Richard Thorp (Clark 1978 – 1982) stumbled across a group of hikers on a Tihoi track while he was mountain biking with his wife Rae. The pair, who were exploring the area where Richard had been a student during the first Tihoi Venture School Intake in 1979, stopped to greet the fellow explorers. To Richard’s surprise, he discovered the hikers were current Tihoi students with their parents on a Parent Tramp.
The Parent Tramp weekend occurs during every intake, where the students are the guides for their parents, giving the chance to showcase their newfound skills and enjoy some valuable one-on-one time device-free.
It was during the October 2025 tramp that a remarkable coincidence brought Tihoi’s history full circle. As the group rounded a bend near the old forestry track, they met Richard and Rae Thorp. Richard, a beef farmer from Paeroa, grinned as he slowed his bike to stop for a chat. “I know these trails,” he said. “We tramped them in 1979, when Tihoi first began. Today I am taking my wife on a trip down memory lane.”
Richard was one of the very first boys in Tihoi Venture School’s inaugural intake, a pioneer in what has since become a defining St Paul’s tradition. “I was the lucky one,” he laughed. “Though back then, we weren’t sure ‘lucky’ was the right word!”
When the first Tihoi intake arrived, the site was far from the well-established campus it is today. The maps were unreliable, the buildings unfinished, and spouting and paintwork still to come. On a cold, drizzly morning, parents navigated a rough pumice track to find a handful of rundown houses surrounded by blackberry and broom. Some mothers were reportedly ready to turn back for Hamilton until Director Mike Shaw persuaded them to give the outdoor campus a chance.
Richard’s memories include rain, freezing swims, and the pride of finishing a tramp with blistered feet and a full heart. “We didn’t have much,” he said, “but we had the bush, the challenge, and each other.”
The chance meeting was a great opportunity for a photo alongside today’s Tihoi boys – Cam Young, Carter Hay, Mackay Murray, George Hunter, and George Flexman. It was great to get an updated photo of Richard in the Tihoi region, the colour image is a distinct contrast to the black and white photo of Richard at Tihoi in 1979. The October 2025 tramp delivered all the hallmarks of a true Tihoi experience – Tihoi tux, tents, campfires, and lots of laughter. Under the guidance of Tihoi instructor Richard Kersel, parents and students took on the challenges: tramping, storytelling, and even a brisk plunge into the swimming hole.
Now, based on his Rotokohu farm near Paeroa, Richard was a reminder of the impact of Tihoi, even after 45 years. We look forward to welcoming Richard back soon – perhaps for a cuppa at Tihoi or on the Hamilton campus.
