Kei te whakahou mātou i a Aoraki Bound, nō reira, nau mai ō wawata mō tā tātou kaupapa nui whakaharahara!

We are refreshing Aoraki Bound, and we want to hear your aspirations for this awesome kaupapa!

Join an online info session to hear about the mahi and share your thoughts

Register for online hui

Fill in our online survey about your needs and your community’s needs around leadership and capability

Online survey

Aoraki bound is the Ngāi Tahu leadership programme focused on building capability, cultural confidence and connection to Ngāi Tahu whenua, iwi and hapū. From 2006 until 2020, Aoraki Bound was a partnership between Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Outward Bound. 

Each year, two rōpū spent 20 days walking in the footsteps of their ancestors through Te Waipounamu, visiting cultural sites and marae, undertaking physical challenges, learning mahinga kai, whakapapa, history and reo, finishing with a half-marathon at the foot of Aoraki. For many participants the experience was life-changing.

He aha mātou e whakahou nei i te kaupapa? | Why are we refreshing the kaupapa?

Aoraki Bound has been in hibernation since COVID struck. Now Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu has gifted the kaupapa and name to Pūruatia Trust for three years, to design a new Aoraki Bound that meets current iwi needs and aspirations, in alignment with Mō Kā Uri. 

As an iwi, Ngāi Tahu is in a very different place compared to 20 years ago when the kaupapa began. Internal reviews suggested Aoraki Bound needed to evolve as the iwi evolved, and have a greater focus on Ngāi Tahutanga and collective benefits. 

Aoraki Bound is being delivered independently by Pūruatia Trust under licence from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Funding for the current redevelopment comes from DIA Lotteries and Rātā Foundation, not the Office of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. We are applying to the Ngāi Tahu Fund and other external funders to contribute to future phases.

Learn about our redesign roadmap

Nic Low

Aoraki Bound is led by Nic Low (Ōraka-Aparima, Awarua, Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki). Nic is passionate about connecting our people to the histories, places and ancestors that formed us. He is the author of Uprising, a book about Ngāi Tahu’s history in the Southern Alps, is an Aoraki Bound alumni and has led kaupapa Māori developments for diverse organisations including WORD Christchurch, New Zealand Geographic magazine and Canterbury Museum.

Nic is supported by the Pūruatia Trust Board and our Tira Ārahi, which includes the founders of Aoraki Bound, Craig Pauling and Iaen Cranwell, alongside former senior Outward Bound staff and key members of the original Ngāi Tahu instruction and delivery team.