Founder and Guide

Double Olympic kayaker, expedition paddler, and Antarctic explorer are just a small handful of the titles that Mike has to his name.

After years of leading expeditions on first descents on the wildest rivers in the world, Mike has broadened his adventure scope. Skiing to the South Pole and focusing on adventure racing, Mike also fits in a full schedule of adventure guiding while donating time to charitable organizations, and coaching the national canoe slalom team.

There’s not a place in New Zealand’s backcountry that he hasn’t been to, or isn’t familiar with, making him the perfect addition to your adventure design team.

Founder and Guide

Phil has spent his entire working life guiding, directing and breaking ground in active adventure travel. From 1998, he began as a guide in the Peruvian Andes, took his experiences elsewhere in Latin America, back to his native New Zealand, and created new active adventures in Central America, Europe, Asia, Australasia, and North America. New Zealand is home though, and the calling was too strong. His passion is crafting epic adventures in the backcountry of his home, New Zealand. When he’s not guiding or organizing things behind the scenes, he’s riding his bike, kayaking his local river, or skiing.

head of operations

Kylie is the person who strings it all together for our New Zealand trips.

Kylie comes from the travel agent world where the details really matter!

Having lived in California and traveled extensively as a senior travel agent, Kylie has gained years of industry knowledge and built our operations systems in New Zealand from the ground up. As a result, we have a seamless operation that delivers for our guests every time.

travel designer

Originally from the Netherlands, 2 x Olympic slalom kayaker and adventurer Martina is a huge asset to our team. She designs the nitty gritty of our custom trips and continually refines our existing trips, ensuring the continuity of high service that our guests accustomed to.

Martina brings a high performance mindset to the execution of our adventures.

client services

When you book your trip with The Conqueror Adventures, you’ll be in touch with Brydie. She’ll look after all the nitty gritty details that will help you get prepared for your adventure.

Brydie has lived, worked and traveled all around the world, with a particular love for Italy, where she has lived on two occassions. She is a talented photographer, passionate snowboarder and keen surfer.

head guide

Andy comes from a real-deal adventure background. From his 20s, Andy worked as a climbing guide in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park - guiding aspiring climber to the summit of New Zealand highest mountain. he later worked on the mountain rescue team before becoming a paramedic on the North Island's rescue helicopter. Aside from the hard technical skills, Andy is witty, incredibly engaging and knows what it takes deliver incredible experiences!

head guide

If there’s a more passionate and capable guide in New Zealand, we haven’t met them yet. Kim brings a wealth of experience from leading adventures not only across New Zealand but also in Nepal and numerous other remarkable destinations around the globe. Her deep knowledge, meticulous attention to detail, and calm leadership set her apart in every way. Kim is the ultimate ambassador for Earth Sea Sky, and we consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to have her as part of our team.

Based in the North Island, JJ has the energy, passion and knowledge of 2 guides!

He's a jack of all trades - a great builder, part time emergency medical technician, member of the North Island Search and Rescue team, and canyoning guide. In his spare time, JJ coaches rock climbing and is the predident of the local sport climbing club.

Elysia began her adventure guiding career in Queenstown in the early 2000s, and from day one, she’s brought an incredible level of enthusiasm and energy to every group she leads. Her positivity is infectious, and she has a rare ability to make you feel like the most important person in the room when she’s speaking with you. In addition to her work as a hiking guide, Elysia has also worked as a heli-ski guide and a location scout in the film industry—bringing a wealth of experience and storytelling to every trip.