The idea to circumnavigate South Canterbury was born while the three of us were stuck inside Kelman hut at the head of the Tasman Glacier in November 2004. Through discussion and development the idea began to carry increasing significance for each individual and the team as a whole. With time the idea has been molded into an achievable concept – A Circumnavigation of our home province.We believe the significance of this journey can be highlighted under the following headings.
Family, history and connectedness
We (Team Adventure Aotearoa) all hail from South Canterbury and have affinities with the area as both a place of family history and as a recreational playground. To circle the area we all have such strong ties and vivid memories of is symbolic of the importance this area has for us and the regard and respect we hold for it – both historically and geographically.
South Canterbury is an area we all grew up in and hope to continue enjoying with friends and family of today and tomorrow. Without the passion and assistance of people in South Canterbury making available the outdoors for us, we would never have become involved or have been able to undertake this particular adventure. We want to encourage people all over New Zealand to become involved in their own natural outdoor environment in their own provinces: we see no better place to start than by leading by example with our own.
A maiden voyage of sustained multi-discipline adventure
This is the first sustained adventure of this caliber that we have undertaken. We view the South Canterbury Circumnavigation as both a culmination of skills and experience attained as a team; and a launching pad for future similar endeavors both within New Zealand and Abroad.
The nature of approach we are able to take into this adventure fits deeply with our values and underlies why we have chosen it. It is the ability for us to bond as friends in a challenging outdoor environment – utilizing physical, psychological and social skills to overcome challenges as a team, without external competition, but with the requirement for realistic time frames.
A unique and impressive place
South Canterbury is a rectangular shaped province situated in the middle of the South Island. It is bordered to the east by the Pacific Ocean and on the west by the main divide of the Southern Alps. To the North boundary runs the Rangitata River and to the South the Waitaki river and hydro system.
In our minds, no other district in the world encompasses such varied terrain – two vast Southern oceans that lock in New Zealand’s highest Peak; Braided and Gorged Rivers; arid desert; Lakes and lowland hills; and vital farming and Hydroelectric Dam systems.
Such terrain not only offers an extraordinary vista; but also the opportunity to utilize some of our favourite outdoor disciplines – kayaking, mountainbiking, climbing and whitewater rafting.
