The Spirit of New Zealand's journey around the country. Image / Supplied
Initially she heads south to Wellington via Tauranga and Napier, then on to Nelson, Lyttelton and Bluff, and back north to New Plymouth and the Bay of Islands before returning to Auckland.
Youth from all over New Zealand will be attending the 10-Day Youth Development Programme delivered on board, to gain life skills and forge lifelong friendships.
The impact of the programme has been proven time again in various research studies to build confidence, resilience and self-esteem. But importantly, for the teens themselves, it gets them outside their comfort zone, facing challenges they never thought they could.
Teens aged 16 to 18, who would like to spend New Zealand's spring and summer exploring the adventures of the sea, were encouraged to book now www.spiritofadventure.org.nz
Background - The Spirit of Adventure Trust was established in 1972 with the support of Lou Fisher, to provide the youth of New Zealand with access to a character youth development programme conducted in a maritime environment.
- The 1960s saw a revival of interest in square-rigged sailing ships but not in their traditional role as cargo ships, or for professional maritime training. They were seen as a unique environment for youth development, where the focus of learning for students is on teamwork and developing skills of communication, self-reliance, self-discipline, self-esteem, resilience, confidence and leadership. Learning to sail a tall ship is a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.
- The trust's mission is "To empower young New Zealanders to reach their full potential through the challenge of the sea".
- Since the Trust's inception, almost 80,000 young people from throughout New Zealand have benefited from participating in our youth development voyages.
The ships - The topsail schooner Spirit of Adventure, gifted to the nation by Lou Fisher, was commissioned in 1973. She sailed a heavy schedule around the New Zealand coast until 1997, when she was sold for tourism work in Fiji.
- The three-masted barquentine Spirit of New Zealand was commissioned in 1986, and since the retirement of the Adventure, has undertaken an annual programme of around 340 days at sea.
