Whenua Iti Outdoors

In the beginning there was one woman with a dream. In the early 1980s Hazel Nash started working from her 7.5 hectares of land in Lower Moutere to use her skills, time, and land for the holistic development of others, particularly young people.

Hazel gathered her friends, found benefactors and began running courses with a homespun approach, using volunteer tutors, donated equipment, private homes and a hay barn.

In 1986 Whenua Iti Outdoors became a registered charitable trust. In 1998 Hazel was awarded the NZ Order of Merit for Services to Youth.

We have now worked with over 20,000 people, keeping the spirit of Whenua Iti alive in our philosophy and guiding principles.