Instructors - Outward Bound

Outward Bound instructors are equipped with the technical skills to keep students safe in our challenging learning environments, and the facilitation skills to ensure students attain long lasting positive outcomes. All new instructors undertake a year-long training and mentoring programme once they have begun their time at Outward Bound, and we are fortunate to attract some of the best outdoor education professionals in the business.

The best thing about my job as an Outward Bound Instructor - is working with students to help them find out that the only limitations are the ones they place on themselves. Once you overcome that you can achieve anything.

Meg Ryan

Meet our instructors

Click on a photo to learn more about our world-class instructors!

Amanda

Andy D

Andy L

Angie

Dave T

Emma

Finn

Freya

Hamish

Tell us a little bit about yourself

Tēnā koutou.
I started life on a small island called Rēkohu/Chatham Islands, 800km east of NZ. Shortly afterwards our family moved back to the mainland and settled in Picton which is where I spent the next 18 years. During these years I got right into the outdoors, particularly sailing around the Marlborough Sounds.

I've worked a few odd jobs since leaving university, the first as a theatre lighting and stage technician on cruise ships for two years. When tiring of that, I returned to NZ where I was a sea kayak guide in the Abel Tasman national park before retraining as a commercial boat skipper where I re-familiarised myself with my childhood playground of the Marlborough Sounds.

Being back in Marlborough was a perfect opportunity to expand on pursuing old and new outdoor pursuits. 'Going bush' on days off was a fairly common occurrence, either on overnights or to improve fitness on day missions. Mountain biking and sailing are always good get-away activities too.

What attracted you to working at OB?

When I returned to NZ and was deciding what I wanted to be when I "grew up" (which included my childhood dream of either being a train driver or joining the circus) I touched on the idea of becoming an Outdoor Instructor. I had grown up hearing stories of Outward Bound from my parents who both worked at the school in the 80's. I decided to give it a crack myself and after a few more journeys, I was presented with an opportunity to join the team at Anakiwa.

What do you most enjoy about being an OB Instructor?

The concept and appreciation of service has grown stronger for me as I've grown. One of my dad's favourite quotes from his time instructing here was the old OB motto; 'To Serve, To Strive and Not to Yield', which I guess has stuck with me through my life. So to sum it up, being an instructor means I have the opportunity to help others grow and develop.

What's your favourite OB meal?

Lasagna

If I wasn't an OB Instructor I'd be...

A DOC ranger.

Holly

Horey

Tell us a little bit about yourself

It’s quite an unfortunate last name, Hore, and no one really calls me Ross except my mother and an ex Scottish instructor, so I’ve gone by the name of Horey for the last 20 years.

I was born in the middle of the South Island on the East Coast in a town called Oamaru. I left more than 20 years ago when people wanted to knock down all the Victorian buildings to extend a steel factory and kill all the penguins because they were noisy and stinky.

It didn’t align with my values and the work I had been employed in (freezing works, tannery, shearing sheds, forestry and market gardening) didn’t grab me as long term career so I left and attended Aoraki Polytechnic in Timaru (pre 2000) for three years. It was an Outdoor Education and Management diploma which I didn’t complete.

The death of a close friend fired me into a hedonistic path of adventure tourism and kayak guiding in Milford Sound which then catapulted me into travelling the world as predominantly a water based guide in Slovenia/Europe/Australia. I first applied for a job at OBNZ in 2008 when I was 32 but declined the job, on reflection the timing of the move wasn't quiet right for me.

Eight years later I reapplied with the correct head space fully committed to sharing my experiences and knowledge to anyone who would listen. I am passionate about this place, this job, this life and the beautiful New Zealanders it exposes me to.

What attracted you to working at OB?
The fact I was jobless with nowhere to live was quite a motivator. Full time work in a relatively warm part of the South Island with accommodation and fejoa trees were a winning formula.

What do you most enjoy about being an OB Instructor?
Meeting the real people of New Zealand and they all come to meet me in my back yard.

