you.

Being new to it all can even be an advantage at times. You've got no bad habits to unlearn and no reputation to live up to.

A group of up to 14 in your watch, plus two highly-trained Kaiako who've done this a lot. Don't know anyone? Neither will anyone else. We mix up every watch so you're all starting with strangers, which makes it much easier to meet new people and create new bonds.

This doesn't apply for our One-Week for Teen & Adult Duo of course - you'll be kept in your pair.

You don’t need the full amount to book. Most people don’t pay it all at once. Once you've paid your $395 non-refundable deposit, you can pay off the rest however suits you:

Automatic payment plan: set it up in MyOB and monthly payments come out on their own. Set and forget.

Pay as you go: weekly, fortnightly, whenever. You make each payment yourself in MyOB and can top up any time.

If cost is a factor: check out our 'Ways to Pay' page which includes information about fundraising for your course and scholarships.

We take payment by credit or debit card in MyOB. If you'd like to pay by bank transfer, please contact our accounts team to request an invoice. Please note that it can take up to 7 business days to show in MyOB, so card is quicker. We can’t take cheques, sorry.

Full course fees are due eight weeks before the course start date. If you enrol closer than eight weeks before the course start date, the full fee is payable immediately.

If you are fundraising to pay for your course fee, the payment due date can be extended. To find out more about fundraising to pay for your course fee visit our Funding your Outward Bound Course page.

Note that Professional course enrolments are subject to different cancellation and payment conditions.

Just let us know and we'll work with you. We do our best to cater to different cultural needs and/or dietary requirements where possible.

Cultural

We strive to support every student's religious or cultural needs on course. We can make time and space for daily prayer. Sometimes that's a quiet spot outdoors. Plenty of our students pray on course, and we plan around it.

If something affects how you take part, like not being able to go in the water or do certain activities during your period, let your kaiako know at the start of your course. They’ll work out a plan with you. You’re also welcome to call us before your course to talk anything through.

Food

We cater for lots of diets: vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free and dairy-free. Tell us about any dietary requirements when you enrol so we can confirm whether we can cater to that.

While we do our best to cater to as many people as possible, there are a few things we can't do, so if you have very specific dietary requirements, give us a call on 0800 688 927. We might still be able to help. Sometimes we’ll suggest bringing your own snacks for expeditions.