If you enjoy what you do, you'll never work another day in your life. Confucius

What a character! Funny, sociable, caring, professional and well organised. Great!
Emma, England

We would follow her thru hell. Andre, Canada

Professional, dedicated, knowledgeable, fun - in short: the best guide I ever met! Katrine, Denmark

A real mountain man. Excellent fun, good motivator but scared of salmon. Richard, UK

Outstanding - whatever she's getting paid - double it! Jeff, USA

Informative, fun, organised and a bad singer.
Tom, UK

Kath's a fabulous story teller and great fun. Outstanding ability to herd cats without the cats feeling herded.
Susan, Canada

A mine of information - a great easy going attitude.
Andrew, UK

Your Guides

It is fair to say that a guide can make or break a trip, which is why we employ the best. Our guides are inspiring individuals who enjoy sharing their beautiful country with you. It’s amazing what you will learn from these superheros, from bird calls to bad jokes, survival skills to brewing camp coffee, keeping dry to enjoying being wet, and how to find your way through thousands of kilometres of wilderness. All guides are trained in Mountain Safety First Aid and have a wealth of outdoor and hiking experience.

Please be gentle with your guide – good guides are hard to find!

Our latest guide training weekend - late 2009

Malcolm O'Neill Malcolm has a BSc in physical geography and studied climatology, volcanism and glaciation. He co-authored the guidebook Classic New Zealand Adventures, which involved lots of adventuring all over the country. Malcolm’s interests include mountain biking, travel, skiing/boarding, photography, making furniture, and leaping down staircases. Malcolm does more business stuff than guiding these days but can still be found getting his hands dirty!

Graham Frith A love of the outdoors and sharing that with people has taken Graham hiking, mountain biking, rafting, and kayaking all over the world. Graham also runs an outdoor safety company instructing and training guides. His most recent project was guiding in Tibet. In his limited spare time he likes to orienteer, sing, and practise his thespian skills.

Kath Watzig (DipORL) Kath keeps bees, carves wood, and is very active in Northland conservation groups. Kath is an outrigger canoe champion and lives in a mud-brick house she built herself. She is a bundle of energy and sings whenever she has an excuse to. Kath has more charm than a politician’s PR company.

Malcolm Hughes Malcolm Hughes is a keen multi-sport athlete who has worked as a UN peacekeeper in Namibia and an instructor at Outward Bound. Malcolm escapes constantly into the mountains, ensuring we never get to catch him on film!

Justin Cowen (MPhil) Justin doesn’t just talk conservation, he’s written a thesis on it (biodiversity and sustainable development). He worked for more than 5 years for the Department of Conservation and is not fussy about where he directs his conservation efforts – a species of grass, weta, bat or bird – because he believes firmly in its benefits. Justin sometimes hikes in 1920s outdoor clothing (for our amusement or his, we are not quite sure).

Alison Perkins Alison has a BSc(Hons) in biochemistry but prefers spending life in the outdoors to staring at flies down a microscope. She loves to tramp and travel, and as a guide she can combine both. She has a passion for scuba diving, so you’re just as likely to find her in the water as out of it. According to Malcolm, she gets far too excited about fish.

Mark Brabyn (MSc) Mark has a Masters in zoology and did research on whale strandings for his thesis. He has assisted with conservation projects around the world including humpback whales in Tonga, southern right whales in the Sub-Antarctic and elephants and chimpanzees in Uganda. Mark has been active in the outdoors all his life, and his interests include tramping, sea kayaking, scuba diving and mountain biking.

Daniel Murphy Daniel studied agricultural science and has worked in the tourism industry for several years including in Spain where he managed an adventure lodge.

André Booth Andre has worked in parks and reserves through New Zealand and Canada, including the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. He enjoys tramping, scrambling, snowboarding, rock climbing, and mountain biking. He has also trained as a rural fire-fighter. You can usually find Andre listening to his favourite New Zealand music.

Chris Steel (BVSc) Chris worked as a vet for 20 years before becoming a hiking guide. He is a keen tramper and mountain biker and has a talent for backcountry cooking.

Jaron Frost Jaron has worked as an outdoor instructor in New Zealand and the USA. He enjoys whitewater kayaking, rock climbing and surfing.

Juanita Miln Juanita spent five years in the New Zealand Army and travelled to Antarctica. She has a National Certificate in Outdoor Recreation. Juanita is a keen tramper and mountaineer.