Living it up in Aotearoa
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Photograph: Climbers celebrating success on the Milford Track.
Rain or shine, New Zealand is a great country for getting out and about. Over the past few months RNZFB members from all over the country have taken part in a range of recreation events, doing whatever they love most.
Reaching new heights on the Milford Track
Spanning 53.5 kilometres in the heart of spectacular Fiordland, not everyone would have the inclination, or the fitness, to walk the world-famous Milford Track. But in early May, 10 RNZFB members from around New Zealand set out to do just that.
This tramp featured a new level of difficulty, with each hiker carrying their own pack. The group walked for five days, and of the many tough moments along the way, RNZFB
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Recreation Advisor Marina Hanger says one of the most challenging was navigating the steep, rocky track to and from the Mackinnon Pass shelter.
Exchanging what they enjoyed the most, the trampers agreed that being able to get out into the rugged outdoors, push their limits, and be inspired by fellow RNZFB members were the highlights.
Mixing it up on the Performing Arts Camp
From acting to hip hop, the Performing Arts Camp in Wellington during the April holidays was a great opportunity for eight young RNZFB members to express their creativity and to meet others with similar interests.
The camp was held to enable blind and partially sighted teenagers who have an interest in performing arts to explore different avenues within the genre. The programme was diverse, covering dance classes, acting and voice lessons, writing and presenting a radio show, and backstage tours of various performing arts venues.
Rotary Auckland Youth Camp
A mud-slide, a confidence course, and a food fight... Most of us have experienced this sort of camp in our younger years, and no doubt picked up some key life skills through the experience.
So the RNZFB was delighted to receive funding from the Remuera Rotary Club to run a camp for our Auckland youth earlier this year. Nearly 20 blind and partially sighted students flocked to Camp Adair for a fun-filled weekend in April, with support from Rotarian volunteers, as well as a group of volunteers from Auckland colleges.
The weekend was all about the students enjoying time with their peers and pushing past their comfort zones by attempting new and challenging activities. A fantastic time was had by all.
Walking Waikaremoana
Anything known as a 'Great Walk' is bound to involve kilometres in the double digits, and indeed the
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Waikaremoana Great Walk stretches over 46 of them, following the magnificent lake for most of its length.
In mid-March, a group of six members plus volunteers set out on the three-day walk, tramping for up to eight hours a day. The terrain was often "rocky, rooty and uneven", but the sunny weather and swimming stops along the way helped to keep the group motivated.
Highlights included the beautiful bush, the great peer support and enthusiasm, and the fragrance of tiny orchids on the track.
Photograph: Trampers cross a swing bridge on Waikaremoana's Great Walk
Cycling the Coast
Each Tuesday after school, Tahl Waite, a Taranaki teenager who is totally blind, enjoys a bike ride on the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway thanks to the support of two students from his school who are working towards their Duke of Edinburgh silver awards.
One of the students connects a German-built Hase Tret Trailer (on loan from the Taranaki Trust for the Blind) onto the rear axle of his bike, ensures Tahl is clipped in, and off they go. Tahl does his share of peddling, especially when needed for the uphill stretches.
RNZFB Recreation Advisor Richard West has been impressed with the Duke of Edinburgh students' commitment. Other students from the scheme have assisted with an RNZFB children's holiday event, and with a recent 'Have a go at Martial Arts evening'.
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Paddling the Abel Tasman
Photograph: The group on the Abel Tasman
Tucked in at the top of the South Island is a paradise that would rival any other in the South Pacific. With its azure ocean, golden sandy beaches and calm lagoons, the Abel Tasman National Park is nothing short of a magical destination.
And in mid-February, 12 RNZFB members seized the opportunity to spend a week kayaking and camping in the Abel Tasman.
Throughout the week the group kayaked through a diverse range of settings, and even had the incredible experience of paddling alongside Orca whales. This unforgettable trip runs every second year and is very popular – you will have read on page 20 about Penny Gray's personal account of the trip.
For information on winter-friendly activities, or to find out what's coming up later in this year's recreation calendar, visit the Member section of our website, call us on 0800 24 33 33, or email recreations@rnzfb.org.nz