NZOIA Excellence in Outdoor Leadership

NZOIA are a qualification body for 10 outdoor disciplines, they promote excellence in outdoor instruction and guiding. The qualification schemes are developed in partnership with other industry bodies, there are 3 levels to each qualification and these qualifications are nationally recognised as industry standards. More information on NZOIA can be found on their website.

We were approached by NZOIA Excellence in Outdoor Leadership to be model clients for their instructors for a trip around Lake Rotopounamu. Not only is it a great day out bonding at a Student Leadership Team, but it is great to learn about a place that we hold special connections to through the trapping work done by Project Tongariro Mahi Aroha. This trip held an element of surprise with the location of a porina caterpillar that is eaten from the inside out by a fungus which then grows up through the top of its head and up out of the ground turning it into a vegetable caterpillar. It take a trained eye to find it as the fruiting body of the fungus looks exactly like a stick!