Outdoor Educational Services (OES)

The director and owner of Outdoor Tasmania, Paul Grigg, has over 40 years of professional experience in teaching and facilitating outdoor educational and adventure based personal development of both young people and adults.  

From a personal standpoint Paul has travelled extensively in many parts of the world, has conducted several expeditions the first of which was the first waterborne expedition by kayak from John O’Groats to Lands End in 1977 traversing both the coast and inland waterways of the UK. He has been on several walking expeditions from the wilds of Central Africa to more recently, having learnt to speak Chinese, some of the more remote parts of Western China. 

Paul has worked for the Outward Bound Trust in the UK, New Zealand and Central Africa as well as private and local authority Outdoor Pursuits Centres. Within Tasmania, Paul has worked for Local Government organisations, Adult Education, University of Tasmania, TAFE, State and Independent Schools and has also had involvement with the Emergency Services.

In addition to his experience in Outdoor Education Paul has spent considerable time working with disadvantaged young people in youth clubs, in a psychiatric unit for disturbed adolescents and Commonwealth funded programmes for the long term unemployed.

Paul has the following qualifications :

• White Water & Sea Kayaking Instructor,
• Level 3 Rafting Instructor,
• Australian Canoeing Assessor (VET),
• Top Rope & Abseiling instructor,
• High & Low Ropes Instructor,
• Qualified Mountain Leader.

National Governing bodies include:
BCU, Aust Canoeing, BMC, TAFE, TCIA, BSAC, RCD.

Paul also has qualifications in Youth Leadership, remote area & advanced first aid, as well as being a college trained commercial horticulturist.

Other Staff

Any additional staff that are employed by OES are fully trained & experienced in any activity they teach or supervise. All have been police checked for working with young people and have appropriate first aid qualifications.

Instructional Safety and Supervision

We take safety, both physically and emotionally very seriously. We undertake regular risk assessments of all our activities and adhere rigidly to the standards and recommendations as set down by the Tasmanian Education Department and other recognized authorities. If we employ additional instructors/guides you can be assured that they have the necessary skills and experience and have been appropriately trained. Many of the activities are by their very nature potentially hazardous and in presenting such activities to young people we endeavour to encourage best practice techniques and do not encourage ‘thrill seeking’ methods or behaviours.

Care of our Outdoor Environment

We are conscious of our responsibility to ensure that all our activities have a minimal impact on our outdoor environment and may make suggestions as to suitable group sizes in certain sensitive areas.