Our Team

Our Aim: To promote an appreciation of the Abel Tasman National Park and its unique features, by providing you with a responsible, informative, sustainable and caring service.

Our Guides and Hosts in the field are, backed by a dedicated team of professionals to help co-ordinate your holiday and ensure your comfort and safety

Our Abel Tasman Guides

Shay Gill - Operations Manager

A 'real' local, our Operations Manager's great-great grandfather arrived in Nelson in 1842.  Shay's been with us since 2000. Along the way he's collected qualifications including Outdoor Recreation and Management, commercial Skipper and qualified Sea Kayak Instructor. Despite his responsibilities, he hasn't lost his sense of fun. When called in to be a kayak guide, he still gets rave reviews...

Chelsi Williams - Field Support and Reservations

Finishing school in the North Island, Chelsi moved south in 2015 to study Adventure Tourism Management at Queenstown Resort College, including an internship in Abel Tasman National Park. She worked for Spark telecommunications for the 3 years of Covid disruptions to the visitor industry, then joined our operations team in 2023.

Paddy Kenny

With a degree in Outdoor Education from Otago Polytech (2011), Paddy started with two seasons kayaking guiding in Kaikoura then set off to see the world. He's taught cultural and adventure sports for international schools in Asia, UK and Switzerland. For recreation, he challenges himself with long distance runs and bicycle tours. 

Sarah Harvey

Starting from Brisbane, Sarah's qualifications include seven years of hiking around the world, managing a private accommodation village in Tasmania, and instructing in outdoor education. She realised her dream of living in the sunniest part of the South Island when she started with our guiding team in 2019. Her winters are occupied with walking and cycling adventures in Europe and Asia.

Phil Perrow

Growing up in the North Island, Phil was 19 when he came to the South Island for tramping and climbing. He has guided at the penguin reserve on the Otago Peninsula and spent 15 months as manager of Quarantine Island wildlife reserve. He started guided with us in 2020, 5 weeks before the Covid lockdown. His skill as a builder keeps him occupied when he's not guiding.

Emma Langford

I grew up in Motueka and have spent my childhood outdoors in the Abel Tasman and the surrounding region. My biggest passion is the ocean and my hobbies include diving, surfing, kayaking, rock climbing and sailing. I have travelled extensively in Europe and lived in Thailand working at a hostel organising and leading tours. I've worked as a deckhand for Abel Tasman Charters and in the Wilson's lodges. This year I join them as a guide.

Hazel Cameron

A seventh generation local of the Abel Tasman region, Hazel will guide you through her family's ancestral land.

Gareth Wheeler

I was born in South Australia sometime last century. My introduction to sea kayaking was swimming with seals near Wardang Island in SA. I first came sea kayak guiding in the Abel Tasman in the early 90's. I was hooked, what better place to kayak and get paid...and there were seals too! Over the past 30 years and at any time of year, it’s been a great place for the soul to refresh, relax and unwind. 

Ala Coapman

Ala is from Ōtautahi, passionate about sustainability and incorporating Te Ao Māori principles into her work. In 2024, she completed her degree in Sustainability and Outdoor Education. Having grown up spending summers in Kaiteriteri, the Abel Tasman holds a special place in her heart. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge of Aotearoa's unique ecosystems, and fun facts about manu (birds) and rākau (trees).

Lukas Fairweather

Originally coming from the UK, I have been guiding for 6 years all over Scotland, England, Wales, France and Norway. The last 3 years I have been living and working in Pembrokeshire Wales one of the finest coastlines in the world. After traveling round New Zealand last year with 4 friends Abel Tasman really caught my eye as somewhere I could see myself.

Sophie Glover

I grew up in Canterbury with lots of family adventures, then studied for a degree in sustainability and outdoor education at Ara Institute of Canterbury. Since then I’ve worked as sea kayak guide in Kaikoura and outdoor instructor in New Zealand and Australia. My love for being on the ocean and showing people beautiful places keeps bringing me back for more guiding seasons. 

Krystal Robson

Joining us from Te Tai Tokerau in Northland, Krystal has adopted the South Island since 2019 when she completed her Diploma in Adventure Tourism at NMIT. Since then, she’s divided her time between seasons in Australia, Japan and Wanaka ski resorts with kayak guiding in Abel Tasman National Park. Sea kayaking is her second love. Surfing is her favourite sport.

Jack Ferguson

Born in England and raised in Dunedin, Jack first joined us as a kayak guide in 2015 after graduating from Otago Polytech. He spent 2 seasons with us, then went travelling in Canada and Europe. In 2017 he started an engineering apprenticeship in Dunedin but the lure of the Abel Tasman brought him back to our guiding team in 2019.

Rod Morrison

Born in Scotland, Rod’s family moved to New Zealand when he was 3 years old and lived in Nelson. In 2022 he graduated with a degree in Sustainability and Outdoor Education at Ara Institute of Canterbury. This is his fourth season working with our guiding team. As well as kayaking and tramping he enjoys rock climbing and distance running.

Ollie Baylis

With sailing, climbing and sea kayaking qualifications from England, Ollie has worked as an instructor for school groups since 2011. After a season of sea kayak guiding in Norway, he joined us for the 2023/24 season in Abel Tasman National Park.

Neve Jessop

The Abel Tasman National Park is Neve’s sweet spot with happy memories from childhood and school excursions with Waimea College. She has studied Sustainability and Outdoor Education at Ara Institute of Canterbury, and has worked at Cable Bay Adventure Park. This is her second season with us.

John Glasgow

One of New Zealand's most experienced guides, John can track his association with Abel Tasman National Park back to his grandfather who settled here in the late 1890's. The park is literally his back yard as 700 metres of the Coastal Track passes through his family's land. As a mountain guide on Mt Cook/Aoraki, in 1970 he was in the first expedition to climb the mountain's Caroline Face. Read the story here.

Rewa Glasgow

As part of the Glasgow whanau, with connections to the Abel Tasman since the 1890s, Rewa has been guiding with us since 1999. She has taken breaks as she raised her family on their property at Golden Downs in the Nelson hinterland.

Karin Klebert

Working as an early childhood teacher in Germany, Karin first came to NZ in 1987. She has lived here permanently since 2004, graduating to tourism in 2005. With time out to run her own driving and guiding and business, she has worked with us since 2015.