Afoot 

An adventure centre operating across the North Island, Afoot is a unique expedition and exploration Adventurous Journeys provider for the Award. In total, Afoot has successfully and safely supervised more than 500 journey days last year for students from Hawkes Bay, Palmerston, Gisborne, Wairarapa, Wellington, and Whanganui.

Afoot is an Award Provider with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award. Afoot provides both classroom theory and practical Adventurous Journey Training at all levels of the Award and practice and qualifying Adventurous Journeys.  These can be provided for a specific individual school programme or be put together with students from a variety of schools.

A few things that, we hope, set Afoot apart:

Small groups – our maximum is eight for one adult guide
A female guide always accompanies female groups
Pre-set dates per quarter for easier organisation
Detailed gear lists, latest photos and other important information is on our website
Department of Conservation approved
Reasonable pricing
Practical approved training modules at all levels

Afoot provide Bronze, Silver & Gold level Adventurous Journey Training and Adventurous Journeys and acts as an Award Leader for schools and students if required. They also offer the Volunteer Service section.

Explorations (instead of Expeditions) are also available for students unable to complete the physical aspect of an Expedition. Afoot also now provides Mountain Biking Adventurous Journeys in conjunction with Bike Craft. Afoot operates under a concession from the Department of Conservation providing experienced guides and instructors for journeys into the Ruahine and Kaweka ranges in the central and eastern North Island.   They work in Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Whanganui, and Central North Island.

Bike Craft provide Youth After-School Programmes and School Holiday Programmes in Taupo and Hawkes Bay. Bike Craft is an AdventureMark Safety Audit Certified Operator.

Their journeys are “Adventurous Journey Explorations”. These are journeys with a purpose – to significantly improve an individual’s MTB skill levels in a new environment while planning your own route. These journeys are based either in Hawkes Bay using the Hawkes Bay Trails and Eskdale Panpac Mountain Bike Park or in Taupo using the Craters Mountain Bike Park and surrounding areas. All journeys involve camping and cooking independently in small teams.

Adventurous Journey Training must be completed before the Adventurous Journey, the training is completed in a one day session. The training covers both mountain bike skills (riding, maintenance, safety, route planning) and outdoor skills (environmental care, outdoor first aid, trip planning and leadership).

Adventurous Journeys

Available dates are all on the Afoot webpage. Information sheets and online registration can be found on their website too.

Training for Bronze & Silver sessions are held to cover either of both of the classroom theory and practical parts of the syllabus.

Please note that if training, as per the Award requirements, has not been completed and no evidence entered the ORB, before the Practice Journey, the activity will not fulfil the Award requirements, and the Award will not accept the Journey activity.

For Journeys and Training groups can be made up of students from different schools (our preference) and a mixture of male/female.

Conservation Activities with Afoot

Afoot is part of the Hawkes Bay Wilding Pines Community Group which is an entity specifically set up with DOC to manage wilding pines in the Lakes area of the Kawekas. This is a particularly beautiful and sensitive part of our conservation estate of 98 hectares that we hope to clear completely of wilding pines. This is part of DOC’s plan to shield the Ruahines particularly, but also to control spread within the Kawekas, from wilding pine infestation. DOC Info on Wilding Pines

With groups of about 10 volunteers, we can clear roughly 1,000 wilding pines in a relatively leisurely day. We’d love your help to protect this special part of Hawkes Bay. Contact us at [email protected] or find us on Facebook.

Future dates and details of the different activity days are listed on the website (these are updated regularly). We can also put together a bespoke day for school groups that may wish for a specific date.

Service Opportunity at Bronze and Silver Award Levels

Students will volunteer to be trained on how to find and clear wilding pines. The area also has a line of traps which will also be checked and logged. This will help control rat, stoat and possum numbers in the area so further protecting flora and fauna.

Price: $35 plus GST per student per trip

Bronze & Silver DOE Exploration Adventurous Journey

These activities are designed to meet DOE’s requirements for an Exploration. They are made available by Afoot in conjunction with Hawkes Bay Wilding Pines Community Group for those students who are unable to complete the physical journeying component of a DOE Expedition.