In a recent Washington Post article, writer David Brown shares his experiences as a 65-year-old student on a challenging 14-day New Zealand sailing course. Impressed by the awe-inspiring Marlborough Sounds and the excellent instruction he received, Brown also reflects on how the range of ages and life experiences of his fellow students enhanced the course.

A dry year has turned the Roding River, that winds through the valley, into a quiet hush but it's still a good entree to the New Zealand landscape for a group of global students.