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OUR TEAM

Meet The Team

RIKI

OPERATIONS MANAGER

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KADEN

HEAD GUIDE

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MIKE

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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ALEX

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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DEREK

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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PETE

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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ANDEE

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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JUSTIN

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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TOMOKI

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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RACHEL

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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AMANDA

FRONTLINE STAFF

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WANT TO WORK WITH US?

We are proud of the safe, fun and the rewarding working environment we have created. If you are interested in joining our team, head over to our Employment Page today…

Meet The Team

RIKI

OPERATIONS MANAGER

SEE RIKI'S BIO

KADEN

HEAD GUIDE

SEE KADEN'S BIO

MIKE

ADVENTURE GUIDE

SEE MIKE'S BIO

ALEX

ADVENTURE GUIDE

SEE ALEX'S BIO

DEREK

ADVENTURE GUIDE

SEE DEREK'S BIO

TOMOKI

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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PETE

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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ANDEE

ADVENTURE GUIDE

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JUSTIN

ADVENTURE GUIDE

SEE JUSTIN'S BIO

RACHEL

ADVENTURE GUIDE

SEE RACHEL'S BIO

AMANDA

FRONTLINE STAFF

SEE AMANDA'S BIO

WANT TO WORK WITH US?

We are proud of the safe, fun and the rewarding working environment we have created. If you are interested in joining our team, head over to our Employment Page today…

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Amanda

Frontline Staff


NATIONALITY: Italian
LANGUAGE: English, Italian

Amanda grew up in a small Italian village, east of the Italian Alps, in Trentino. Amanda says it’s the best county in Italy for skiing and outdoor lovers and we believe her – she started skiing at 4 years old and was a ski racer until the age of 17!

Amanda was a ski instructor in Italy for a few seasons before travelling around Australia and then to Queenstown, where she decided to stay for the winter season. Like many others, she came for the winter and has stayed for the summer.

She loves a good chat and really enjoys helping people choose the perfect activity to make their time in Queenstown extra special. In her spare time, Amanda likes to travel and explore – from crowded cities to deserted beaches, she just loves discovering new places. She also loves a good barbie with her friends and beers in the sunshine!

YUBA

ADVENTURE GUIDE


Nationality: Nepalese
Language: English, Nepali, Hindi, Japanese
Guiding Experience: Nepal, Japan, Dubai, New Zealand

Yuba has spent the last eight years guiding all around the world and we’re stoked to have him back here for his second season in Queenstown.
 
Originally from Nepal, Yuba has been a rafting, kayaking and canyoning guide in Nepal, Japan, Dubai and now New Zealand.
 
We’re also super impressed with his multilingual skills. He speaks four different languages – Nepali, Hindi, Japanese and English! When Yuba isn’t guiding, he’s out kayaking or doing anything outdoors.

BECCA

FRONTLINE STAFF


NATIONALITY: Irish  LANGUAGE: English, French, Irish
GUIDE EXPERIENCE: New Zealand & Switzerland

Becca (or Bex) is new to our team this season! She came to Queenstown in search of all things adventure and is currently working her way through all the fun activities that Queenstown has to offer.
 
She’s really looking forward to getting in some epic hikes this season and also loves to surf, play tennis and snowboard. Her greatest passion is performing – Becca loves to sing and dance so definitely try to get her to belt out a tune or teach you some dance moves when you see her. We may even get some flash mob action happening this season!
 
Her favourite food is Italian, so hit Becca up if you’re a fan too and need some local recommendations. Oh…and don’t let that smile fool you – Becca was also in the Irish army for 7 years!

DEREK

ADVENTURE GUIDE


NATIONALITY: American
LANGUAGE: English & Spanish
GUIDING EXPERIENCE: USA, Costa Rica & Ecuador

Derek’s mate Pete suggested that he go to Queenstown and so he did, with a suitcase full of purple things and a giant smile.
 
Originally from Colorado, Derek spent some time in Central America as a humanitarian aid worker, helping to provide clean water and sanitation to those in rural Nicaragua.
 
Derek is into pretty much everything outdoorsy and is right in his element here in Queenstown. In his free time, you’ll find Derek looking for extreme outdoor adventures, gorging on strawberries and looking for soursop trees!

JUSTIN

ADVENTURE GUIDE


NATIONALITY: Kiwi – European 
LANGUAGE: English & German
GUIDING EXPERIENCE: New Zealand & Austria

Meet Justin a.k.a JDog! Passionate about teaching and helping people, Justin is in his element as a guide and has guided in both Austria and New Zealand.
 
