Tell us a bit about yourself:

“I was born in New Zealand which is truly one of the most beautiful countries on this planet. From as far back as I can remember I was fascinated by different countries and cultures and had this overwhelming desire to travel the world.

I met my soulmate and married at nineteen and headed straight off overseas on a massive adventure … which lasted nine wonderful years.

Our last stop before heading back to NZ was right here in Perth in 1986 for the Americas Cup. We instantly fell in love with this gorgeous city, beautiful beaches and warm weather … and just never left. My three amazing children aged 30, 28 & 27 were born here.

I am truly an ‘Adventurous Soul’ and have always had the philosophy that life is too short to sit around waiting for something to happen so I am always looking for new adventures, experiences and opportunities.

My friend’s call me a ‘serial career changer’ having worked in numerous roles over the years… as a waitress, barmaid, cashier, receptionist, bank clerk, accounts clerk, shipping clerk, sales rep, tax agent, travel agent, real estate agent and a wealth coach. My life is full and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As an adventurer and adrenalin junkie, I gained my Private Pilot’s licence at forty, trekked the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea at fifty and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania the following year. I have travelled the world, from Capetown to Casablanca and from Las Vegas to Lisbon, while exploring all the niches of the globe.

Since my children left home I have had more freedom to explore new places and have squeezed in some amazing experiences such as climbing Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia, Kalar Atar in Nepal, hiking the Sandakan Death March in Borneo and two years ago I walked three European Camino’s back to back, over 2400km on foot.

My other passion involves being an Adventure Trek Leader and taking groups of women to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, on the Kokoda Track in PNG, tramping and cycling in New Zealand and camping and hiking around Western Australia.

I’m known to be always looking for new adrenalin activities and have gone sky diving, white water rafting, bungy jumping, hot air ballooning, zip lining and even drove a Tuk Tuk around Sri Lanka for 20 days… that was certainly an adrenalin packed experience.

Last year I trained to become a Marriage Celebrant so that I could marry my daughter.
I have gone on to create many magical and memorable ceremonies for couples on the most wonderful day of their lives. I feel extremely blessed.

So what do I do in my spare time? Ha, Ha, I don’t have any spare time. My life is FULL.”

Where is your favourite holiday destination and why?

“My favourite holiday destinations both overseas and in Western Australia are anywhere I haven’t been before. I am an ‘explorer’ and experiencing new countries and cultures is my ultimate pleasure.

Although, a little plug here for my native New Zealand, one of the most beautiful and scenic countries on our planet and of course the “Adventure Capital’ of the world, Queenstown.

If I can find time for some relaxation in WA you’ll find me kayaking and snorkelling in the crystal clear waters of the Ningaloo Reef at Coral Bay.”

Your favourite Explore Tours Perth tour and why?

“I love our ‘Pinnacles and Lobster’ & ‘Best of Perth’ tours the most.

Watching our guests having the most fun ever sliding down the magnificent white sand dunes at Lancelin is the best. The squeals of laughter and pure joy on their faces makes me smile… and the same reaction as they wander amongst the Kangaroos and then play spot the Koala in Yanchep National Park, just makes my day. Then, to cap it off, a visit to the mystical lunar-like landscape of the Pinnacles… Awesome!

I love my role as a Chief Explorer and showing people the amazing backyard that I now call home.”

Wow, that’s quite a travel resume! Thanks Jazzy and we hope you continue to find adventure with us at ETP!

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Tell us a bit about yourself:

“I was born and bred in Perth, but my parents migrated here from South Africa. Before I was a chief explorer, I went to university here in Perth and studied Contemporary Arts. I then worked for Disney Cruise Lines in Florida as an entertainer on board. I loved that job because I got to travel the Caribbean and Mexico every day and do something I really enjoy, performing. After that, I worked as a travel agent then moved to Vancouver Canada on a Visa and worked at a dance academy.

