The Outdoors Awards 2012

Outdoors New Zealand Media Release
Thursday 4 October 2012

The Outdoors Awards - recognising outstanding members of the outdoors community

The Outdoors Awards 2012 is being held in Wellington at Mac’s Function Centre, 7pm, on 12 October 2012. The Outdoors Awards is hosted by Outdoors New Zealand, the peak organisation providing leadership and support to the outdoors community.

This national event recognises the highest levels of individual and organisational achievement in outdoor recreation, outdoor education and adventure tourism in New Zealand. The awards is a great opportunity to celebrate the contribution the outdoors makes to New Zealand society.

Eight award winners will be announced in the following award categories: Adventure Tourism, Education Programme, Emerging Instructor, Environmental Leadership, Event, Organisation, Supreme Award and Volunteer.

Nine-time Coast to Coast winner, Steve Gurney, and Outdoors New Zealand Chairperson, Alex Brunt, will be hosting the awards and the Skills Active dinner.

Members of the public are welcome to come along to enjoy a night of celebrating and socialising with the colourful characters that make up New Zealand’s outdoors community.

Award nominations opened in August for any individual or organisation contributing to outdoors recreation, outdoor education and adventure tourism in New Zealand.

Last year’s Supreme Award winner was Graeme Dingle, ONZM, MBE. Graeme was the "rst person to climb all the European North Faces in one season, and the "rst to traverse New Zealand’s Southern Alps in winter. Graeme is an author of many books on adventure and has received the Montana New Zealand Book Award for Best Biography. The Supreme Award was awarded to Graeme largely due to his commitment to the wellbeing of New Zealand youth through the development of the Outdoor Pursuits Centre in the Central North Island in 1973 and co-founding the Foundation for Youth Development, which was started in 2004.

The 2011 awards winners were:

• John Ransfield - Volunteer Award

• Mt Aspiring College - Programme Award

• Cameron Walker - Emerging Instructor Award

• Gareth Wheeler - Tall Totara Award

• Motutapu Outdoor Education Camp - Organisation Award

• Activity Hanmer 2011 Ltd - Environmental Leadership Award

• Graeme Dingle - Supreme Award

The Outdoors Awards is held alongside The Outdoors Forum 2012, a gathering for leaders in the outdoors community.

More information on The Outdoors Awards 2012 can be found at http://www.the-outdoors-awards.org.nz

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