Jon grew up in Mount Maunganui a beach paradise in the south Pacific ocean, he started work in tourism at the age of 16 as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant, then got into driving Trans Africa expeditions at an early age progressing into management roles in adventure tourism based in Australia and New Zealand. Tourism has taken him to the best parts of our world- from Kisangani to El Chaltén and Oodnadatta to Vestmannaejar and a few more places in between. Jon loves stuff that works….. like - a good pair of woollen Socks, still Chainsaws, Tourism that’s is good for communities and environments, Music and festivals, Family camping trips, Hiking & Biking Trails, Landcruiser’s, BBQ's and a well-oiled team to work with– not necessarily in that order.

EJ has lived most of his life in the Philippines and Australia, but has travelled to over 40 countries across 6 continents around the world, with New Zealand firmly among his top destinations. A highly accomplished professional with a career spanning 16+ years — nearly a decade of which in travel, leisure, and tourism — EJ brings deep expertise in growth marketing, media, ecommerce, digital enablement, and data-led transformation to his role as Chief Growth Officer. The role and company are a perfect fit for EJ, who used to head up a mountaineering organisation in his University days, and is an adrenaline junkie who has jumped out of a perfectly good airplane 10 times in pursuit of a skydiving licence, and tries to squeeze in a bungy jump with every visit to Queenstown.

Tracy called Wellington home for over 30 years. After 20 years of holidaying there, the lure of Queenstown finally saw her join the Active team in 2022. Given her role, it's lucky Tracy is excellent with numbers, accounting and puzzles.  She has over 25 years’ experience in accounting across many industries. Her cocktail-making and baking skills are also appreciated by the team.

Living in Singapore with her family was the start of her love for travel. Some memorable experiences have been getting stitches while camping in the Malaysian jungle, hand-feeding wild turtles scuba diving in Tahiti, and a lightning strike next to her in Costa Rica. Always keen on adventure, Tracy still has an extensive bucket list of places to explore.

Born and bred in California, Dan ignited his passion for adventure travel in 1976 as partner of a rafting company in the Pacific Northwest. His travels soon took him to Alaska, where he owned and operated a construction company. Looking for a new challenge and having experienced small group adventure travel as a guest, Dan and a partnership group bought Backcountry Tours of Bozeman, Montana in 1994. Later, he created Adventures Plus, which in 2000 officially became Austin Adventures.

Sabrina grew up in Montreal, Canada, which early in life taught her a valuable lesson about the outdoors: if you don't move, you freeze! As any respectable Canadian she learned to walk, ski and ice skate before the age of 4, and after braving 25 winters in a row she decided that enough was enough and fled to New Zealand, with a Master in Communication and Marketing in her back pocket. After a few months hiking around, she landed at Active Adventures and is now Marketing Manager, making sure all our awesome adventures get the visibility they deserve. In her free time, she hikes, climb and is venturing further and further into New Zealand's backcountry.

Beāte is from Latvia, a small country in the Northern Europe, which is known for its beautiful forests, rich culture, and flat landscape. During her master’s studies in International Economic Relations, she managed to go on a couple of international exchange studies and later lived and worked in 4 countries. The decision to come to New Zealand came naturally after living in Canada and discovering the love towards adventuring in the mountains. While her intention was to live in New Zealand only for a year, endless outdoor opportunities and meeting her kiwi partner was the reason why she decided to call New Zealand home. When she’s not working you can find her in the mountains rock climbing, trail running, photographing, skiing, mountaineering or ice climbing. 

Kristie is from the Hawkes Bay, a beautiful spot on the East Coast of the North Island well known for the sunny weather, great beaches and world-class wines – Her three favourite things! She’s spent the last 8 years living abroad in Melbourne, the Whitsundays and most recently Edinburgh while working in the Travel industry. She’s now back in New Zealand after extensive travel throughout Europe, the US and Asia and is a Travel Specialist here at Active Adventures. When she isn’t planning your trips she is planning her own, ticking off her own travel wishlist as often as possible!

An example of the life-changing power of adventure, Brenon left the deep south to work a summer in Yellowstone National Park in 1993. It has been a great summer. An avid rock-climber, backcountry skier and mountaineer, he has embraced the pointy rocks of the Greater Yellowstone as home for over 25 years. Along the way, Brenon has guided tours in Yellowstone, taught young people perseverance in the mountains, and even rescued a few lucky adventurers. After working in mine reclamation and microbiology, being with Austin Adventures is the perfect way to connect the dots between his passion for exploration and a fulfilling career.

Stephanie was born and raised in the smallest state in the United States – Rhode Island. With an official nickname of the Ocean State and 400 miles of coastline, it’s no wonder she spent all her summers growing up down by the water. She attended Rhode Island College graduating with a degree in Marketing and Economics. While she’s resided in the same state her entire life, she has spent a lot of time traveling around the U.S. and quite a few road-trips down the east coast. She maintains an active lifestyle, keep up with her Australian Cattle Dog, Dewey. On the weekend, you’ll find her scoping out new eateries in the city and chasing live music and a cold beer in the summer. 

Valerie was born in San Diego, CA, she lived in New Jersey for 5 years, but has been in Montana since 2nd grade.  Valerie handles most aspects of accounting. She loves where she got to grow up and considers herself a Montanan. She lives in Billings with her husband and her dog.  She enjoys camping, cooking for friends, and playing board games. 

Rhet grew up in Cave Creek, Arizona within the family business of training thoroughbred racehorses. However, Rhet greatly preferred taking long hikes in the desert looking for javelina or quail than cleaning horse stalls. He became the first member of his family to graduate from college with a degree in Wildlife Sciences. Rhet spent time working on research projects with black bears, California sea lions, black-footed ferrets, and platypus before taking his first guiding job in Grand Teton National Park. That one seasonal guide job changed his career trajectory as he found a deep passion for adventure travel and sharing the natural world with people from across the globe. In the 14 years since getting into the industry, Rhet has worked in Wyoming, Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona, Utah, Louisiana, Alaska, and Hawaii.