I make them clean toilets every morning, jump in the sea, have cold showers, keep them pretty hungry giving them hard physical tasks to do and then they leave thinking I’m a legend.

What’s your favourite OB meal?

The beetroot super salad or any of the salads with the tasty dressings. Love the roast pork as well.

If I wasn't an OB Instructor I'd be a…?
Sun chaser anywhere in the world. Winters in NZ are like cabbage - quite average.

Jamie

Jo

Kevin

Lacey

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I grew up in the small coastal town of Howick in the much bigger coastal city of Auckland. Up until the end of high school I lived and breathed sports. The youngest of four I was always eager to keep up with my three older brothers. The old man took me to my rugby games and my mum sewed my rock and roll dresses. They kept a wholesome balance for me growing up with a mantra of, "When you really want to do something, you will find a way and make it happen. If you don't, you'll find an excuse". The world peeled open for me when I dipped my toes in outdoor ed at school, a teacher with more passion than a passionfruit ripe from the tree, I was hooked.

Unconvinced that university would be right for me, I shovelled the essentials into a pack. Investing the next few laps around the sun being carried by this new found curiosity to the reefs and local schools of Indonesia, the rock walls and lake fronts of Up-state New York and the deepest spider and snake filled nooks and crannies of Australia.

Solidifying outdoor education was the realm I wanted to pursue and magnetised back home, I knuckled down for a year at Aoraki Polytechnic. I was fortunate to come away with an important piece of paper (diploma) and a job with Hillary Outdoors Tongariro (OPC). Filling the foundations of working in the field, here I was also grounded with a sense of community and purpose. Following many moons with epic missions and epic-er humans, I spread the wings back over to the Adirondacks, Perth and Nepal where I witnessed marriages in the mountains, fragility of life and more cups of chai tea than you could shake a stick at.

Great Barrier Island was the final frontier for me before throwing my name in the hat here at Anakiwa and as they say... the rest is history.

What attracted you to working at OB?

I saw this in the newspaper;
"Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honour and recognition in case of success." - Ernest Shackleton
Thought it would be cool if a chick got the job instead.
But truly,
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
The people, the people, the people.

What do you most enjoy about being an OB Instructor?

There is no overarching answer for me yet, I feel like it shifts on a day to day basis.

Ask me yesterday and it would have been going out for a rip on the fizz boat to drop a parcel to a crew sailing. A few days prior, an evening of vulnerability talking about masks we wear and milestones in our lives. Day before that coasteering, getting tossed around in the surf and seeing the unity in our group wide eyed, bushy tailed and realising just how gosh darn capable they are.

What’s your favourite OB meal?

Banoffee Pie - the amount I eat makes it a meal.

If I wasn't an OB Instructor I'd be a…?

Working in place I wasn't wholeheartedly invested in.

Laurel

Leticia

Lou

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I was rurally raised at the foot of Mount Taranaki and the black sandy shores of the rugged Taranaki Coast. My youth was spent warming my feet up in cow patties, climbing trees and farming tadpoles in water troughs.

From a young age it was clear that I was destined to a life on the fringes of society, my childish curiosity and calling to nature lead me to seek out outdoor schooling on the mainland, fare-welling the four wall classrooms and welcoming in mountains, rivers, oceans, rock faces and the ngahere as my new place of learning.

These natural deep learning centres continued to deliver around the world as I found myself dogsled and raft guiding in the Rockies, living off chicken feet and rice as I journeyed down some of the more remote rivers in Nepal, sharing Tibetan butter tea with a group of students overlooking Chomolungma's soaring 8848 m peak.

Fueled by wanderlust and passion for purpose, it warms my insides when I’m able to share these experiences that are far beyond the confines of what one can find behind a phone screen or closed door.

What attracted you to working at OB?
The seed was planted at the fruity age of 13, during a parent-teen Outward Bound course that I completed with my generous Outward Bound sponsor and father. I remember asking my instructors at the time “how old would I need to be to get work at Outward Bound?” They responded that the average age to start at the time was around 25.

