Outdoor Pursuits Centre turns 21

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 513, 23 November 1993, Page 1

Outdoor Pursuits Centre turns 21

The SirEdmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC) celebrated its 21st birthday last weekend. Graeme Dingle, the founder of OPC joined invited guests in the birthday celebrations. Guests includedpresent and past Trust Board members, instructors and staff. An afternoon of outdoor activities wasplanned followed by a celebration dinner in the evening. Prior commitments unfortunately prevented the Centre' s Patron, Sir Edmund Hillary, from attending. Graeme Dingle started the original centre in 1972 at Tawhitikuri, (between Turangi and Whakapapa) as an outdoor education centre. Dominated by the volcanic peaks of Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro in the Central North Island, the Centre is ideally suited to teach the skills of mountaineering, rock climbing, caving and kayaking. Then as now, the Centre aims to encourage the youth of New Zealand to get out and explore the outdoors. More than 65 school groups have participated in activities at the Centre in the last year. Safety, adventure and fun are fundamental to every course at OPC. OPC is considered New Zealand' s foremost outdoor education centre, offering people of all ages and walks of life a feast of adventures. OPC has more than 60 different courses available 'and can adapt courses to individual needs. Sponsorship has helped the centre develop a comprehensive building programme and its new Leadership Centre, opened by Sir Edmund Hillary last year, means the Centre is able to diversify and expand into the corporate market. OPC is a registered charitable trust run by a board of trustees.