Meet our guides...
 Mike |
Bio: I’ve been working with ACTIVE since 2003, which gives me the chance to do some of my favourite things – hiking, biking, skiing and fishing – as well as sharing my interests with others! I’m a Scuba dive master, a keen chef and enthusiastic traveller having visited various countries and regions including Scandinavia, Russia, Holland, Austria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Japan, Hawaii and the USA. What our clients have said: "At some points on the trip you forgot Mike was the guide as he was on the trip enjoying it right along with us. He really seemed to enjoy hanging out with us and always looked for ways to make each day the most enjoyable they could be. He truly made this trip AWESOME for all of us. In fact, we were all talking after the trip that we wanted to do another ACTIVE trip in another country" "Mike was simply fantastic! He played a big part in making this trip so enjoyable for us. We simply could not imagine a more knowledgeable, personable, nurturing and fun guide." "Mike really was great. he will be the standard upon which I will judge others in the future. He knew the hikes and could get us prepared for the flora and the fauna. He really knew so much and shared it with us, that made for a really complete package." "Mike was wonderful, he was our guide, cook, driver and traveling companion. It is amazing that he can do it all and keep all of the hard work behind the scenes. I genuinely enjoyed his company. His meals were great and he adjusted things to what we asked for as well as what he observed. His guiding skills probably come from a lot of experience - he always seemed to know who needed a little encouragement and who needed/wanted to be left alone. As the oldest member of the group I really appreciated the fact that I did not feel patronized or singled out." "The Best! Your greatest ambassadors, our guides Mike and Claire, presented a very polished, fun and professional image of your company through their tireless service to the group. They made the real difference, I know, because they took such fabulous care of us every minute of every day (sometimes they were saintly!) and made everything we did such fun and so “no worries” for all of us. Mike was the glue that held our trip together and really made it a success. He knew what we were doing, got us to where we needed to be and was an awesome guide through every activity. His sense of humour kept us rolling in laughter every day. He’s very knowledgeable about the sites we saw and had a confident style of showing us the country. He really made the trip a lot of fun. " "10 out of 10. Mike was so friendly and knowledgeable. If we had a question, he would find the answer. Also a plus that he had guided Milford [Track Guided Walk previously], he really helped us prepare well. He’s a terrific person. I had the most wonderful experience in New Zealand thanks to the terrific guides who showed us the true beauty of the country, taking care of us in a relaxed friendly way. They transported us each day, hiked with us and then turned out fantastic meals - I couldn’t believe their tireless energy and their wealth of knowledge. I couldn't ask for more." "Mike was an awesome driver and got us to our destinations safely and quickly. He was also quite entertaining and good-natured despite the fact he had a 77 year old making moves on him for most of the drives. Relaxed and laid-back -- a perfect combination." "Mike was outstanding. Absolutely outstanding! You guys need to give him a major raise and make him a vice-president or something. Seriously, he is so knowledgeable and laid-back, I think he could guide you to Hell and back and make it seem like an everyday normal thing. I can't say enough about this guy. An absolute professional, always in control of the situation, and made sure the entire trip was perfect. Plus he's funny and has an amazing personality. If I ever strike it rich, I'm hiring Mike full-time to guide me and my friends around the world. He's a definite asset to your company. I'm really glad I got put on his trip and not somebody else's. Ohh and STUNNINGLY INFORMATIVE COMMENTARY while we were on the bus!!! That was the best part, of course. The only thing he could do to improve my opinion of him would be to send me a 6-pack of Lion Red, because you can't get it here in Texas. Dammitt. Cheers Mike!" "Mike was excellent. A great sense of humour and he was always making sure that everyone was ok with whatever activity we were doing - forging ahead with the more active people wanting a real challenge but offering good advice and options for those not after something as extreme. Very optimistic about the length of the bus rides too (always only "about half an hour") :), and a skilled driver as well." "Mike was an excellent guide - knowledgeable about NZ, good fitness, friendly personality, great representative of ACTIVE NZ and always going out of his way to make sure the clients were having fun. (Jaime) Mike did a terrific job. He kept us laughing most of the time and was pretty good on the bus microphone. Mike knows a lot about animals, plants, and history, and he had an interesting tidbit on every town we passed. (Anne) " |