I continued to water that seed for over a decade before coming full circle to celebrate my 25th birthday in Anakiwa with my first group of students ;)

What do you most enjoy about being an OB Instructor?
The soul nourishing connections with nature and the people that this place attracts, attempted manu popping off the jetty, dancing with dolphins in the sounds, bioluminescence - like stars of the ocean, fresh herbs from Marcel's garden.

And the concept of Ako; that is grounded in the principle of reciprocity between the instructor and students, where instructors are learning from the students too.

What’s your favourite OB meal?

Marcel’s ‘special occasion truffles’ that are hidden on the top shelf in his office ;)

If I wasn't an OB Instructor I'd be a…?
Retired...worm farming, compost turning, food foresting, sauerkraut fermenting, reading books and watching the cycle of life through a swan plant outside my conservatory window.

Nir

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I was born in Israel in 1987, in a town situated 10 km from Jerusalem. Both of my parents are educators and from a very young age I enjoyed working with people while also loving the outdoors. When I was 18 I was drafted into the army, and served 3 years in a special unit, I learned a lot of my bush and navigation skills there.

After my army service I started working with youngsters in different educational frameworks. I prepared them toward their army service, I’ve been a counsellor, and established a few joinery and carpentry workshops for teaching young people life skills which had an educational and therapeutic orientation.

During my studies for a degree in Leadership and Management of Educational Systems, History and a Teaching Certificate, I managed a youth club for adolescents at risk.When I finished my degree, my wife and I decided to come for NZ to experience other life, and after working in landscaping in Nelson, I started working at OB.

I’m a very passionate person, and especially working with people and being in the outdoors. I love fitness and I enjoy playing music. I love learning new things and I believe that everything we do, needs to come from the heart, we need to enjoy it and that we are capable of much more than we think. When we are doing something we enjoy, we have the capacity of being there for others.

What attracted you to working at OB?

OB is a combination of two things I'm passionate about - people and the outdoors. However, this isn’t the main reason I decided to come to OB. It’s about making a change, making NZ and the world a better place.

The people who work here, believe in what they do, they all want to grow and learn, and we believe and know that this place makes a difference.

What do you most enjoy about being an OB Instructor?
The people. The staff and the students. Seeing the students choose to become a better version of themselves, becoming self-experts, knowing they are going to work hard and put the effort in to do it, to make themselves, their community and the world better.

OB is a journey and part of a huge process in people’s life. I love being part of it.

What’s your favourite OB meal?

Chickpea curry, yum.

If I wasn't an OB Instructor I'd be a…?
Personal trainer.

Nick

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I grew up in Central Otago in the beautiful, but rugged, Alexandra. My relationship with the outdoors began when my brother, sister and I were reluctantly dragged out tramping with Mum and Dad in Aspiring National Park. This progressed into trips out mountain biking in the hills behind Alex, skiing at the fields around Wanaka and kayaking in local rivers.

I‘m not sure exactly when the penny dropped, but sometime during my teenage years rather than resenting this time spent in the outdoors I started to really enjoy it.

Following high school, I moved to Dunedin where I studied psychology at Otago Uni. I spent a year or two figuring out how to make good life choices without mum and dad around and in the process made some lifelong friends who shared a mutual love of the outdoors.

During my time at Uni I decided that working with people was something that I was super passionate about so I trained as a primary school teacher and spent the best part of three years teaching at St Clair Primary in Dunedin. In 2015 I moved up to little old Anakiwa and traded the whiteboards and exercise books for rivers and bush - I haven’t looked back since.

What attracted you to working at OB?

I completed an Outward Bound course in 2005, straight after finishing high school. While in Anakiwa I was totally taken back by the tone of the organisation. Everyone who worked there seemed so positive, energetic and generally just super stoked on life.

This feeling stuck with me and eventually, ten years later, the ducks aligned and I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to come back to work here myself.

