Our Name

Black Diamond honours Resourcefulness and Adventure Leadership.

Black Diamond Adventures is based in Bulli, part of the Illawarra region, once home to one of Australia’s – and the world’s – largest coal mines. Adventure Leadership is in its heart.

For decades, coal, one of Australia’s most prominent national resources, was called Black Diamond, for although it was not a beautiful piece of carbon, it still was valuable. Bulli is still known by it’s nickname as the ‘Black Diamond District’ and has been strongly influenced by it’s history of Adventure Leadership

Due to our mineral exploration and exports, Australia was known as a quite a wealthy nation full of natural resources.

Now, with the move away from coal as an energy source, that emphasis has shifted to Australia being known as a resourceful nation.

And, indeed, we are. Our country would not be a first world country without the ingenuity, hard work and resourcefulness and pioneering spirit of our people. They epitomised adventure leadership. They were adventurers at heart. They took the chance. They dared. They managed the risks.

At Black Diamond Adventures this type of leadership and resourcefulness are two of our core values. They are also two character traits that we look to develop in participants on our programs as part of our education philosophy.

Very late in the piece we discovered that, in Italian culture ,black diamonds are seen as a sign of reconciliation and good fortune. We think this is fitting for Australia and our shared goal for greater reconciliation between our Indigenous community and “white” Australia.

CHALLENGING COMFORT ZONES

In the world of adventure sports – in particular skiing, a black diamond run is known as the hardest trails, marked by a black diamond symbol. This is for people who have a lot of skill and experience who want to challenge themselves to the next or hardest level. It’s about believing in yourself, being well prepared (training), being brave and going for it. On our programs we are all about challenging participants to step outside of their comfort zones. We provide the support, encouragement and safety net for them to do so – because it is in stepping out of one’s comfort zones – that people can truly grow.

ADVENTURE LEADERSHIP

Adventure is and always has been a core part of who we are. Adventure is a journey into the unknown which will change the adventurer in some way – it is the path to growth. This is fundamental to our outdoor educational approach and the leadership development programs we offer.