Little Brown Kiwi | Our Guides

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Our Guides

The people at Little Brown Kiwi really make the difference. We are lucky to have such a dedicated team of guides, many of whom are qualified and registered New Zealand teachers, with international experience. They all love leading or supporting adventures and will go the extra mile for your group.

Here is the LBK team…

Henry Ballantyne

Henry Ballantyne

Henry is a qualified physical education teacher and full-time director of Little Brown Kiwi. Prior to getting on board with LBK, he taught in England and New Zealand and held management positions in schools. Henry won a study grant to immerse himself in outdoor leadership, which was a catalyst for his current role at Little Brown Kiwi.

Married with two rapidly growing boys, he loves the fact that his office is located in the great outdoors. He brings a guitar on all Little Brown Kiwi trips and it gets a lot of action!

Paddy Watson

Paddy is Little Brown Kiwi’s most qualified guide. He has worked as a lead instructor at the world-renowned and respected OPC Turangi. He specialises in rock climbing, kayak instructing and mountain expeditions.

Paddy has a wicked sense of humour and a wealth of experience in almost all sports and outdoor activities. Paddy has taught at international schools in Bangladesh and at Discovery College in Hong Kong. We are lucky to have Paddy as part of the LBK team from 2012.

Kate Cavanagh

Kate is your quintessential Kiwi. She grew up on a farm in rural Hawkes Bay, rode horses and was a champion cross-country runner. She has an active interest in a range of outdoor activities including trail running, skiing and snowboarding, horse riding and mountain biking.

Kate, her husband Brent and their two girls (Polly and Francie) have travelled extensively around New Zealand in their massive house bus.

Steph

Steph is hard core. She has worked for Little Brown Kiwi since 2008. When she was little, she completed her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award and she has done most of the hardest treks in New Zealand. Steph has graduated from College/University with Degrees in Architecture and Design, so not only is she hard core, she is smart – hard core!

She is also a published artist and is famous for designing jigsaw puzzles. Steph is a legend on the trek, loves Sea Kayaking and is really good at finding lost gear – usually James’!

Tom Kay

Tom is new to LBK this year and he brings a whole range of outdoor skills to the table. Ever since he could walk, he accompanied his Dad and family on outdoor adventures.

He has worked with schools in a range of outdoor situations and is an expert kayaker. Tom recently trained as a rafting guide and he plays a pretty mean guitar as well!

Marius a.k.a ‘Fritter’

Marius a.k.a ‘Fritter’

Fritter is the man when it comes to Expeditions, Mountain Biking and Surfing. He is also a professional chatterbox, so anytime you need to talk to someone, find Fritter - he loves to talk! Fritter is the fastest Mountain Biker in Whangamata and when he walks on the treks he will take two steps to every one of yours! He is also trained in avalanche survival, so if we happen to get stuck in an avalanche, stay close to Fritter!

BTW he's called Fritter, cause he's really skinny like a Mussel Fritter.

Henry Worsp

Henry has been managing safety in the outdoor environment for well over a decade. After completing a Diploma in Applied Recreation in Christchurch he became a rafting guide and began Ski Patrolling a year later. Having gained Senior Raft Guide status he moved to The Abel Tasman where he began Sea Kayak guiding then progressed to Operations Manager of a large Sea Kayaking business the following season. Meanwhile, winters involved working as the Snow Safety Officer for Whakapapa Ski Area then changing to Patrol Supervisor a few years later. During this time, he was also teaching a variety of emergency management courses from First Aid to PreHospital Emergency Care. Also during winter after gaining Avalanche Stage 2 qualification he began tutoring then directing Avalanche Stage 1 courses in the North Island.

Now a director of Peak Safety, Henry spends much of his time travelling around the country auditing safety management systems for other companies involved in the outdoor industry. His passions are family, fishing, hunting, skiing, diving and mountain biking.

Mike ‘Coondog’

Mike ‘Coondog’

Born in the Chinese year of the ‘rat’ (which apparently isn’t as bad as it sounds), Mike is a keen outdoorsman living in a secret location on the east coast of the Coromandel. Amongst other things, he’s a writer, farmer and part of the awesome Wildman team.