What do you most enjoy about being an OB Instructor?
The purpose of our role and the growth we experience from working here. It’s flipp’n awesome to have a position where your job is to support people to be the best they can be.

Also, you can’t help but learn and grow yourself when you’re totally immersed in a culture of personal development.

What’s your favourite OB meal?

Pad Thai... No, the gnocchi!... Maybe the ricotta balls?

All of the above.

If I wasn't an OB Instructor I'd be a…?
Catering Manager at OB.

Quin

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I was raised in the mighty Bay of Plenty with adventurous parents who love camping and being out on the water.

When I'm not out there challenging, instructing and facilitating people to see their potential I'm usually really wet... When I'm on a day off you can find me doing anything in or on the water from diving to fishing, water skiing to kayaking, SUP-ing to kite surfing, if it involves water I'm keen.

After going through an awesome outdoor education programme at Tauranga Boys' College and an Outward Bound NZ MBS course, I enrolled for the 3 year Diploma in Outdoor Education at Aoraki Polytechnic in Timaru with the goal of hopefully returning to OBNZ one day as an instructor. Fortunately in my final year at Aoraki, Outward Bound Australia recruited me, working there for 5 years full time (2013-2017) was an amazing experience that set me up perfectly to return to OBNZ after spending a year off diving.

If you haven't worked it out already I love diving but I'm also a little loco and I love diving with sharks, with a 5 year goal which started back in 2016 to dive outside of a cage with 5 of the most feared sharks, (Mako, Hammerhead, Tiger, Thresher, and the Great White) without giving it away lets just say I'm well on track.

What attracted you to working at OB?

In 2008 I did a 21 day MBS school leaders course with two inspiring instructors Hayden T and Amy H, which as cliché as it might sound really did change my life and I wanted the chance to offer other humans that same inspiration and guidance to change their lives and grow from an amazing experience.

What do you most enjoy about being an OB Instructor?

Final debriefs with students where I hear about all the amazing experiences and lessons that my students have learnt about themselves, the goals they have set for the future and the laughs when we look back at all the type 2 fun we had.

Also being apart of the amazing community that always seems to accompany Outward Bound schools, full of like minded, mission charging, similar valued, amazing humans.

What’s your favourite OB meal?

Scotch Fillet Steak (I haven't had it yet, but I'll keep suggesting it to Marcel).

If I wasn't an OB Instructor I'd be a…?

Dive instructor / dive bum on Malapascua Island, Philippines or Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia.

Stef

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I grew up in the wops on a sheep and beef farm, getting outside from a young age with lots of family camping trips in the North Island. I come from a big family where I am the second youngest so naturally have a bit of fight in me having to contend with heaps of older siblings. I love being creative, making stuff with natural fibres, sewing, building stuff with pallets, painting etc. generally making cool stuff out of minimal resources.

Once I had done an Outward Bound course in 2007 I had a new found direction to pursue a career in the outdoors, and thought it would be pretty kick ass to be an instructor at OB. I chose the furthest place away from my hometown to complete my Degree in Outdoor Education and worked away ticking all the boxes to end up at OB, dragging my husband along in the process! Winning!

In my spare time I love running, mountain biking, tramping, kayaking and pretty much anything you can do in the outdoors. I also love sleep, the struggle is real when instructing at OB.

What attracted you to working at OB?

When I heard about Outward Bound in secondary school I was keen to push myself further so I worked hard to save money and fundraise to come on an Outward Bound Course. In 2007 I completed a MBS course and since then have always aspired to work in the outdoors and follow a career path that would see me coming back to Outward Bound to help out others realise their potential and follow their own aspirations.

What do you most enjoy about being an OB Instructor?

Seeing people give a difficult challenge their absolute all and seeing their face afterwards with their new found realisation of what they are actually capable of. That and working amongst some of the best colleagues you can have.

What's your favourite OB meal?

Pork crackling.

If I wasn't an OB Instructor I'd be a…?