In my spare time I love playing basketball, spending time with my friends & family and singing and dancing.”

Where is your favourite holiday destination and why?

“My favourite destination was San Francisco. I loved the hustle and bustle of the city but also being right near the water. The city had plenty of history and fantastic food. Also the architecture of some of the beautiful houses was incredible.”

What Is Your favourite Explore Tours Perth Tour?

“My favourite tour is Penguin Island & Caversham Wildlife Park. I love seeing all the animals and getting the ferry across the Shoalwater marine park. The look on the guests’ faces if they get a chance to see a dolphin is always worth it! Then eating a great lunch at Pengos, visiting Caversham wildlife park and ending the day with delicious chocolate from the chocolate factory.”

Why do you love being a tour guide with Explore Tours Perth?

“I love showcasing what WA has to offer, allowing people to see first hand, the country I was lucky enough to be born and raised in. Seeing the guests faces when they experience new things is amazing as well as being able to educate them.”

Thanks Cassie – we love having you on the team!

Find out more about all our Chief Explorers (tour guides) here, or book Cassie’s favourite tour below:

Book Your Penguin Island, Wildlife Cruise & Caversham Wildlife Park Tour Here:

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Tell us a bit about yourself:

“I grew up in the northern suburbs of Perth. I am a journalist at a local newspaper in the Swan Valley and Perth Hills region.
When I’m not writing for the paper or showing visitors around our beautiful City, I am on the trails in Perth Hills, trail running has opened my eyes to the beauty of my home, when you have pristine bushland and scenic trails on your doorstep it becomes addictive to discover new places on foot, see native animals and watch the wildflowers change throughout the seasons.”

Where is your favourite holiday destination and why?

“My husband and I spent two years between 2015 and 2017 travelling and working around the world.

We worked in Canada’s Rocky Mountains in the snowfields during winter and spent the summer on the lake teaching water sports at Summer Camp. We au-paired children and taught English in Spain for three months and bought a caravan to drive around the United States for more than four months, seeing 33 of 50 states.

We took three cruises, one across the Atlantic, one on the third biggest cruise ship in the world and one around Cuba, Jamaica and the Caymen Islands. We took Spanish classes in Mexico and backpacked there for five weeks. We did much more but from all of those places, my favourite country was Iceland. We were only there for three days but it was the most incredible place I have ever experienced.”

What Is Your Favourite WA Destination?

“I couldn’t pick a favourite place in Western Australia. Esperance, Karri Valley, Pemberton, Kalbarri, the Ningaloo Reef, Monkey Mia and Coral Bay are just a few. One day I really want to go hiking through Karijini National Park in the State’s north.”

What Is Your favourite Explore Tours Perth Tour?

“How can you have a favourite when every day in Perth can bring something different. I absolutely love to see the dolphins during our Penguin Island & Caversham Wildlife Park, every time is special.”

Why Are You A Tour Guide?

“I wanted to be a tour guide because the main thing I missed about travelling was meeting new people every day. The world has so much to offer but the best experiences come with spending time with people and sharing knowledge and culture.”

Thanks Claire, we love having on the Explore Tours Perth team!

Find out more about our intrepid group of Chief Explorers here or book Claire’s favourite tour below:

Book Claire’s Favourite Tour – Penguin island, Wildlife Cruise & Caversham Wildlife Park Tour:

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What do you do when not guiding tours?

“On my days off, I am with my family and being the ocean; paddleboarding, surfing and anything water based.”

Why do you love being a chief explorer?

“I love being a Chief Explorer because I get to experience my passion. I get to travel and I get to show people what I love about Western Australia and about Perth.”

What is your favourite tour?

Penguin Island & Caversham Wildlife Park is my favourite because we not only get to go out and experience the ocean and be on the boat but we get to educate people as well.  I hope that with the passion that I have, the people that are visiting take a little bit of that away with them. And a bit more conscious in the decisions that they make each day in their own lives.

