Captivate Adventures

Pete and Simone Dawson

T:  04 299 1595 /  027 2410199 
E: otaki@captivate.net.nz
W: www.captivate.net.nz

Captivate Adventures are based on the Otaki River and at the foothills of the mighty Tararua Ranges. Everything there is to experience on these waters and mountains can be provided by Captivate; rafting (including night rafting), challenge ropes courses, rock climbing, abseiling, bush walking, and treasures of the gorge (an orienteering based treasure hunt).  And of course there's an iconic Kiwi childhood experience - crossing the swing bridge! 

We can't think of the Nature Coast without thinking of the Tararua Ranges that feed the region's rivers. Otaki Forks is only seven kilometres from Otaki, off the main state highway. "The history of the region, including the logging artefacts, is incredibly interesting," says Pete.

The river holds a great Kiwi childhood iconic experience - the swing bridge.  Pete remembers taking a group of teenagers out tramping. "I had to carry four packs across so the group could walk across without theirs. The wind was catching the swing bridge. It was full on."

Pete says having a guide for these activities means people discover things they wouldn't necessarily see on their own - "especially if you don't even get out of your car!"

It's fuelling the breakthrough of mental challenges that is really at the heart of Captivate Adventures.  Owner and instructor, Pete Dawson, says the survival skills learnt through adventure is being lost. "Some of the kids we're getting on school camps now, even at age 15, have never been camping before. Some have never even been away from home. We're trying to claim those kinds of experiences back for kids. It's about getting back to what's needed rather than just some form of entertainment."

"I think that common sense is being lost; we're not getting the life experiences needed to form the concepts needed to make good decisions."

Without common sense it's hard to survive. This can be applied to climbing up a ladder in a hut bunk, rafting down a river, or knowing what to do when lost. Pete says it's being challenged that people shy away from. "Some are scared of everything. I remember one girl who just couldn't get out of her comfort zone. The first day she went down to the rafts she just stood there. The second day she put on her wet suit. Then she got her feet wet and everyone thought that was great. Then she went home. I think that shows where we're heading as a society. We're less and less out there."

Captivate Adventures can now deliver unit standards, a bonus for the school camps they already provide adventure for.  Their instructors are highly qualified and experienced, and love what they do. "Having staff who work part-time is important because they bring other life experience to our adventures," says Pete.

A key learning point that Pete teaches is showing kids that things aren't as dramatic as they think; if kids know that a little bit of discomfort is part of pushing themselves, then they can work with any fear they have. They know they're going to survive.

"Everything in the outdoors can be related back to everyday life," says Pete.

Pete feels responsible for where kids are going next. But it's not just young people he enjoys seeing challenged. "We work with a lot of corporate groups All of a sudden they realise they can work as a team. They're not necessarily talking about it, but they're actually doing it."

In his spare time, Pete is just as active as he is in his working day. He's a keen sunburst sailor, and he and his sailing partner are now the North Island champions. "It's important for me to keep pushing myself. I don't want to get complacent or blasé about life."