Before your course starts - Outward Bound

Before your course starts

So you're all booked and ready for your course but want to double-check all the details before it starts?
Then you've come to the right place!

This page has everything you need to know and do to ensure you’re all set for your upcoming course. Read this page carefully and you'll be all set. 

Mā te wā, see you soon!

  • Contact us if you are unwell - Outward Bound actively takes steps to prevent the spread of any infectious illness during all courses. We want you to thrive on your course and arriving already sick will significantly impact your own experience and the experience of those around you. If you are sick in the lead-up to your course, please contact us to discuss whether this is the right time for you to attend Outward Bound.

  • Keep your fitness up - Make sure you can meet our fitness requirement of the 3km run in under 25 mins. This is timed on your course and you are expected to be able to meet this. *Note: this is not a requirement for our Adapted courses or Discovery Low Impact.

  • Start packing your bags - Make sure you pack everything outlined on your gear list. Find your correct gear list on the webpage for your specific course - or see here. Ask friends/whānau to borrow their gear if you don't have it all. Make a list of what you need to borrow from OB (you don't need to reserve this) - the gear available to be borrowed is highlighted on your gear list.

  • Name all of your gear - You’d be surprised how many items are left behind each month! Items of value left behind will be returned at the cost of the owner.
  • Check your course start time and location - find this information here.

  • Double-check your own travel details - Please make sure you will get to your course before the start time, as detailed in the link above.

  • Book your shuttle - If you’re flying into Blenheim, we recommend booking a shuttle with Marlborough Shuttles to take you to Picton. Outward Bound does not provide a shuttle to/from Picton and Blenheim and you will need to arrange this privately. Contact them here - www.marlboroughshuttles.co.nz - they know exactly what to do!
  • Contact while on your course - You won't have access to your phone, a computer, or the internet for the entire duration of your Outward Bound course. Your whānau won't hear from us unless it is necessary, so please remind everyone at home that no news is good news!

  • Letters and packages - You can send and receive letters the old-fashioned way while you're with us. If your friends/whānau are feeling extra generous, they can send you a small 'care package'. We are based in a rural location, so please be mindful of the amount of plastic packaging sent to us. Ensure your loved ones send letters and packages within the first 5 days of your course starting or they will not arrive in time.

  • Use the correct postal address - Please share our Anakiwa addresses with your friends and whānau. Courier packages sent to our Wellington or Auckland office addresses will be returned to the sender at their own cost. 

    Sending letters: Outward Bound NZ, Private Bag 403, Picton 7250 - please include the name of recipient

    Sending care packages: Outward Bound NZ, 387 Anakiwa Road, RD1, Picton 7281 - please include the name of recipient

  • Remember to name all of your gear!

  • OB's contact info - Ensure your friends/whānau have Outward Bound’s contact information in case of an emergency.
  • Clothing - wear activewear as your course will start right away.

  • Eat lunch! Ensure you have a big lunch before you meet us in Picton, and pack some snacks too. 

  • Travel delays - If your travel to Outward Bound is delayed, please call our enrolments team on 0800 688 927 as soon as you’re aware of the delay.
    • Please do not contact us if your delayed travel will still get you to your course start on time.
    • If your travel arrival time changes significantly, our enrolments team will work with you to support your arrival. Please call us as soon as you know of your delay.

  • Meet us as the designated start point - find the correct time and location for your course here. If you are being dropped off by car in Picton, please do not park in the marina by the Outward Bound vehicles. There is a drop-off area nearby on Wellington Street.

  • Bags/Luggage - Please do not leave your bags/luggage unattended in Picton, including at the designated meeting spot, as this is a public area.

  • Wet weather - If it is raining and you have time to kill before your course start time, you’re welcome to go to the Picton Library or into town to keep dry. There is no shelter at our meeting point. Our team will not arrive at the meeting point until the designated course start time.

    See you soon!