Collection Gift Guide: Camp Kiwi

Samantha Brooks

12/01/2004

VIA
“If James Bond had a daughter, this is where she would go to summer camp,” says Sue McCarty, who founded Via this past year. “New Zealand can really offer all four seasons at once, so we have the opportunity to do things like heli-skiing, bungee jumping, and horseback riding at any time, year-round.” Although called a camp, Via is in essence a finishing school where young women 16 to 22 years old come before major life transitions such as going to college or starting a career. The camp provides girls with the tools for personal development and growth that are not typically available until later in life. “I had been exposed to a lot of personal and professional development courses that changed the way I lived my life and helped me understand myself a lot better. Only, it didn’t happen until I was well into my 30s,” McCarty explains. “I realized how many things I would have done differently over the years had I known then what I know now.” (Click images to enlarge)

A typical week at Via may include everything from learning to fly a helicopter to discussing life goals with a trainer to shopping for new clothes with a stylist. “We start with self-perception,” says McCarty. “Everyone is told what kind of image they project to others. It’s quite eye-opening once a group of your peers gives you their honest opinion about the kind of persona you project. It’s often quite different from what most people expect.” Other aspects of the program include health and nutrition, as well as learning sessions on topics ranging from art history and volcanic geography to equestrian training and advanced driving. While the program may seem arduous at times, the accommodations are luxurious–Via rents five-star private lodges where the girls can be pampered with massages and plush beds in the same exquisite backdrop that was used to film The Lord of the Rings. (Click images to enlarge)

Via accepts no more than 40 girls at once and has a staff-to-guest ratio of one to three. “We look for girls with personal leadership potential who have enough personal stability to handle this kind of intense program,” explains McCarty, who would prefer to avoid becoming a camp for celebrity children. Rather, she sees Via as the kind of place where friendships are forged, connections are made, and participants will want to attend reunions. (Click image to enlarge)