Bitter middle aged woman whose favorite sayings would be "Oh my Giddy aunt..." and "kids today are too well fed" whilst frowning a lot.

Tristan

Watson

Instructor Recruitment

Our instructors are exceptional people. They come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are already outdoor instructors, teachers or guides, and some come to us for a change in career. Either way they have great life experience, and are able to deliver a programme of outdoor activities, and facilitate powerful learning that transfers back to real life.

There are opportunities for instructors to work a range of different programmes, from teenagers, to masters, tangata whenua to business leaders. Staff often develop their skills in particular areas and become expert at delivering specific courses.

Ideal applicants are passionate about working with people, have experience and skills for working in the outdoors, have or are able to get instructing qualifications, and are able to inspire others to learn and grow.

Anyone wanting more information about getting work as an instructor, or advice about preparing for the selection process, please contact anakiwa@outwardbound.co.nz.

Applications

Applications for the 2019 instructor selection course have closed but we still welcome expressions of interest.

For those who wish to apply for the 2020 selection, you should have a strong interest in using the outdoor environment for the personal development of yourself and others, and the drive to work in a high performing team, for a world class organisation.

Experience/requirements:
- Qualifications in Outdoor Education are desirable but not essential
- You should have solid experience in two out of these key areas; Tramping, White Water Kayaking, and Sailing
- You should ideally have experience as an Educator or Facilitator
- Rock Climbing, High Ropes and other outdoor activity experience is helpful
- Applicants should have NZ residency or be able to get an NZ Work Permit

Instructor application form

How many selection courses do you run each year?

We generally run one selection course each year in February. Applications for 2020 will open later in 2019.

Internships

Do you want to become an Outward Bound instructor, but you need to brush up on a few skills?

We are offering 4-6 month instructor internships at our Anakiwa school for NZ and AUS residents.

You'll gain valuable experience while working alongside our amazing instructor team. We'll provide your food, accommodation, access to our equipment, and lots of time in the outdoors.

You'll need a positive attitude, a full driving licence (including Class 2 if possible) and a passion for Outward Bound's work.

Fill in our instructor application form to apply for an internship.

Instructor stories

The Outward Bound experience would be nothing without the instructors! To find out more about the amazing people that take our courses, click the stories below, or click here for more profiles.

Instructing the Instructors

Meg Ryan, current OB Course Design Manager and past OB instructor, shares with us what really goes on during staff training at Outward Bound NZ. And you’ll be happy to hear that yes, even OB instructors get scared! Read more

Nick Williamson

Nick joined the OB team in September 2015. He came from a background in Primary School teaching and Adventure Racing. Read more

Instructor FAQs

Show Answer Do you hire instructors from overseas?

In order to hire staff from overseas, we need to show New Zealand’s Immigration Department that we are unable to find a New Zealander to perform the same role. We also need to show that the overseas applicant has all the skills required to perform the role.

If you are an international applicant, and interested in applying to work for us, you will need to fulfil this criteria. You will also need to apply for a new 12-month work visa every year, as you will be expected to undertake a full three year contract with us here at Outward Bound.

Currently we have a need for instructors with skills in a number of outdoor activities, with an emphasis on sailing and instructing - feel free to get in touch!

Show Answer How many selection courses do you run each year?

We generally run one selection course each year. The dates are advertised on our website here and sent to our growing list of people interested in working for us.

If you are keen to work at Outward Bound as an instructor, but our dates are not advertised on the website, please get in touch!

Show Answer Have I got enough experience to be an instructor?

It's best to complete an Instructor Application Form and Summary of Previous Experience form, and send these to our training manager. You can find these here.

We're happy to give you feedback once we've received your information.

Show Answer What is an instructors work schedule like?

Generally you are contracted to work 200 days per year, including staff training (20 days). Typically you work 17 days of each 21 day course, you get 4 days off during course time and at least 5 days off between courses.

You don't work more than 9 days in a row. After working 5 courses you'll often get 5-6 weeks off, twice a year.

View all our Frequently Asked Questions