At the end of term 3 and into the holidays, Tarn Reddish departed on the Spirit of New Zealand for 10 days of sailing from Auckland to Tauranga.
On board were 39 students from Tarn - Year 11 (and the youngest of the group) to Year 13 and about 15 staff members. Sleeping in a hammock style bunk bed 3 high took a couple of nights to get used to, especially as his feet hung off the end of the bed, but then he settled in and slept fine. Tarn was lucky to not get seasick at all, so was able to enjoy the full experience.
The weather was initially not good but got better as the journey went on and Tarn was able to fully participate in the working of the ship. The students were divided into specific areas and Tarn worked on the engineering side - working with generators and water supply lines. As well as this, he also put up sails, and helped with the cleaning of the ship. While Tarn cannot pinpoint a highlight as he said the whole experience was great, he really enjoyed meeting new people and making friends whom he is continuing to keep in touch with. While at sea the group were treated to seeing a whale, a couple of pods of dolphins, a shark and orcas swimming near the boat.
All students completed a challenge - to climb to the top of the highest mast which Tarn said was terrifying, but he is glad he did it. Pushing through his safety zone and being in close proximity to so many people for 10 days gave Tarn an opportunity to manage practice his tolerance levels and find strategies to help himself. Tarn recommends the adventure to any student and is thankful for the opportunity.