Outdoor Safety & Bush Craft
- The Outdoor Safety & Environment Care Basic Session*: This is a fun interactive activity. Every person going into the NZ Bush, (no matter if it is a 20 min walk, a days hike or a longer tramp) needs to know how to be safe, what to do when things go wrong and how to respect the environment. This activity can be easily incorporated with other activities like your bush walk or shelter building and can be facilitated by an AOEC instructor or a member of your group can be trained on how to facilitate this activity.
- The Outdoor Safety & Environment Care Pancake Challenge*: This activity is a led by a trained and experienced AOEC Instructor or we can train teachers or group leaders to lead this activity. This is a great activity to start your camp off. It is a great orientation activity, where students will become familiar with lodge grounds and surroundings, learn basics about orienteering and most importantly learn about outdoor safety and environment care. In the process they will also get to make their own pancakes. The duration of this activity is no less than 2 ½ – 3 hours depending on the size of your group.
- The Aongatete Survivor Experience (Full Day)*: This program is a unique full day experience led by a trained and experienced AOEC Instructor. Students spend a full day in the bush where they learn and appreciate the main requirements of bush craft and survival in a fun and interactive way. This program includes #Trip Planning, #Outdoor Safety & #Environmental Care, #Navigation with Map & Compass, #Outdoor Cooking, #Shelter Building #Environmental Care and #River Safety
- The Aongatete Survivor Experience (Half Day)*: This program is a unique half day experience led by a trained and experienced AOEC Instructor. Students spend 3hrs in the bush where they learn how to use a compass and navigate through the bush, build a fool-proof basic shelter and learn a basic method of cooking outdoors. This activity can be adapted to suit your group.
- Shelter Building: A simple session designed to learn how to shelter from the elements in different ways. This session can be adapted to suit children of all ages.
- Fire Lighting: led by a trained and experienced AOEC Instructor. All children love playing with fire. Here they learn various ways how to light a fire safely and respecting the environment at all times. A successful fire means toasting marshmallows or having a cup of tea or milo. *Strict Conditions apply
- Outdoor Cooking: Children love cooking outdoors! This can be combined with the fire lighting activity or children can cook on hobo or hexi stoves. An ideal way for everyone to cook their own lunch or dinner. Outdoor cooking equipment is available to hire. Easy things to cook are sausages, burger patties, corn/vegetable fritters, pancakes, popcorn, banana deserts or damper.
- Navigation: Aongatete Outdoor Education Centre offers a set of courses and exercises ranging from the very simple to the more adventurous. Courses can be set in a variety of terrain, using a number of scenarios to make the experience more interesting. Students not only gain in improving their map reading and compass skills, but also in personal confidence. Inquire with AOEC staff what navigation activities will suit your group:
- Basic Map Orienteering on Lodge Grounds
- Map Reading using a Topo50 Map
- Compass Confidence Basics
- Compass Navigation through the bush led by an AOEC Instructor
- Camp Outs: Many people of all ages, have not enjoyed the excitement of sleeping outdoors. AOEC offers the chance to sleep in the dormitories, in a tent, under canvas or tarpaulin bivvy style, or the ultimate, under the stars. All this can be done in a safe and controlled environment. You choose, depending on your goal and sense of adventure. Students will also learn the importance of taking care of the environment while camping. *Conditions apply