Year 13 student Iona Martynoga took on the challenge of Spirit of Adventure from 28 April – 5 May. She shares her journey with the community:
It goes without saying that stepping into an adventure on board a sailing ship alongside 39 other teenagers you’ve never met before is a daunting experience. Completely unaware of the challenges and highlights, highs and lows, memories and relationships you will create over the course of just 10 days, the first night aboard Spirit is hard. The collective knowledge that we are all in this together makes a tough situation slightly easier as small talk and introductions begin to break the ice. A conversation whilst on Nightwatch at 1am with a complete stranger requires determination and a fair amount of positivity – two aspects of leadership that are required throughout the voyage. Working in ‘watches’ of 10 teenagers, together we learnt how to navigate the ropes and sails of Spirit whilst piecing together names and faces.
Every day aboard Spirit started with an early morning swim in the Hauraki Gulf. Initially hard, walking in circles around a cold wet deck in the rain and wind in togs and a towel before taking a plunge into the ocean quickly became normal, part of our routine that taught resilience. The Māori proverb “he waka eke noa” (we are all in this waka together) comes to mind when I think of this specific highlight, as on board Spirit sitting out or standing by is not an option. Whether it be cooking, cleaning, hauling or easing, every action aboard the ship requires multiple pairs of hands. This taught my voyage to rely on each other and helped us grow close rapidly.
The first four days of voyage 917 were spent in the rain and wind, with 40 trainees dressed in identical orange waterproofs. Despite not being ideal conditions to start our sailing journey, my watch found every opportunity possible to laugh together, create jokes and form a bond that strengthened throughout the whole voyage. If someone had told me that I would be sharing personal stories and opening up with my group at the start of the voyage I would not have believed them. Yet less than three days in, these strangers were friends. Alongside sailing, we had opportunities to swim, hike, climb to the top of the mast, row, play games and have overall fun. A key highlight for me occurred on Day 6 where a three hour hike across Kaikoura Island in Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island was followed by a strenuous row in inflatable rafts through 25 knot wind back to Spirit. A quick swim then we all jumped back into our rafts and headed for the beach where a campfire, dinner, debrief and songs took place. Our paddle back to the ship took far longer than necessary as we enjoyed watching the bioluminescent water below and galaxy of stars above.
Finding time to reflect and appreciate my setting provided me with a much needed sense of perspective on life. It is so easy to be caught up in day-to-day life during the school term, worrying about what’s happening in your own little bubble. Out on the ocean, with views of the sun setting over a mountain range, it is hard not to feel awe. I am incredibly grateful for my parents’ encouragement and support in making my voyage possible.
A real accomplishment I experienced on board Spirit was being nominated Captain on Trainee Day. During Day 8 and 9 of our voyage, every decision about what we did and where we went was up to me and my elected crew. Being responsible for Spirit of New Zealand, sailing her and making sure my shipmates and friends felt confident and enjoyed the day required a fair amount of work and decision making. Being Captain was an honour and an experience I will continue to learn from.
Similar to the start, finishing the voyage was hard. Mentally and physically exhausted from 10 full-on days, saying goodbye to friends and a place you’ve called home was never going to be easy. I feel so privileged to have made friends for life and I look forward to applying all I have learnt. I strongly encourage all young people to be open minded and give Spirit of Adventure a good go. The cliched saying “it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity” truly applies to this experience. I have learnt so much about myself and developed a leadership style and skill set I wish to continue building on.
