Contact Details

P.O. Box 1024
Margaret River WA 6285

Ph: 0407 084 945
Fax: (08) 9757 7282

Email Us


Outdoor Leader Training

Outdoor Discoveries has succeeded in becoming a National Outdoor Leader Registration Scheme (NOLRS) Partnered Assessment Provider (PAP) for our abseiling and climbing guide courses with the Outdoor Council of Australia (OCA).

We are also a National Training Provider (NTP) with Australian Canoeing (AC) for our canoeing guide courses - flat water and white water.

We currently run a 7-day Abseiling Guide Course (Single PItch - Natural Surfaces), a 4-day Restriced Abseiling and Climbing Guide Course (Single Pitch - Artificial Surfaces), a 3-Day Flat Water Guide Course (Canoe) and a 4-Day White Water Guide Course (Canoe). We are also developing an Top Rope Climbing Guide Course and and Expedition Skills Course in 2010.

For a calendar of all our training courses proposed for 2010 please click here.

History

In 1991 the Abseiling Assessment Panel was formed in WA to meet the concerns in the outdoor industry with the standard of abseiling instructors in the state.  An Abseiling Instructor Course was set up and Instructor's In Charge were selected.  The course has been running since this time under the auspices of a number of organisations such a TAFE, Edith Cowan University and the Department of Sport and Recreation.

In early 2002 Central TAFE took on the Abseiling Instructor Course with a commitment to provide nationally recognised training.  Central TAFE put out a tender for an organisation to take on the technical training and assessment and Outdoor Discoveries won the contract.  From July 2002 to December 2003 Central TAFE in partnership with Outdoor Discoveries provided accredited training in the six Outdoor Recreation Training Package competencies required by Outdoors WA as the minimum requirement for recognition as an Abseiling Instructor in WA. 

From January 2004 to the present date we have been working under contract with the South West Regional College of TAFE.  The course now provides training, assessment and skills recognition in all the units required to be registered as a Single Pitch Abseiling Guide - Natural Surfaces with NOLRS.

Instructor in Charge

David Byers Instructor in Charge David Byers has been involved with Abseiling Instructor/Guide training since 1992.   He is working as the Instructor in Charge for the Abseiling Guide courses in Perth and Albany.

David Byers has been an outdoor educator for more than thirty years including fifteen years as an outdoor education teacher with the DET, as coordinator of the Graduate Diploma of Applied Science (Outdoor Pursuits) at Edith Cowan University and further lecturing at that institution, several seasons working with the National Outdoor Leadership School, and most recently five years as an outdoor education trainer and consultant with Outdoor Discoveries. He has been involved in many outdoor comittees and developmental processes including the Abseiling Assessment Panel and the Cave Leadership Assessment Panel. He has been heavily involved with the drafting and review of the outdoor activity statements with the DET since 1989.

A summary of his experience follows:

  • Multi-pitch Abseiling Instructor - Natural Surfaces and Bushwalking Instructor - Unmodified Landscapes with the National Outdoor Leader Registration Scheme
  • Certificate IV Workplace Trainer / Assessor
  • Foundation Member Western Australia College of Teaching
  • Outdoor Industry Assessors Course - Regency Institute of TAFE (1998) - Course run by Cathy Kingsford and Peter Van Der Peer. 
  • Coordinator of the Graduate Diploma in Applied Science (Outdoor Pursuits) at Edith Cowan University for 8 years full time
  • Course coordinator for the Abseiling Instructor Course 1997,1998 and 1999
  • Secretary of the Abseiling Assessment Panel from 1995 to 1999
  • Instructor in Charge on Abseiling Instructors Courses since 1993
  • Consultant to 2003/2004 EDWA guidelines review process
  • Responsible for planning and running adult training programs over a number of years at tertiary and community level
  • Outdoor Education Teacher with the Education Department for 15 years
  • Course Leader with the National Outdoor Leadership School on courses in the Kimberley and on mountain courses in the USA