Inside Outward Bound - The New Zealand Journey

Sanity is only relative.

– Carved motto on the floor at Outward Bound, Anikiwa

It was a hell of a mix, really. During those three, three-and-a-half weeks, everything comes out.

– Former All Black Gary Whetton on the variety of young people in his Outward Bound 'watch' group in 1981

My granddad said this really changed his life, so he wanted me to go on Outward Bound so it would change my life, too.

– A young participant in 2011 gives his reason for signing up to Outward Bound

A great course for me would be...maybe not catch a pig, but maybe at least hit one...

– A 2011 Outward Bound participant on what he'd like to achieve through the course

We are all better than we know. If only we can come to discover this we may never again settle for anything less.

– An inspirational motto by Outward Bound's co-founder Kurt Hahn

Everyone had different strengths and weaknesses but we were taught to do everything together as a group.

– Gary Whetton on one of the key teachings of Outward Bound

I came here because it's the only place I know of where a 54-year-old can roll in the mud.

– An honest reason for signing up to an Outward Bound course

I remember thinking "this is just like the army. It's regimented, the instructors are tough, you don't mess with them", and I thought "why have I chosen to come here?"

– Dancer and former Miss Universe NZ 1985 Claire Glenister remembers her early impressions of her 1982 experience

How does a team get up a hill? Yeah, you push, you get behind, you push somebody...

– An Outward Bound instructor offers advice during a tough moment on a 2011 tramping expedition

I think I wrote about 48 pages of journal...it was just stuff coming out.

– Actor Sara Wiseman recalls pouring her heart out during her 1990 Outward Bound solo bush stay

I never have nothing going on and I'm thinking "how am I going to survive this?" And I remember the second I got dropped off and it was suddenly like a weight off my shoulders...I thought "this is remarkable, it's so peaceful. I actually have nobody pushing me to do anything".

– Participant Andrew Ferrier remembers the emotions of his solo bush stay

My mother said "you've changed". My brother said "you've changed". My father said "you've changed". My friends said I'd changed. Physically I'd changed yes. I'd come back one and a half, two stone lighter, fitter. But I'd changed as a person. Six months after that, all of a sudden I was an All Black. I wouldn't have been an All Black at that time if it wasn't for Outward Bound. It showed me things I didn't know I had...

– Gary Whetton on the profound effect Outward Bound had on his personal development

The Anakiwa outdoors was our classroom and the subject was ourselves: our potential and ability to interact with others. Every activity had an underlying purpose (some not immediately obvious), as we tested our limits, examined our comfort zones and found, as the Outward Bound motto states, that "there is more in you than you think".

– Michael Burgess writes about his Outward Bound experience, The NZ Herald, 13 June 2012

I believe in the balloon theory: life's like a balloon, it keeps shrinking in on you unless you push the boundaries and this is one of my ways to push back at the boundaries...

– An older participant in 2011 gives his reasons for signing up to Outward Bound