Ready to turn a love for outdoor adventure into a Career?
Our 2026 Prospectus will be available from 14 July 2026.
Step into the wild with the New Zealand Certificate in Outdoor & Adventure Education (Level 4), a full-time, one-year journey based at Hillary Outdoors’ iconic Tongariro Centre, nestled in the heart of New Zealand’s most breathtaking wilderness.
Learn technical skills in alpine, bush, rock, and river environments, hone your ability to assess and manage risk confidently, and develop as a leader both in the field and life. With small class sizes and real-world teaching moments alongside seasoned instructors, you’re not just studying; you’re fully immersed in experiential learning.
What Makes This Programme Unique?
Real-world experience: Gain at least 10 days working alongside Hillary Outdoors instructors, supporting school groups and seeing outdoor education in action.
Learn from the best: Be mentored by a diverse team of instructors with expertise across alpine, bush, river, rock, and marine environments.
Access to epic terrain: With Tongariro National Park on your doorstep, you’ll train in an incredible range of natural environments—alpine peaks, native bush, rivers, lakes, and rock faces.
Career-focused training: The programme is built around industry needs, preparing you for pathways in both outdoor education and adventure tourism.
Got questions? Check out our FAQ section—we might have beaten you to it!
Hillary Outdoors operates in a place of cultural significance. Each year, we offer up to two tertiary scholarships, valued at $4,500 each, to support students enrolling in our Tertiary Programme who identify as Māori.
Applications open: 1 September 2025
Applications close: 15 December 2025
Eligibility criteria:
- You must identify as Māori.
- You must provide a letter of support from your iwi, hapū, marae, Māori community leader, or another person who can confirm your connection with your iwi, hapū, or Māori community.
- You must be enrolled in Hillary Outdoors’ Tertiary Programme.
- You cannot receive both Fees Free funding and this scholarship for the same year of study.
Please complete the online application form to be considered for this scholarship.
We welcome students from all over the world to study with us. For detailed information on how to become a part of our institution and step-by-step guidance on the application process, click the button below!
Hillary Outdoors is committed to supporting the wellbeing and safety of our students. Each year we undertake and attest to a self review to ensure Hillary Outdoors’ is compliant with the expectations set out in the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021.
Further information on the Code can be viewed on the NZQA website.
Our latest self-review is published on our website here.
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