Find out more about our intrepid group of Chief Explorers here or book Beck’s favourite tour below:

Book Beck’s Favourite Tour – Penguin Island & Caversham Wildlife Park Day Tour:

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Chief Explorer Erin has been a tour guide with Explore Tours Perth since November 2017 and we wanted to learn a bit more about her

Tell us a bit about yourself:

“I was born and raised in Perth, live here my whole life (8th generation West Aussie, have ancestors who were convicts from England in the Fremantle prison). I love going on holidays overseas, but do enjoy living and working in Perth.

I have Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and Conservation and Wildlife Biology and a Graduate Certificate in Protected Area Management. Currently, I am studying for my Masters in Geographic Information Science and remote sensing.

I love the natural environment and wildlife – especially the marine environment! I am also an Environmental Education Officer – going into schools teaching kids about the environment (frogs, long neck turtles, life cycles, waters ways, algae and pollution).

Previously, I have worked in conservation, leading teams of local and international volunteers in conservation projects all over the state (Perth region, Rottnest, Margaret River, Manjimup, Geraldton, Exmouth, Karratha, Kalgoorlie, the bungle bungles, east Arnhem Land in NT etc).

In my spare time, I am a bit of an artist (love oil painting), hobby photographer, baker, bike riding &, bushwalker. I also enjoy kayaking, swimming, the beach, snorkelling, also currently working on my Abseiling and canoeing instructor qualifications, and volunteering in local community conservation projects (tree planting, etc).

I have also been a member of Girl Guides( since I was 7.) and I am currently a leader of 2 units (girls 13+ years) in the Joondalup Region. I love Girl Guides and how the program helped me develop as a child and teenager and adult, and how I can now help younger girls to grow and develop. My favourite guiding activities: outdoor camping, hiking, campfires, cooking, making craft things, volunteering to help the community and the national and international Girl Guiding travel opportunities. I also spent 4 weeks in 2015 in India with the Girl Guides volunteering with school children in Pune, India.”

Where is your favourite holiday destination and why?

“It’s too hard to pick one! I loved travelling through Europe, loved the food in Paris, the history in Rome, Londons culture (and Harry Potter !!), sailing in Greece, the mountains in Switzerland, the Christmas markets in Berlin, and so the list goes on!

I loved my trip to India in 2015 volunteering with the Girl Guides over there, loved the food, people, culture, clothing and also seeing the Taj Mahal. Egypt is top of my bucket list.

My favourite place in Australia would have to be Coral Bay (the laid back tiny town lifestyle and the Ningaloo reef !)”

What Is Your favourite Explore Tours Perth Tour?

“I love them all haha! Definitely, Pinnacles & Lobster as there is lots of great WA scenery, lunch at the lobster shack in fun, the pinnacles are amazing, sandboarding is the best!! Yanchep National Park is also amazing and getting to see kangaroos in the wild !!!

Penguin Island & Caversham Wildlife Park is also amazing for the coastal and marine scenery and seeing the marine wildlife – penguins, stallions, dolphins, and lots of seabirds!”

Thanks, Chief Explorer Erin – happy travelling

Find out more about our intrepid group of Chief Explorers here or book Erin’s favourite tour below:

Book Erin’s Favourite Tour – Pinnacles & Lobster Day Tour:

The post Meet Chief Explorer Erin appeared first on Explore Tours Perth.

“I was born and grew up in England. I worked in Television Production as a Floor Manager in London. Got married and moved to Australia to work for the Channel 7 Network, based in Perth, as a Television Producer/Director. Moved back to England to work for BBC Television in The Sports and Events Department as an Executive Producer/Director working on a variety of Events, the Major ones including Formula One Motor Racing, Cricket, Horse Racing and Summer and Winter Olympics. Travelled all over The World with the BBC. Became a Freelance Producer/Director continuing to work on Cricket and Formula One around The World. Moved back to Perth and continued to work overseas mainly in India, Hong Kong and The Middle East. Worked on The Commonwealth Games in India and recently on The Gold Coast.

