Meet Our Team

Hi, I’m a third generation born and bred kiwi. My father was a bit of a gypsy which meant we travelled a lot and I grew up in a variety of places. This is how I developed the passion for travel and exploring new places. I currently live in the best region within New Zealand – The Bay of Plenty – at a spectacular seaside resort called Mount Maunganui – and I love it. I co-founded Zealandier Tours back in 2006 and over the years we have developed this business into a totally complete travel hub. We are all passionate about not only our region, but all of New Zealand. National Geographic call us the “World in Miniature” and it is such an appropriate title as we have something to offer everybody who visits.

I am most passionate about sharing our local iwi – Maori people’s stories and culture, along with our active geothermal volcanic zone and abundance of natural resources. I was a nurse in my first life (as I call it), business developments next and tourism has been my third vocation of choice. Its been a great transition from each vocation to now, I am caring, I am business focused and passionate about our country, people and travel.

We cater to many types of traveller, – cruise ship passenger shore excursions, local senior travellers,  solo travellers, inbound international traveller, transport transfers, conference delegates and partners tours, outbound traveller and the faith based pilgrimage traveller. I am surrounded by a fantastic team of people who make this business all possible.

We do what we love, and we love what we do.

I’ve been fascinated by people and places ever since studying Geography at university. For most of my life, I have led group tours throughout New Zealand and overseas. In recent years I have helped people enjoy the delights of Australia, Canada, USA, the Middle East and our own wonderful part of the world – the Bay of Plenty. I am married to Katrina, have three children and nine grandchildren. My interests are conservation, running, kayaking, mountain-biking and genealogy.

I was born in England and came to New Zealand’s South island as a young child. We moved to the Waikato in the North Island where I completed my schooling and a management degree and then owned a bookshop. I met and married Carena and in 1986 the family started working with the Baptist church in starting new churches and restoring ones that were fading and we are still involved today. Stephen and Carena have lived in Tauranga in the lovely Bay of Plenty for the past 23 years and are now living at Omokoroa ( a beach suburb 25kms north of the city ) enjoying the beach and scenery. I have been a bus driver for a number of years and over the past four have been a tour guide for Zealandier Tours.

Kia Ora, I’m a fifth generation New Zealander. Apart from six years in Auckland, I have lived all my life in the aptly named Bay of Plenty region where I enjoy fishing, camping, biking and walking. I’ve had a varied working life starting with a career in banking,  held various management roles, truck driver, forklift driver and I have finally found my passion as a tour guide/driver with Zealandier Tours.  I am passionate about New Zealand, our history and Maori Culture. My favourite tour is to Whakarewarewa Village in Rotorua where Maori still live among the geothermal activity and continue to use these resources as their ancestors did. My focus is always looking after our visitors and insuring they have the best possible experience while touring with Zealandier Tours.

I was brought up on dairy farms in the Bay and am married with 2 children and 6 grandchildren. I served in the navy for ten years and on leaving I went to Nauru to be a shift supervisor at the phosphate works calcination plant. After that my family and I lived in Auckland where I worked at various engineering and boat building jobs. We bought the remaining family land in Te Puna where I continued engineering before moving on to grow export flowers and run my distribution company. In 2004 I began driving buses for urban and charter work. I retired in 2018 but after six months I came back to Zealandier to offer my services and share my knowledge and experiences to the cruise ship passengers.

Originally from Germany, my wife Gabi and I emigrated to the beautiful Bay of Plenty New Zealand in 1999, where we had our son a few years later. I am a trained automotive engineer and worked for the last 18 years as an automotive tutor in Tauranga and Whakatane. My family and I live on a small lifestyle block accompanied by a dog and 4 chickens. I began as a tour guide with Zealandier Tours in 2018. Through my passion of the outdoors and outdoor activities, specifically white-water kayaking (in my younger days!) and my love of travel, I was drawn to share a slice of ‘New Zealand paradise’ with you. I am always excited to meet new people from different places of the world and I hope to see you soon!

Hi I’m Steve, a very proud New Zealander. I grew up and was educated in Wellington – our capital city. In my early 20’s I set off to London (UK) for work and discovered the rest of the globe whenever I could, travelling to many countries including the USA, Canada, Central America, Asia, Europe as well as Egypt, Morocco, Turkey.  I returned home to Aotearoa NZ in my late 20’s and realised just how amazing this clean-green little country of ours is and what it offers us in terms of lifestyle and the great outdoors. Our small country has so much to see and do and is well known as a nation of friendly people. Let me be your ambassador for the day in showing you around two great regions, the Bay of Plenty and Waikato during your stay.

Munchen the bear was born in Munich in Germany in 2010 and has travelled to Greece, Australia, Norfolk Island and Israel as well as many other places around New Zealand (and has the badges to show for it). He often comes on Zealandiers’ tours especially to Rotorua with Stephen. He is a great friend and companion especially to the younger children on the tours.