He enjoys hunting, fishing, surfing and mountain-biking and loves hanging out with his wife Donna and their four gorgeous kids.

Bene

Bene brings to Little Brown Kiwi a cornucopia of Outdoor Education experience. He taught outdoor education at one of the best schools in the world – UWCSEA Singapore, here he led adventures to Tioman Islands, Verbier, Switzerland, Chiang Mai and Perth. Bene has also taught in Hong Kong, Scotland and Ireland.

Bene is now a house Dad, who escapes his lovely two red headed monsters to reignite his thirst for adventure and the outdoors with Little Brown Kiwi whenever he is needed.

Jamie

Jamie is a qualified primary school teacher who works at Remarkables Primary School and Garston Primary School. He specialises in Physical Education and Outdoor activities which include teaching life skills to children.

Jamie was born in the North Island in Auckland and spent most of his childhood living in the Coromandel in a small surfing town called Whangamata. He loves the outdoors and enjoys riding his skateboard, surfboard, snowboard and playing as much golf a he possibly can. He is also passionate about food and believes that living a life of balance is essential for your well-being.

Pete

Pete is a cultural leader and proud Maori. He is also an awesome cook who ensures Little Brown Kiwi groups are extremely well fed during their NZ Adventure. Pete has worked for Little Brown Kiwi since 2008 and is proud to share New Zealand/Aotearoa’s culture with the students; they always enjoy Pete’s company.

Pete has two kids of his own, and treats all Little Brown Kiwi students as if they were part of his own whanau/family.

Hamish

Hamish is a physical education teacher, outdoor enthusiast and talented surfer. He has some excellent stories from his many adventures, such as time he fell into an underground cave and was faced with an angry seal who was intent on biting at his heels until he climbed swiftly out of the seal’s home. Another story involves a bag of brown rice, a surfboard and cover, a fishing line and Great Barrier Island.

He relates supremely well to all students and teachers, and this academic physical education and math teacher is a most worthy LBK guide, when he is not teaching at his international school in Taiwan.

Matt Rhodes

Matt owns the company Easy Queenstown which covers all aspects of what the magnificent Queenstown area offers. Matt works with groups ranging from ski touring to hunting trips. He has a real passion for our Southern land and has the local knowledge and understanding to show you all the best bits!

Matt is originally from Tauranga, he headed South to Otago University where he became a registered nurse. A trip to Queenstown in 1999 captured his love for Tourism and he has never left since. Matt lives in Arrowtown with his wife Shelley and 4 year old son Austyn.

Taz Dawson

Taz is the quintessential southern outdoors man and there is not much that he hasn't mastered and excelled in since he started guiding walks in the Hollyford and Routeburn as long ago as 1995 - and he has rarely been indoors since then.? As well as playing golf since he was 11 and competing in local and national teams, Taz is a qualified ski, snowboard and telemark instructor and has been a telemark examiner. He has also been a guide for hunting, walking, 4 wheel drive and fishing expeditions in the region. Since 2008 he has spearheaded Southern Lakes Hunting Guides guiding for all that the region has to offer from big trophies to rabbit hunts. A special memory has been three generations hunting together, with his father and nephew.

Taz enjoys alpine climbing, a special treat being climbing at altitude in Nepal, and back country skiing. He spent seven years racing multisport events including the world famous Speights Coast to Coast, Southern Traverse and Goldrush. His five year ownership of a hunting and fishing shop in Queenstown was the only thing that kept him indoors! More recently he has concentrated on designing holidays for New Zealand and international visitors and guiding in the Southern Lakes area, an area he literally knows like the back of his hand.

Aaron

Aaron is as Kiwi as they come. He grew up on a farm in Otago. Aaron is in his element when he is in the outdoors, whether it be on a sports field, in the bush or water or just enjoying all New Zealand has to offer. Aaron lives in Queenstown with his family. They own and run The Playground, a recreational tourism business.

He enjoys sharing his vast knowledge of our great outdoors with those eager to experience New Zealand.