Like tens of thousands after him, Forrest McDougall’s Outward Bound experience changed his life.
McDougall spent his 17th birthday as part of the first-ever Outward Bound course in New Zealand at Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds in 1962.
Picton resident Forrest, now 76, said the course gave him the platform and skills, such as resilience, to be able to follow his dreams of serving in the Merchant Navy.
McDougall was among scores of former students who descended on Anakiwa last weekend to celebrate 60 years of the adventure school.
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Alumni came from all over the country to reconnect with old friend and instructors and to commemorate the opening of the outdoor centre in September 1962.
McDougall said as a youngster he always wanted to go to sea.
“Kurt Hahn was the instigator of the Outward Bound in the UK, because, at sea, during the Second World War there were a lot of guys who just gave up and died, young fellas, and the older guys survived in the lifeboats when they were torpedoed.
“So, Kurt Hahn set up the Outward Bound, and I’d always read about him, and I wanted to go to the Outward Bound to try and get to sea, and that was the start of my career at sea after going to Outward Bound.
“I joined the Merchant Navy and had over 45-years at sea and I got to see some amazing places along the way.”
McDougall said the celebration was “absolutely brilliant.”
“The Outward Bounders were very, very good to us, and they went out of their way and helped us and showed us around.”
McDougall said the centre looked a lot more accommodating now than it did 60 years ago.
“It’s changed quite a bit since I was there, they’ve developed an awful lot of areas and the accommodation is very, very good. When we were there it was pretty basic.
“It was good, but we did a lot on our own, there were no instructors there we had to go over the hills and tramp on our own, and it was pretty basic, but it was a great learning curve. They’ve certainly smartened it up.”
The Outward Bound programme was founded in Wales during the Second World War by Hahn, an educator, and Lawrence Holt, the owner of a shipping company. The original aim of the programme was to instil values of initiative, tenacity and compassion into young British sailors during the war.
In the 1960s, the then Governor General Lord Cobham formed a committee to find a site in Aotearoa that would be an ideal location to base the Outward Bound Trust of New Zealand. Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds was chosen as the spot for its relative remoteness, natural beauty and closeness of the sea and mountains.
After 60 years, and some 70,000 past students, the non-profit organisation is still going strong as more people of all ages, cultures, abilities, and backgrounds seek to challenge and inspire themselves.
The school’s director Hamish Reid said after an expected lull during the pandemic, the centre had rebounded well with post-Covid numbers higher than expected.
“We’re not sure if that’s a combination of people re-evaluating their lives after the pandemic, going ‘what am I doing with my life?’ Or ‘I want some sort of life affirming experience or an opportunity to do something challenging’, and outside their comfort zone to help them work out who they want to be or where they want to go next in life. It’s as good as we’ve ever had,” he said.
Reid said the anniversary gathering was a good chance for students from different eras to share their experiences.
“The day is focused on alumni, so it’s focused on people who have been here on a course before, and it’s allowing them the opportunity to come back and reconnect with the place and also reconnect with people, whether it’s their instructors or reconnecting with their watch-mates.
“When we do something like this you get to meet people who’ve been here in previous decades and have seen the school grow and change and evolve over that time.”
McDougall echoed Reid’s views that Outward Bound adventures could inspire people to challenge themselves and said he was in no doubt that they would continue to inspire people.
“It’s a great start, and a great springboard for the people who take part. You meet different people, and it’s a team thing, and it’s an individual thing, and you learn a lot of things from other people.
“Outward Bound will be going for many, many, many more years. Definitely,” McDougall said.
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