Kelly OAL

January 14

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‘Stand back for a moment and become calm. When a person is calm complex events appear… The more you can you can let go of trying and the more open and receptive you become the more easily you will know what is happening.’

Spending 2 days on the Rangitikei, following the flow of the river taught me that fighting against the greater strength of the water would get me nowhere.  I got into a kayak for my first time on the second day of our float. I was a little nervous being that it was my first time, but overall I was centered and calm. The only way I was able to not flip my kayak was holding on to this centered and calm state. I was able to feel the movement of the relationship between myself, the boat, and the water. When you over analyze a situation, you do not see the whole picture clearly.

‘If you do not trust a person’s process, that person will not trust you.’

In almost every situation we are all relying on each other. We are growing together as a group and bonds of trust will continue cultivate. In certain situations such as rock climbing you are putting all your trust into the person you are climbing with.  Rock climbing in Wharepapa was my first experience climbing outdoors. It was definitely a nerve racking experience putting your own safety into the hands of someone else. You have to rely on each other for the safety of the group as a whole.

Trust is something that is not embedded in the American culture; we are subconsciously taught that you can only rely on yourself. Being an individualistic society does not create the strength behind a cohesive group. Working this closely with all the mates on this trip is creating not only strength for the group, but in each individual as well.

‘Silence is a great source of strength’

Waking up in the Rangi hut after an 8 kilometer hike up a beautiful ridge put me in the most tranquil state. My mind was still and I was completely caught up in the moment. Surrounded by the beauty of nature, I took the time for a personal meditation hiking back down from the hut. Having time to myself gave me an opportunity for a little soul searching. Standing looking at the view and feeling the wind race along the walls of the mountain overflowed by body with  energy, which is the most empowering feeling. Reconnecting my soul back to the roots of Mother Nature truly instills the limitlessness of inner strength.

‘It puzzles people at first, to see how little the able leader actually does, and yet how much gets done.’

The process of truly learning something requires that people construct their own knowledge. Throughout the days spent with Paule, we were given the basics of instruction and then given the opportunity to experiment.  Learning the basics of raft guiding best exemplifies this idea. We were told the simplistic components of reading the flow of the river and then it was up to me to experience with the speed, angle and power to guide the raft. As a leader the most important thing it to let people create their own understanding through direct application.

‘All things and events, whether they are cooperative or conflicting, harmonious or turbulent, take their form and become resolved in accordance with the Tao.’

In the land of the long white cloud, weather does not always corporate with the activities planned. When issues with weather come up Paule took the time to figure out the next best alternative. Bad weather wasn’t an issue because of the ability he had to be flexible with our plans. Things never go as planned and a great leader finds an alternative for the group free of stress. Calmness sets the mood and the group mirrors the same feelings back.

‘The leader who tries to control the group through force does not understand the group process.’

In a group each person has their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Paule, Chandra, and both toms did a great job setting the pace for the group as a whole. No one was forced into a situation where they felt uncomfortable and if someone wanted to push outside their comfort zone it was encouraged to try something new.

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Thus far we have experienced the majority of adventure tourism in the more rural areas. The major source of tourism has involved mainly white water sports including rafting and kayaking. There is also a large population of backpacking tourism throughout the places we have traveled.  Adventure tourism impacts both the economy and culture of New Zealand. Hospitality is wide spread throughout and through observation it is apparent that the locals rely on the tourism as a main source of economic support.

New Zealand is a country that is susceptible to environmental hazards. Because they rely on adventure tourism, protecting the environment is a high priority. Wit out protection of the wilderness, tourism rates would decrease. It is very common that the 3 R’s are pointed out throughout the various hostels we have stayed at.

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Outdoor education connects children back to nature. When students are given the opportunity to be ‘stripped of modern conveniences’ and engage with the surrounding world in an organic manner, they will develop a way of thinking that will protect this planet from materialist life style that is disconnected from nature.  Students who take outdoor education have the opportunity to learn in an alternative way to traditional classrooms; it focuses on application and experimentation of an array of skills.

Reading this article reminded me of Richard Louv’s book ‘The Last Child in the Woods’. In his book he discusses the issues behind nature deficit disorder. In his book, he suggests that children who display characteristics of ADHD symptoms digress or completely subside when given the opportunity to interact with elements of nature. In today’s society, parents and children live in fear of society so they are kept in front of a TV all day. Children need the opportunity to grow and learn in their own way though play and being active.

When children are given the independence to experience nature through exploration, they are experiencing latent learning. Latent learning is described as the act of learning subconsciously and retaining the information for later use. Children have the ability to take in so much information on a subconscious level.

During this trip I have experienced latent learning while spending time on our 5 various raft trips. Just by the experience of being on the float I started to develop an understanding of how to read the flow of the river and to identify the main currents eddies and boils; while also understanding the relationship between the boat and various water related obstacles.

_Kelly