When most people consider team building away-days or overnights, there are usually a few things that spring to mind. As a self-professed sceptic, this is normally what I would think it looks like: ‘Team-building’ activities during the morning; lunch break (maybe with a few beers); more activities and discussions; drinks at the pub where some rather shallow and possibly drunken conversations might happen. By the time the day or weekend is over, your team will remember bonding over a booze-soaked night, or having to ‘get through’ the tasks you provided them with… Not ideal for making real connections at all! But there is a better solution- One that will excite, inspire, and create genuine bonding moments! It’s real, and this professional pessimist has witnessed it first-hand.
Enter, the South Fiordland Wilderness Rafting Overnight Experience.
We met in the dark of an early morning in Queenstown to begin our journey- a quick stop for breakfast and lots of seat swapping created a conducive atmosphere for ‘getting to know’ everyone and starting the day off with some cheery comradery.
It might have been the middle of Winter, but spirits were exceedingly high and the sun was shining when we began our Wilderness adventure with an intrepid group of inbound travel agents down the Wairaurahiri river in South Fiordland. We gathered on the dock to wait for the jet boat to transport us across Lake Hauroko, where we would blow up the rafts that would take us the rest of our journey down-river. Journey is the word that Paul (our facilitator and the owner of NewZeal) used to describe this adventure- And the journey didn’t end when the river did, but continued throughout the weekend, morphing into a journey of discovery and insight for the whole team. I realise I’m sounding corny here… but bear with me.
The Wairaurahiri river could be described as an achievable challenge. You don’t float down the river- it requires teamwork, coordination, and a keen ear for the instructions of your guide to avoid bashing into the rocks and trees that line the side of this snaking waterway. There are exhilarating rapids and moments of intense focus, punctuated by calmer water and the chance to chat and laugh about how wet you got just moments ago. Stopping for lunch on the riverbank, and again for a cup of warm soup ensured everyone stayed warm and energised during the thrilling four-hour adventure.
The Wairaurahiri River finishes its course on the South Coast of New Zealand. There is a profoundly beautiful moment where the boats round a corner and suddenly break through the dense old-growth forest on to rugged coastline, and there is no question that you have achieved your end goal and arrived at your destination. We pulled our boats in and hopped out for the short walk to our accommodation for the next two nights- an extremely well-equipped and hospitable private lodge, booked exclusively for our group. The lodge’s exceptionally charismatic custodian (and his lovely dog friend, Jess) made sure we were given a traditional Māori welcome and regaled us with the history of the lodge and the Māori-owned land that we were to be guests on for the next two nights- A chance for us to bond over our shared privilege of being able to stay in such a magical place.
Adventuring together; cooking together; cleaning together, and generally looking out for each other’s well-being over the three days away brought the team closer, in a way that no generic team-building’ experience ever could. It was wonderful to witness. In addition to this, Paul, as facilitator brought an element of structure to the journey, guiding the team over the three days toward open, honest, and often quite vulnerable and raw discussions through his unique and insightful guidance. There were short activities, utilised to punctuate necessary messages and start bigger conversations. The energy that every single team member (even me, who by my own admission is usually the one internally groaning in the corner) brought to every activity and conversation was a potent testament to the power of Paul’s adventure philosophy and how he uses it to create real and lasting change for teams and individuals.
After a wonderful few days of rafting; forest walks; games; bonfires on the beach; laughs; tears; teamwork, and friendships made, it was time to head home. I think that everyone was a bit sad to leave, but as the jet boat zoomed us back up the river toward civilisation, we reflected on what a perfect weekend it had been. Bringing a team that usually work in separate countries and cities so close together as people; forging a future business plan that involved everyone in their company, and creating a lasting bond that visibly encouraged the group to fully invest in and get excited about their work was truly a blessing to watch unfold. As you may have gathered, I’m not the easiest person to excite but watching Paul work his magic on this team and being a part of this carefully curated journey, really cemented an excitement and commitment to the NewZeal Teams program in me, and I feel extremely privileged to be able to promote something that I truly believe in and that I know is the ultimate real deal ‘team-bonding’ experience.
Commentaires