The Outdoor Awards are how we celebrate individuals and organisations that have been successful in significantly improving outdoor recreation outcomes for participants and clients. We’d like to offer a big congratulations to our 2022 Outdoor Award winners! 

Mike Elkington | Manu Kura - Supreme Award In November last year, Recreation Aotearoa also presented the 2022 Supreme Award/Manu Kura in Nelson. This award recognises an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in outdoor recreation. This went to Mike Elkington from Whenua Iti Outdoors. Mike is the lead kaiako Māori at Whenua Iti Outdoors. Mike’s passion lies in uplifting the mana of tamariki and rangatahi, in particular, rangatahi Māori, teaching them that it’s not just ‘okay’ to be Māori, but that its ‘exceptional’ to be Māori and to be proud of their whakapapa.

Hawaiki Kura | Whaiao Maori - Maori Outcomes Award  Hawaiki Kura has been recognised for their work with tāngata Māori in outdoor recreation with the Māori Outcomes Award/Whaiao Māori. Hawaiki Kura is a kaupapa Māori social enterprise, based in Marlborough, which specialises in delivering cultural wellness wānanga for the community and tāngata Māori. A huge component of their work with tāngata Māori is in creating opportunities in the outdoors and providing a platform for Māori to connect with their whakapapa and hauora through the natural environment.

Adventure Specialties Trust | Whakaaweawe Kaupapa - Outstanding Event/Programme Award Adventure Specialties Trust is the 2022 recipient of Whakaaweawe Kaupapa, the Outstanding Event/Programme Award. Adventure Specialties Trust received this award for their Christchurch based Inspire Adventure Therapy programme, which uses outdoor adventure to help adults deal with some of the harder parts of life and make new connections. The programme was developed in response to requests from the community for more wellbeing based outdoor programmes for people aged 18 and above.

Discover Waitomo| Taikina Taiao - Environmental Leadership Award For the second year in a row, Discover Waitomo has won the Environmental Leadership Award, Tiakina Taiao. Discover Waitomo are the operators and kaitiaki of the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, Ruakuri Cave, and Aranui Cave. They are dedicated and committed to preserving the ecosystem of their caves and promoting sustainable tourism practices. With an environmental team on hand, extensive climate monitoring systems, and environmental education programmes, Discover Waitomo are world leaders in the conservation space.

Thank you to our 2022 outdoor award sponsors: Skills Active Aotearoa, New Zealand Mountain Safety Council, New Zealand Alpine Club, Department of Conservation and YMCA New Zealand.