Justin describes Queenstown as a place which has everything for outdoor people – all within close proximity.
 
He’s always looking for his next adventure and loves rock climbing, canyoning, kayaking, mountaineering and eating loads of sushi. Although Justin likes to keep fit, he has never been to gym – ever!

TOMOKI

ADVENTURE GUIDE


NATIONALITY: Japanese
LANGUAGE: English, Japanese, Spanish, Hebrew, Indonesian
GUIDING EXPERIENCE: Nepal, Costa Rica, Japan, New Zealand

Tomoki – also known as Tomo, Tom & Moki. Fluent in English and Japanese, Tomoki is also pretty good at conversing in Spanish, Indonesian and Hebrew!
 
What he loves most about Queenstown is the people, environment, mountains and our crystal clear lakes. When Tomoki is not at work, you’ll find him going on surfing expeditions or chilling out with a cold beverage and delicious meal – his favourites being sushi, soba and curry.
 
You’ll also find Tomoki ripping it up on the dance floor so hit him up if you need some new dance moves!

RACHEL

ADVENTURE GUIDE


NATIONALITY: English
LANGUAGE: Welsh & English
GUIDING EXPERIENCE: UK & France

After segway guiding for 7 years in northern France, Rachel a.k.a Brioche came to New Zealand in search of cute boys and chicken wings.

 
Rachel has many talents including performing with maracas, dismantling and reassembling TV remotes, and preserving dreadlocks in formaldehyde.
 
When Rachel’s not at work, she likes to go to the lake to see how much water she can drink out of it before downing a Mexican salad with extra salsa. Make sure you ask Rachel where the best chicken wings in Queenstown are!

Brydee

Front Office Manager


NATIONALITY: Kiwi
LANGUAGE: English

After realising that life in the big city was not for her, Brydee jumped at the chance of returning to Queenstown when her brother offered up his spare room. Passionate about environmental sustainability and an outdoor adventure seeker, Brydee loves Queenstown because it offers so many fun outdoor activities all in the one place.
 
Happiness for her is being able to spend the afternoons mountain biking or climbing after a day of work.
 
Known for baking up a storm, Brydee is currently working her way through every vegan dish at Yonder – her local favourite. Fun fact: Brydee and her family were on the NZ reality TV show Trading Places back in the 90’s! Ask her about being the naughty kid!

CONNIE

ADVENTURE GUIDE


Nationality: Chilean
Language: English & Spanish
Guiding Experience: Chile & New Zealand

Connie joins us for her first season and we’re super excited. Connie is a true nature lover and describes the mountains as having a majestic presence.
 
In her free time, Connie practices yoga, Wim Hof and goes on exploring expeditions with her very cute 6 year old daughter. In her backpack, you’ll find a stash of tamari almonds, chocolate and the occasional avocado filled arepas.
 
Connie tells us she is passionate about meditation, yoga, nature and cacao…yep, cacao. In fact, not only does Connie conduct cacao ceremonies (a traditional Central & South American tradition), she is also an Andean Wisdom Keeper. How cool is that?
canyoning climbing guide queenstown pete

PETE

ADVENTURE GUIDE


NATIONALITY: Australian
LANGUAGE: Bogan, Australian, English
GUIDING EXPERIENCE: New Zealand, Australia & USA

Pete is our token Aussie. Admitting that Bogan is his first language, followed by Australian and English, Pete came to Queenstown in search of the unknown and is totally in love with the cute little ducklings on the lakefront.
 
One of his favourite hobbies is dressing up cats as medieval knights or Santa Claws.
 
Make sure you hit him up for photos of his impressive and creative efforts. When Pete’s not at work, he’s at home on the couch with Pad Thai watching soap operas – his favourite being the Bold and Beautiful.

MIKE

ADVENTURE GUIDE


NATIONALITY: Kiwi
LANGUAGE: English
GUIDING EXPERIENCE: New Zealand, USA

Mike grew up in Edendale, about 2.5 hours south of Queenstown. A massive fan of kayaking, Mike was drawn to Queenstown for the world class kayaking, the amazing scenery and the fact that there are endless adventures to be had.
 
Mike has an extensive guiding career and has worked as a cave guide, kayak guide, canyoning guide and is also an outdoor instructor. He’s loves going on adventures and is passionate about sharing awesome experiences with others.
 