I have worked with many famous Musicians, Actors and Commentators over the years too numerous to mention.

I am married with 2 Children, a son based in Sydney who is an Airline Pilot with Qantas, and a Daughter who lives in City Beach. We live on 5 acres in The Perth Hills with a Clydesdale Horse, 2 Miniature Donkeys, 3 beautiful Rescue Dogs and various other dependent Magpies and Galahs.

What Do You Do In Your Spare Time?

Not much spare time with my TV and Tour Guide work and looking after our 5 acres. My hobbies, if you can call them that, are working around our property and taking care of our animals.

Where is your favourite holiday destination and why?

I don’t do a lot of holidays. Having spent most of my working life being away from home, and travelling extensively, my idea of a holiday is being at home with all my animals. However, when a TV work project comes up, I am always happy to get on an aeroplane and travel to another challenging and interesting location. I particularly love Asian Countries, Argentina and Japan. Everything in those countries is so different from our “western” way of Life.

What is your favourite Explore Tours Perth tour and why?

My favourite tour is Penguin Island and Caversham Wildlife Park. As an animal lover, I always enjoy seeing all the Penguins, Dolphins and Sea Lions at Penguin Island and all the Australian Native Animals at Caversham.

I enjoy working as a Tour Guide when I am not involved with a TV project. I like showing visitors around Perth and our state, and enjoy sharing my knowledge with them of the places that we visit, including the history element of Perth and Western Australia.”

Thanks Keith

Find out more about our intrepid group of Chief Explorers here.

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Martin has a passion for Western Australia and travel and loves to share this with his Explorers. We asked him to tell us a bit about himself…

“I grew up in the Western Australian north-west and I currently live in the Swan Valley, nearby to Perth.  I have a passion for travel, nature and other cultures, every five years or so I try to travel to other places for 6 months to a year. As a traveler, I am proud of the great city of Perth and the state of WA and love to show off the little hidden gems that are everywhere.

Where is your favourite holiday destination?

“My favourite holiday destinations… Anywhere I haven’t been! Just to be able to experience what others do. We are all on the same planet and it is a large place, it would take a lifetime to experience what is out there. Nothing beats the tastes, smells and exceptional beauty of our planet has to offer.

What’s your favourite Explore Tours Perth tour?

“The Best of Perth Day Tour would have to be my favourite tour to run; for the variety and getting to know our customers or Penguin Island for exceptional wildlife.

Come and explore WA with us, you won’t be disappointed.”

Thanks so much Martin and thank you for sharing your passion with everyone you meet!

Find out more about our intrepid group of Chief Explorers here.

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Sue is a genuine adventurer who loves travelling and has just come back from a mammoth world trip! We asked Sue to tell us a bit more about herself, her background and her top places to visit.

“I was born in Toronto, Canada, and first came to Australia in 1981 for “working holiday after university”. Then, I met my husband who was from Ireland in Alice Springs and the rest is history! We have three adult children (aged 27, 25 and 23), a furbaby Cooper and two grand-furbabies Kyah and Loki.

My previous jobs were office work including the most recent 12 years as a database administrator for a mining software company. I have also worked as an ESL Teacher at Curtin University (English as a Second Language) teaching international students. I have been working subsequently as a tour guide for 8 years.

I love keeping fit mainly through running, swimming and outdoor gym workouts. As a member of Quinns Mindarie Surf Life Saving club, I do regular patrols (volunteer surf lifesaver) and participate in regular fitness training. I also participate in our in-club competitions and compete at Masters Level in both WA and Australia-wide competitions.

