New Obstacle Course at Whenua Iti!

by Bree Arnott

Next time you visit Whenua Iti there’s a new Obstacle Course to tackle!

We are excited to have our new Obstacle Course open for action. With thanks to funding from the Tasman District Council and the generosity of locals who donated materials for construction, we now have a fantastic course for programme participants to tackle – and it’s already getting lots of use.

The course was designed to provide a fun set of challenges that would appeal to the wide range of ages that we have on our programmes. So far we have had our Mini Outdoor Adventurers (aged 5-8) testing out their skills as well as the Motueka High School Adventure Racing Team (14 – 17yr olds) who utilised the course as part of a training day –  Senior Instructor Charlie Martin increased the difficulty factor to give these amazing young rangatahi a few extra challenges!!

There are now 11 different challenges that make up the course, including monkey bars, stepping posts, balance walk and a cargo net. It was a team effort by WIO staff members during lockdown to design and then build the course. They have come up with a course that will build confidence, test balance, co-ordination and motor skills appropriate for a whole range of ages and abilities.

“The site development is really coming along” says Nettie Stow, the Project and Funding Coordinator for Whenua Iti, “and the Obstacle Course is part of a bigger picture. We are also building a mountain bike track, have recently completed a community nursery, continue to plant out designated educational spaces and are working towards building a new facility for learning & accommodation. It’s wonderful to see it all starting to happen as we want this site to be enjoyed and shared as much as possible with our community.”

There are a few more elements still to be built that are set to be completed before the year is out. We look forward to seeing how different community groups get the most out of the course!

“Thanks for teaching me to do the obstacle course. It was very fun. The best part was going through the tyres.” – 8yr old Mini Adventurer. 


Thanks to the Tasman District Council for helping to fund this project.

Thank you also to Jerry Field, Freestyle Hops and Philip Leith for donating materials used in the construction of the course.

Want to find out more about a programme or have a question for us? Talk to one of our friendly team - we're happy to help.