New Zealand and Nepal Guide

Mel was born in Christchurch and guides for us in both New Zealand and Nepal. It takes a special character to face the challenges of leading trips in a foreign country, and Mel certainly ticked all the boxes. Before guiding for Active Adventures Mel spent plenty of time traveling and working overseas. After two years in Europe and the UK, she knew it was time to come home and felt a deep sense of duty and pride to show off New Zealand! She credits her desire for adventure and travel to her family who encouraged exploration of the great outdoors from a very young age. 

Favorite hobbies? 

Getting outdoors, biking, running, swimming and sports. Exploring new places! And Cooking :-).

Testimonials

“Mel was absolutely fantastic. She was great fun to trek with, was incredibly patient with us (especially on the hard days), and knew all the special spots in the villages we stayed (bakeries, cafes, viewpoints). I was really impressed by her knowledge of Nepali and inspired by her energy level (she went on training runs most days after we finished walking!); I also really appreciated her calm leadership and how cheerfully, respectfully and patiently she worked with Bishal, our team of porters and the lodge workers. Finally, I loved seeing her play with the children and dogs we encountered on the trail--that really encouraged us to interact more and learn more from the villagers we met.”
- Ronnie (West Covina, California, United States), EBC March 2018

“Mel is a true inspiration to me. Watching her interact with the group and also the locals still makes me smile. ”
- Linda (New York, New York, United States), EBC November 2017

“Mel was great. She did a great job with the food and the big meals she made were excellent. Mel was low-key and funny at the same time and it was a pleasure being in her company. She was knowledgeable about New Zealand and would often provide tid-bits of information about the geology, birds, history, etc. She also remembered little things about us individually which you would realize when she would bring you something that you didn't even asked for but she may have overheard you say something about it. For example; there was no water bottle cage on my bike and I asked her to hold my water bottle. A little while later, when we made a stop, she found a cage (I don't know where) and put it on my bike. Mel and Dani worked really hard ALL day and night to make us comfortable in every way.”
- Patty (White Plains, New York, United States) Rimu Dec 5 2016