Photo: Supplied
To say Hazel Nash has had a colourful career is an understatement.
Police officer and secondary school teacher are among her credentials, but outdoor education has been her greatest love.
Last week, her 35 years dedicated to the sector earned her the Supreme Award - Te Tohu Manu Kura - at the Recreation Aotearoa awards.
It started in 1985 when she decided to share her 21-acre patch of land in Tasman with local youth for outdoor education retreats.
The idea came from a discovery that less than half of the students at the local high school she was teaching at had been to the Abel Tasman national park.
Whenua Iti has since taken countless young people through unforgettable courses involving camping, caving, mountaineering and more.
Hazel has been retired for a few years now, but lives on her property across the river from Whenua Iti and drops by most days.
