The Spirit of Adventure: Te Waka Hiringa Tangata, operates over 35 youth development voyages a year. Since its maiden voyage in 1974, over 85,000 young people have taken a place on the iconic sailing vessel, developing skills, making lifelong friends, and discovering their true potential at sea.
Now, fresh from celebrating its 50th anniversary, CEO Bruce Pilbrow is keen to convey that the spirit of Spirit of Adventure is alive and well.
“We see a massive change in young people. I’ve worked with youth on and off for about 25 years, and I’ve never seen anything transform a young person like this.”
It’s clear Bruce is passionate: his eyes light up when he talks. “This next generation is amazing. They are awesome at holding us to account. They’re our future prime ministers, nurses, doctors, teachers.”
The Spirit of Adventure has been changing young Kiwis' lives for over 50 years. Photo by Dawn Dutton.
The Spirit of Adventure offers a range of programmes, but the cornerstone is the 10-day voyage for Year 12 and 13 students (in the last two years of secondary school). Stripped of their digital devices and tasked with the challenge of sailing the three-masted vessel out of the Hauraki Gulf and beyond, rangatahi soon find themselves in a whole new world, with a whole new perspective.
“Initially, it’s a bit of a shock for them to give their device over. Often, they’ve been living in a world that’s a couple of inches square, and that becomes their existence, their identity.
“We create space where they can see themselves for who they are, their goodness, without all the other noise. It starts to shift things, and they start to fall in love with themselves again. They start to say: ‘I’m capable, I’m confident, I have ability.’”
This transformation follows such a regular pattern that crew joke about its predictability.
“When they first walk on, they’re all, hands in pockets, trying not to look anyone in the eye. Usually by about day six, they get a bit feral. All the safety nets you put around yourself on social media are gone. They’re tired, and they start to have a few clashes.
“But, by the end of day six – we can almost set our watches to it! – there's a click. Suddenly it’s a community, it’s: you’re struggling, I’ll help you, I’m struggling, you help me.
“By day 10, they can’t let go of each other. It’s all tears, waiata, hugging, and then they stay friends for life.”
Alongside personal development, helping participants develop a keen sense of care for the ocean is central to the Spirit’s mission.
This ethos of environmental stewardship has motivated the Spirit of Adventure to undertake a number of conservation and sustainability initiatives: upgrading its sewage treatment plant, working with Moana Project to take ocean temperature recordings and regularly scanning the seabed for global initiative Seabed 2030.
Spirit of Adventure CEO, Bruce Pilbrow. Photo by Dawn Dutton.
It’s not just large-scale initiatives, however; these values also extend to the everyday movements of each voyage.
“We turn the whole ship around if we see a piece of plastic in the ocean. To get 14 sails up is a major job, and when you’re cranking along at 10 knots, turning it around is a lot of work, but to do so sends such a powerful message to young people.
“We live on this beautiful island in the middle of nowhere. The environment feeds us. It teaches us. It’s spiritual. It provides sustenance for life. You’ve got to look after it, eh?”
In addition to the 10-day programme, the Spirit also offers five-day voyages for younger students, a parent-child expedition, and an annual ‘inspiration voyage’ specifically for young people aged 16 to 30 living with a disability.
Recalling a previous inspiration voyage, Bruce describes someone with low vision scale the highest point on the ship: “I watched a guy stow away a sail 38m up. Then he climbed all the way down, got to the bottom, walked over and grabbed his cane. Yeah, that’s why we call it inspiration.”
The soaring masts of the tall ship. Photo by Dawn Dutton.
For students who wish to join a Spirit of Adventure voyage, there are numerous scholarships available.
“We never want money to be a barrier. If a young person wants to get on and can’t afford it – we’ll get them on. We normally average about 35% in scholarships – but this year, we’ve raised enough money to give every kid a scholarship.”
Whether it’s the thrill of hoisting sails, the camaraderie of working together, or the quiet moments of reflection under a starry sky, the Spirit of Adventure offers an experience like no other. With newfound resilience, courage and connections, young people return to shore not only better sailors, but better equipped to chart their own course through life.
Story by Emily Draper for the Spring 2024 issue of AA Directions Magazine. Emily Draper is the Deputy Editor of AA Directions Magazine.
Explore more from AA Directions magazine while you're here:
- A magical cruise explores the untouched Austral Islands in French Polynesia.
- Is New Zealand's driver licensing system up to scratch?
- Perlina Lau, RNZ host and star of Creamerie shares her top tips on money.