When Mike’s not at work, you’ll find him kayaking (of course), going out on missions and indulging in Kai Moana (Maori for seafood) delicacies like crayfish and scallops. We’re on a mission to get Mike to bust out the Maui rap from the movie Moana on every trip he goes on. Please help us by asking him to do it – after all, saying no to our guests would be rude!

ALEX

ADVENTURE GUIDE


NATIONALITY: English – Kiwi 
LANGUAGE: English, French, German
GUIDING EXPERIENCE: Switzerland & New Zealand

Alex, better known as The Machine, is British but claims that she is also part Kiwi. We convinced her to come to Queenstown by promising her beautiful canyons, sick mountain biking and incredible people. So far, we’re living up to her expectations!
 
On her days off you’ll find Alex hanging out with Bruce, her beloved bike, eating all the food (her exact words) and smashing the boys at the gym. Her six pack is waay better than theirs! She plays a mean flute, is slightly obsessed about peanut butter and passionate about hummus.
 
Interesting fact – Alex can’t stand watching or hearing people brush their teeth! Anyone got a toothbrush?!?

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Taylor

adventure guide


Nationality: American
Language: English & Spanish
Guiding Experience: New Zealand

We’re stoked to have Taylor a.k.a Dragon back for his second year with us! After guiding here last season, Taylor couldn’t wait to come back and get up to all things radical. On his days off, you’ll find Taylor with taco in hand, listening to the guy that sings with his dog. You know the one.
 
His spirit animal is a crow and he is passionate about ‘getting stoked out of his mind’ – his exact words. We dare you to bring Taylor some celery and when you do, you might get to hear his extremely loud scream which could possibly be his super power.

Kaden

HEAD GUIDE


NATIONALITY: American
LANGUAGE: English
GUIDING EXPERIENCE: USA, New Zealand

Kaden is our Head Guide and is from Utah. He is super passionate about climbing, skiing, and most of all canyoning.
 
In his own words, he enjoys being super badass – if he is not enjoying the great outdoors then you will usually find him in the gym pumping some iron! Kaden has spent the last 5 years as a canyon guide in the deserts of southern Utah (specifically Zion National Park) in the summer and skiing in winter.
 
In 2015 he decided to chase the summer and came to the (in his own words) “most beautiful country in the Southern Hemisphere” and has kept coming back since. Kaden’s fun fact is that his mom thinks he’s super rad, we tend to agree!

BOB

Frontline Staff


NATIONALITY: British  LANGUAGE: English

Bob worked with us over winter and we managed to convince him to stay for the summer!
 
Actually, he just realised that there were still many adventures to be had here in Queenstown, but we’re totally going to take credit for it. He’s passionate about skiing and when he’s not at work you’ll find Bob going up and down the mountain using a variety of apparatus, often eating his favourite food, ice cream at the same time.
 
Fun fact about Bob – he has a Masters Degree in Physics from the University of Oxford! We encourage everybody to ask Bob about all things physics – Why is the sky blue? What is centrifugal force? We haven’t been able to stump him yet!

Andee

ADVENTURE GUIDE


NATIONALITY: American
LANGUAGE: English, Spanish & Sarcasm
GUIDING EXPERIENCE: Costa Rica & USA

Meet Andee a.k.a Diesel. Andee is passionate about women’s involvement in outdoor sports and is a fantastic role model – canyoning, kayaking, hiking and getting involved in all adrenaline sports!
 
She loves Queenstown for all of its outdoor adventures, as well as being a great spot to people watch and hang out with the cute ducks (Andee is obsessed about the ducks!).
 
Her relaxing days off include working in her garden or laying on the couch demolishing pizza and pineapple soft serve ice cream. Fun fact: Andee’s favourite Cards Against Humanity white card is “Bees”?!?

RIKI

OPERATIONS MANAGER


NATIONALITY: Kiwi
LANGUAGE: English
GUIDING EXPERIENCE: New Zealand & Switzerland

Riki spent most of his childhood in a tiny town called Waikari in the Cantebury area, mixed with a short stint in Papua New Guinea.
 
Passionate about positive adventure experiences, Riki has guided in Auckland, Abel Tasman, Wanaka and Switzerland. Riki came to Queenstown to continue developing his professional career and to make the most of all the adventures in the adventure capital of the world!
 
When Riki isn’t working with our team on creating awesome experiences, you’ll find him obsessing over wind patterns, running off very high cliffs with a parachute or kite surfing. He literally drools over the salads at Big Fig but has no respect for lovers of pineapple on pizza!