Brent Narbey

Brent has been involved in tourism for 15 years. He owned an agency in London for 7 years (Global Connect Travel) running `high end' adventure tours in East Africa and diving holidays in the Red Sea, along with other activities and destinations around the world.

Nigel Williamson

Nigel has also been involved in tourism for a number of years. Working as a tour guide in Africa, Nigel literally enjoyed it so much that he ran the company – becoming the London based Operations Manager.

After completing his MBA and spending 3 years as a Management Consultant, Nigel felt it was time to get back to the good life - travel!

Mirjam McLiver

If travel could run through someone’s veins then Mirjam would have it! Bought up in Holland, she has traveled extensively and is about to head off to Europe for 5 weeks with hubby and 2 young daughters in tow. Plans include the Bierfest in Munich, Fraulein Maria (Sound of Music) in Salzburg, espresso in Italy, and Rugby in France. Mirjam has worked in travel for over 15 years and wouldn’t consider doing anything else!

Verity Paterson

After selling NZ as a destinaton while working in the UK for seven years, Verity realised it was time to come home and start ticking the list of 'places to see and things to do' herself.

Now with husband, Matt, and three children, organising the ultimate NZ experience has become a passion.

Whether it be skiing holidays in Queenstown and Wanaka, road trips around the South Island or searching for the perfect beach in the Coromandel and Bay of Islands, there is always another adventure in the planning !

Chrissy Sun

Life is all about enjoying it to the max!

Its all about family & friends, good food & wine, and experiencing as much of the world as possible!

Chrissy has a young family, is an avid photographer and has traveled extensively internationally & domestically. She appreciates how lucky New Zealanders really are. “ We have it all in our backyard !”

Laureen Bourdon

Since her childhood, Laureen has been living all around the world: Africa, Middle East, South America, Eastern Europe... Originally from France, she came to New Zealand after studying tourism for a few years.

She discovered a stunning country, with heaps of adventures to do and amazing people. Now, her pleasure is to offer travellers the opportunity to fall in love with New Zealand too!

Kirsten Orlandini

Travel, adventure and sport have been a passion of Kirsten's since a young age. These have driven her to lead a varied lifestyle whether it be; working in a ski resort in the USA or running a superyacht based in the Mediterranean. Now back in NZ, with a husband, 1 year old daughter and two dogs life is never dull. However she is still finding time to enjoy and explore what our homeland has to offer.

Ingrid Visser

Born in New Zealand, Ingrid has had a love of the marine environment since a small child. Researching whales and dolphins was always her dream, and after 10 years research she completed her Ph.D. on the New Zealand orca (killer whales). Since then her studies have taken her all around the world to view marine mammals. Join Ingrid for a whale and dolphin trip of a lifetime. Not only will she endeavour to get you up close and personal with a wide range of marine mammals, but she will introduce you to other researchers working on marine mammals. Ingrid will give you hints about how to photograph these stunning animals as well as provide up to date information about the species you are watching. Come and live your dream too!

Andy Belcher

You won't often find award winning photographer and photojournalist Andy Belcher without a camera in hand - and two or three spares in his suitcase. As one of the world's top underwater and adventure photographers he travels far and wide to collect his stunning images. His schedule has included dive trips to South Pacific destinations, adventurous jaunts around New Zealand, a steamy journey into the Malaysian jungle and close encounters with over-active volcanoes. To get dramatic results he is prepared to go where others fear to tread and loves the challenges of his job. "I constantly strive for images that are artistic and different…and that are better than anything I've done before."

Andy is a Qualified PADI Dive Instructor and was awarded the SSI Pro 5000 award for services to diving. You'll find a number of Andy's images on our site, or check out his web site at www.andybelcher.com.

Click here to read about Andy's underwater photography workshop in the Poor Knights.

Angie Belcher

Angie Belcher describes herself as a self-confessed adrenaline addict who feels the fear but does it anyway. An ex-skydiver, mad keen scuba diver and cave crawler she says, "I'll try anything once". Angie draws on these spine tingling, hair raising, premature aging experiences to enrich her literary career. She rates her scariest moment as a toss between hanging upside down 3000 ft above the earth when her parachute harness got caught in the doorway of a plane and being eyed up as a tasty shish-ka-bob by a marlin while diving in Papua New Guinea.

Pete Mesley

Born in Harare Zimbabwe and being totally landlocked, Pete had to move to England to get his first dose of “Wreck Fever”. Thanks to the Poms that fever hasn’t worn off in all these years!!. He dived my heart out in England & Scotland for 7 years and would frequently bounce over to the Med and Red Sea to get a dose of warm water diving! In 1994 he moved to Auckland New Zealand where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Pete's diving interests are really diverse. From taking footage of pretty fish on shallow reefs to strapping into his Closed circuit rebreather and penetrating deep wrecks!

