ADULT COURSES
Find direction and connect with your values, while challenging yourself to achieve more than you ever thought possible.
Between chapters? Good timing.
Finishing study. Changing jobs. Kids leaving home. Wrapping up a career. Start from scratch. Most adults who come to Anakiwa are somewhere in between and that's exactly why it lands.
You'll paddle, tramp and sail the Marlborough Sounds with a crew of strangers, no phone, no inbox, and no one expecting you to be who you were last week. Just room to remember what matters to you and figure out what's next.
Where are you at?
Ages 18–26
Not sure what's next? You're in good company.
Everyone's got an opinion on what you should do with your life. This is your chance to find out what you think, alongside a crew your age who are working it out too.
Worried you're not fit enough? Most people are. You don't need to be sporty, you just need to turn up and give it a go.
Worried about cost? Our payment plan and scholarships help make it possible.
Ages 27+
Time for a reset or a fresh challenge?
Maybe a chapter's just closed, or a new one has just begun. Maybe the plan you had isn't the plan anymore, or you've realised you've been running on autopilot for a while. Whatever's happening, a few weeks away from the usual noise gives you space to work out what you want next, and remind yourself what you're capable of.
Leadership
Leadership Programmes
Want to grow as a leader at work? Our leadership courses are built for that.
Explore Leadership Courses →Ages 60+
You've been meaning to do this.
Plenty of our 60+ crews tell us they'd wanted to come for years. Some did a course decades ago and wanted one more go. Others finally ran out of reasons not to.
Built for this stage of life, this one-week course is paced for 60+ adults, with activities adjusted based on your capabilities. You'll be with people your age, in a place you won't forget in a hurry.
What you'll actually walk away with
A clearer head
A break from everyday life and space from the usual noise to work out what matters to you now.
Proof you can surprise yourself
Whatever your age, you'll do something you didn't think you would.
Time to reconnect
Find a greater sense of connection with yourself, others and the natural world.
Backing yourself
You'll take on challenges you'd normally talk yourself out of, and learn to trust yourself to see them through.
Calm when things change
Plans shift out there. You learn to roll with it, and that sticks.
A next step
Room to work out what you want from the next chapter, and the confidence to go after it.
Not sure what you're signing up for?
That's pretty normal. We don't hand out a day-by-day plan and that's on purpose. Letting go of control and leaning into the unknown is a big part of what you get out of it. What we can tell you is that you'll be fine. But here are a few answers that should give you just enough to put your mind at ease.
If you're wondering about fitness, gear requirements and other questions relevant to course preparation, we have an entire page on How to Prepare for a Course. Check that out along with our FAQs.
If you do a three-week course, you'll most likely get a taste of everything. This can include kayaking, tramping, sailing, high ropes, rock climbing, coasteering, mahi aroha and a fair bit of figuring stuff out as a group.
Because of the condensed format, our one-week courses have fewer activities and multi-day excursions. For our Adult and 60+ one-week courses, the activities may vary from group to group.
Either way, you don't need to have experience in any of the activities - most people don't. Your Kaiako will train you on all that you need to know, and you'll walk away feeling proud and accomplished by all the new things you tried.
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.
Honestly? Really good. In fact, the food is one of the things alumni rave about most. Back at base, our chefs are always cooking up delicious dishes (including dessert) that you'll probably still think about after your course. Plus, snacks are available to you at all times in the kitchen if you ever find yourself getting hungry. Out on expedition, it's simpler camp cooking (and energy dense snacks, like type: entry-hyperlink id: 7N29ZwSyPYEJun7ZULeaQC), but you'll still be well fed.
Got dietary requirements? Tell us about it when you enrol - we can cater to a wide range of them!
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.
Our fitness requirements aren't as rigorous as you might think. In fact, 75% of students said the fitness level was just right - not too hard, not too easy*. Additionally, the physical is only one part of the challenge. Some would say it's more of a mental or emotional challenge, and where the shows up for everyone is different.
Our fitness benchmark is achievable for a lot of people:
For a One-Week or Three-Week Young Adult (18-26) or Adult (27+) course, you simply need to be able to run/walk 3km in under 25 minutes. If you can do that, you're ready! That being said, the fitter you are, the more you'll enjoy all of the physical activities. See our preparation guide for more information.
Our One-Week Course for 60+ is much less demanding and catered to the abilities of the group. You aren't required to run but the opportunity is there for those who choose to. The main thing is that you can complete a full day of physical activity without physical support. Visit the course page for more info.
* Based on data collected from our Programme Evaluation Questionnaire (PEQ), completed by every student after their course.
Your phone gets collected and stored safely away for the whole course, along with any other electronics. The exception is a camera or GoPro that you can use to capture photos and videos.
Going phone-free sounds full on, but students typically walk away really valuing the time away from their screens. It's a big part of why people come home feeling renewed, and many feel inspired to cut down their screen time as a result.
And don't worry, if someone needs to get in touch due to an emergency, they can get in touch with the Duty Manager and we'll make sure the message gets to you.
We also have adapted courses for people with physical and intellectual disabilities.
Our Adapted Courses are designed for people living with Parkinson's, an intellectual disability, or a physical or sensory disability (such as a visual or hearing impairment, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy or limb loss) who need specialised support to take part.
Explore Adapted Courses →Let's talk about cost
Outward Bound is a real investment in yourself, and we won't pretend otherwise. As a charity, our fees don't include a mark-up. They simply cover the cost of running your course. To make it work for as many people as possible, there are a few ways to cover it.
Use our payment plan
Most people spread the cost rather than paying it all at once. Secure your spot with a $395 deposit, then pay the rest through an interest-free payment plan. Our calculator shows what that looks like for you.
See ways to pay →Fundraise for it
Plenty of people raise some or all of their fees through local trusts, community groups, or friends and whānau chipping in instead of birthday presents. Our fundraising guide walks you through it.
Visit our fundraising guide →Apply for a scholarship
If you're aged 18–26 and the cost puts a course out of reach, you may be eligible for a scholarship. They typically cover 20–50% of the course fee, depending on your situation and application.
See if you're eligible →Got questions? Call 0800 688 927 or email info@outwardbound.co.nz.