Nick Barnes
New Zealand Guide
Nick is from Dunedin on the East Coast of the South Island, a town that's famous for producing well-rounded, down to earth people. Well maybe not famous, but we reckon there's a trend there. He wisely studied his trade, adventure tourism, in Queenstown the adventure capital of the world and home of Active Adventures. Nick now has a few seasons under his belt and like many of our guides, he loves to mountain bike and go running in the wilderness. He also counts eating as one of his favourite hobbies!
Testimonials
“Nick was truly an amazing guide and for his age we are very impressed with his maturity. Nick was a delight to be with for our 13 days. He will go far in life. Such a pleasure”
Marilyn Seguin (aspen, Colorado, United States), March 2016
“Nick was so awesome from start to end. He ensured our safety on the hikes, was knowledgeable about all the areas we visited. He was fun and enthusiastic and ensured my safety on the hikes. I can't say enough about how good he was. He is also an excellent cook. The second week was a smaller group and Nick was our only guide. He drove, he cooked, he led us on hikes. It was awesome.”
Sarah Brickles (Sunnyvale, California, United States), June 2015
“YES! Nick was fantastic. He was very good-natured, patient, and eager to answer all of our questions. If he didn't know the answer, he'd look it up at the first opportunity. He was also an excellent chef and ran a tight kitchen.”
Marni Myers (Arlington, Virginia, United States), February 2014
“Nick was a great co-guide. So upbeat, fun and always trying to accommodate our every request (including pavlova).”
Belinda Mucklow (Waunakee, Wisconsin, United States), December 2013
“As I mentioned before... Nick's attention to detail is super impressive!!!! He is so good at making sure everyone was taken care of.... everything from offering to carry jackets or water bottles for us in his own pack, to making pancakes in any size or shape we desired! haha”
Kristina Mason (Galloway, Ohio, United States), November 2013
Trip Reviews
2017 Oct/Nov Rimu
My 2017 Rimu trip was fantastic! Somehow our fabulous guides Ben and Emma arranged for clear sunny skies, a great mix of travelers, and an all around fun time. Seriously though, our group of 10/11 (we had a late addition) got along well from day 1 - we learned about each other's backgrounds, played cards and dice games, and shared bottles of wine. Ben and Emma worked tirelessly to make sure our travels were smooth - often 16+ hour days for them. Emma cooked wonderful meals for us and made sure everyone's dietary requests were met. Ben drove Whina (our bus) so well for so many hours to get us to our destinations - we'll never forget the tunnel! And they both were great guides on the hikes. Thanks for all the wonderful memories!

Rimu, December 2017