Pete has over 3000 + hours inwater with experience in various locations world wide, including England, Scotland, New Zealand, The Red Sea, Cyprus, South Africa, Caves in Zimbabwe, The Great Barrier Reef, Vavau Tonga, Solomon Islands Guadalcanal, Gizo, Vanuatu, Borneo, Sipidan). As well as being a PADI Course Director, Pete is a Technical Diving Instructor Trainer, TDI Trimix Instructor, and SCR & CCR Rebreather Instructor.

He's also been in charge of supervising many diving activities - from Ice Diving to Deep Wreck exploration dives. In June 2000 he headed the safety role of Support Supervisor for Tanya Streeters 90 meter variable ballast sled dive here in New Zealand.

With significant experience in leading expeditions to wrecks like HMRNZ Puriri (a Kiwi minesweeper sunk in 1940’s in a 100m of water off the coast of NZ), RMS Niagara (a luxurious Ocean liner lying in 125m of water), the President Coolidge, and many to the Michael Lermontov (a Russian Ocean liner sunk in 30m in the South Island), Pete is the ideal leader for dive expeditions in New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Peter and Iris Tait

Explore Stewart Island and Fiordland with Peter & Iris Tait aboard their comfortable 17 metre steel motor sail ketch Talisker. They are Department of Conservation Concessionaires and Peter is a former Stewart Island Forest Service Ranger. With 30 years experience in these southern waters they can make your diving and/or sailing visit to Stewart Island or Fiordland the trip of a lifetime.

Click here to read about cruising Fiordland and Stewart Island aboard their yacht Talisker.

Nigel McKissock

Nigel has been following his passion for the mountains for nearly a decade. From a home base in New Zealand's southern Alps he has travelled to ski and work in Japan, mainland USA, Alaska, Canada, and Europe. Having moved to the sleepy town of Wanaka to live the dream in 1994, Nigel now splits his winters between Canada's Whistler /Blackcomb, where he works as a ski guide/coach for the renown Extremely Canadian Freeskiing Clinics, and now New Zealand's First Light Travel.

Beginning in '94, Nigel competed and judged on the World International Freeskiing Tour. He was invited to judge the 2001 World Freeskiing Championships in Valdez, Alaska, is a qualified heliski guide and has been seen in action on the pages of local and international ski magazines. Through all of this roaming Nigel has developed a taste for the highest quality ski destinations and experiences and is thrilled to be able to share that knowledge first hand with First Light Travel’s clientele.

Geoff Wilson

Geoff has over 15 years experience of tasting wines from all over the world. His interest in wine was fuelled by long client lunches whilst employed in the UK corporate world but, in 1998, Geoff gave that all up to pursue his passion for New Zealand, its wines and people, by emigrating to Hawke’s Bay. Since that time Geoff gained ‘vine to bottle’ experience with two leading Hawke’s Bay wineries. Whilst developing a particular focus towards Hawke’s Bay’s red wines, Geoff continued to broaden his knowledge of New Zealand and International wines, gaining qualifications with the internationally recognized Wine & Spirit Education Trust. In October 2002 Geoff was awarded the inaugural accolade of ‘Hawke’s Bay Cellar Door Personality of the Year” - judged by a panel of industry peers, the key criteria being wine knowledge and excellence of service. Subsequently, Geoff has established Convivium – it’s principal aim being to showcase Hawke’s Bay and New Zealand wines to a wider audience, at the same time placing them in context with International wines and New Zealand cuisine. Geoff’s passion, knowledge and personal connections with many Hawke’s Bay winemakers places him in a unique position to offer the enthusiast a highly personalized insight into the Hawke’s Bay wine industry.

Suzie Thorp

With over 6 years spent in the Hawke’s Bay wine industry from production through to export, Suzie has developed a special interest in wine and food tourism, and the unique people involved in producing lifestyle experiences in Wine Country. She is currently a board member for the Hawke’s Bay Wine Country Tourism Association Council, on the Harvest Hawke’s Bay Wine Festival organising committee and Hawke’s Bay Vintners Wine Tourism Focus Group, and is Winery Manager of Clearview Estate Winery.

Suzie enjoys keeping up to date on the diversity of wine styles being produced in New Zealand, and the events and highlights of the calendar year for the industry. Where possible you will have opportunities to take part in vintage dinners, festivals, winemaking workshops and tutored tasting with the experts including barrel samples.