What I like to do in spare time are day hikes, abseiling (including off the Central Park and Woodside buildings in Perth for charity), caving, kayaking and geocaching. As multi day/overnight trips, I enjoy hikes (Bibbulmun Track, Cape to Cape, Great Ocean Road, Tasmania), bus trips including various hikes and other activities (Ningaloo, Kakadu, outback). I love travelling overseas too and have visited Mt Kilimanjaro, Camino de Santiago de Compostella (Spain) and Bali (cultural experiences and hiking out of Ubud).

Yes, I LOVE travelling, exploring new places and experiencing other cultures. My most interesting trips were:

• Multi-day hiking and sea kayaking trips in Alaska for a month;
• Trekking Mera Peak in Nepal;
• South Africa;
• Sailed/crewed tall ship HMB Endeavour Replica on a 2 week voyage from Broome to Exmouth, and another from Albany to Port Lincoln, plus multiple day sails when she was in Perth a few years ago;
• Sailed/crewed on tall ship Duyfken replica for a month from Port Hedland to Fremantle then a couple of multi-day trips last year sailing north from Hillarys to Dirk Hartog Island;
• Feb-March 2017: 1 week hiking Patagonia followed by 52 days sailing/crewing on tall ship Bark Europa to Antarctica. Departed Ushuaia in Argentina, headed south and hiked on South Shetland Islands, Antarctica mainland, South Georgia, before sailing up to Cape Town (I could talk all day about this one – absolutely amazing!)

So where is my favourite holiday destination?

It is very hard to choose a favourite because they are all so very different. Even when I have loved a trip, I am very unlikely to repeat it because there are so many other places to explore. The highlight at the moment would have to be my recent sail to Antarctica, which was incredible on so many levels. The unspoiled scenery in that part of the world is truly magnificent from snow-covered mountains to massive glaciers to magnificent volcanoes and of course the millions of icebergs of all shape and sizes.

However, what was even better than that would have to be the wildlife experiences. These wonderful creatures have no fear of people, so I had amazing up-close-and-personal experiences with thousands of penguins (5 different species), fur seals including curious little pups, elephant seals, and a multitude of birds like albatrosses, petrels etc. I also relished the challenge and excitement of sailing the ship, 24 hours a day with my fellow crew members (from all parts of the world) both voyage crew like myself, and the professional crew. The sea conditions in the Southern Ocean were quite varied and we certainly got some of the wildest seas imaginable!

As Chief Explorer with Explore Tours Perth, I enjoy all three of the tours I have done thus far. They are all excellent in different ways. What I like best is sharing these wonderful places and experiences with our guests, and sharing in their enjoyment, excitement and/or awe as they enjoy them for the first time!”

Thanks for sharing your story, Sue!

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“I was born and raised in Perth’s northern suburbs by Dutch parents who originally came to Australia by “assisted passage” in 1968. I married a New Zealand born Dutch guy (who I met here in Perth) and we have 3 adult children (aged 23, 21 and 19). I was a stay-at-home mum for most of those years until recently when I decided to get my bus driver’s licence.

I worked for a school bus charter company driving school children around for about a year and then decided I needed a job which showed more of my personality and that’s when I stumbled across Explore Tours Perth which has turned out to be an amazing job. I spend my days with people who are in “holiday mode” and generally relaxed and happy and I get paid to share my passion and enthusiasm for our local attractions and have a fun day out! What more could a girl want?!!

I love the outdoors, camping, beach walks and swims (with my dog!), driving, cooking and sewing.  My husband and I recently spent 5 weeks driving from Darwin to Perth with a caravan and my favourite spot in WA would have to be the Kimberley Region (northern part of WA). Everything about the Kimberleys is extreme: it’s extremely hot, extremely wet (when it rains), extremely rugged and red and extremely beautiful with stunning landscapes, waterfalls, gorges and sunsets. Don’t be put off by the temperatures up there as they add to the flavour of your holiday, honest! My favorite overseas country to date is New Zealand – the scenery is breathtaking, the lakes are crystal clear with amazing colours and the hot springs are heavenly to dip into! So far I’ve only visited the south island and hope to do a trip around north island soon.

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