Meet Our Team

We have selected a dynamic team of supportive, resourceful, experienced and highly organised people to lead our trips.

We have enormous respect for our program and tour leaders. They are inspiring people with extensive experience in the countries we visit, who share a deep respect for the people and cultures, a fascination with local history, and an awareness of contemporary issues and politics.Our trip leaders are people in whom you can trust, who remain objective whatever the circumstances, and who take a genuine interest in your wellbeing and safety. They implicitly understand the importance of balancing the needs of individuals with group objectives, facilitating group dynamics, inspiring a genuine appreciation for the areas visited and an awareness of minimum impact travel ethics. All of our leaders are trained in wilderness or remote travel first aid, group leadership and risk assessment/management.

In non-English speaking countries, local English-speaking guides accompany us for sections of each trip, offering a unique source of knowledge to help you get the most out of your travels. In New Zealand and Australia your trips leaders are real ‘Kiwis’ and ‘Aussies’ with a passion for their countries and the ability to impart unique insight.

	Scott Burnett is a Director of Pacific Discovery. He is focused on sharing with others, his love of travel, the outdoors and adventure. His resourcefulness, professionalism, and calm, thoughtful but fun-loving approach are appreciated by all. His extensive travels in Asia have resulted in a keen interest in Southeast Asian geography, environments, history and the current socio-political climate, which he is pursuing with university courses in Development Studies. He has run his own construction business and guided small group adventures since 1998. Scott is also a rock-climbing instructor and enjoys photography, mountain sports, people and coffee.
	Rachel Sanson is a Director of Pacific Discovery. She spent four years sailing the world (and 50+ countries) pursuing her interest in environmental education, after graduating with a Masters degree from Canterbury University, New Zealand. Rachel has worked with people from all over the world, loves immersing herself (and her groups) in different cultures and travels with a passion. When not 'on the road' she’s based in Nelson, New Zealand, with Scott and their son, Kahurangi, and can frequently be found kicking the dirt up on local mountain bike tracks or her heels up on the tango floor.
	Jennie Wilson first set foot in Asia in 1988. Travelling well off the beaten track in Sulawesi, and a thirst to see more of the world, inspired her to wrap up her life in New Zealand and go in search of new challenges. She found them in Cambodia, as an education advisor for Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA), and then as project manager on a UNHCR education programme in a remote northern Cambodia. While living in Cambodia for 4 years, Jennie and Roger took every opportunity to travel throughout Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Burma. The whole experience enriched and broadened her understanding of Southeast Asia's cultural heritage, history and the diversity of the people living in this region. Jennie's passion for education and Cambodia, inspired her to initiate Books for Cambodia.
	Roger Wilson’s background is in small business management. He enjoys the personal challenge of adventurous travel, and thrives in the outdoors. At age 50, Roger was selected by VSA to work in Cambodia on a 2-year community development project where he established and trained development committees in over 30 subsistence level rural villages. He followed this with a further 2 years as project coordinator of a UNHCR emergency aid project in central and northern Cambodia. This work gave him the opportunity to really get to know and love this extraordinary country. Learning and speaking Khmer helped him make many friends within Cambodia. Roger and Jennie also spent 1 year in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, developing educational resources and a skills training programme.
	Janine Martig nurtures the view that the only reason for having a proper job is to be able to afford to take time off to travel and tantalize her senses with new experiences. Having spent her formative years eating mangoes in an old tin bath out in the monsoon rains and mopping dahl off banana leaves in Orissa, India, she is now well on her way to mastering the knife and fork. Janine is incredibly experienced having worked and traveled all over the world. She has an infectious passion for the uniqueness of people and the moments in which you encounter them. Currently she is interspersing full-time study with mountain and coastal running, writing, teaching, photography and overseas adventures.
	Hillary Sites, a former participant, developed a love for travel as a young child accompanying her adventurous parents on expeditions through South America, Australia and Africa, searching for reptiles. Hillary holds a B.S. from the University of Oregon and an M.A. from New York University where she specialized in human rights education and social theory. She has spent time working with various NGOs in Brazil, focusing her energy on projects that work closely with children. Fascinated by what mediates social interaction and being a prolific reader she has a desire to constantly learn new things, teach, and travel for the rest of her life.
	Leo Smith previously worked as a high school teacher and an outdoor instructor in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Thailand, before her unquenchable thirst and enthusiasm for travel led her to Pacific Discovery, where she now gets to share what she loves, namely experiential travel - immersing herself in different cultures, meeting new people, enjoying exotic food, and having lots of adventures. Leo has a degree in Sport and Recreation, majoring in outdoor instruction and a post-graduate teaching diploma. Leo is wonderful company, organized, professional, nurturing and fun.
	Melissa Raftery, a former participant of both the New Zealand/Australia and Southeast Asia student programs, so impressed us with her zest for life, ability to connect with people from all walks and cultures, and passion for sharing her knowledge and experience of the outdoors and travel, that we invited her back as a leader. She has worked many summers as a raft guide in Maine, has taught special needs high-school kids and (when not on the road with us) works for an outdoor equipment company, Guyot Designs. In pursuit of sensory delights and thrills, she has been found picking organic coffee in Hawaii, rafting the Grand Canyon, and home-staying with friends in Cambodia.
	Aaron Agnew, is excellent company - empathetic, approachable, relaxed and fun.If you were stranded on a desert island and had to choose one person, Aaron would be hard to beat. He is a very experienced educator and has worked as an outdoor instructor in six countries, from the Swiss Alps to the Canadian Artic. He has recently finished three years as an instructor with New Zealand Outward Bound, where his professionalism, dependibility and passion for adventure were highly valued.
	Adam Beecham, a former participant of our student programs, has spent much of the past seven years living, working, and travelling abroad after graduating with a degree in Communications. While teaching English in China for 2 years, Adam picked up a love for international cuisine, cultures and languages. Returning to the US for graduate study in Mandarin and International Relations, Adam was sidetracked and began a new adventure working and living in Mexico while managing a beach hostel in Baja - where his culinary, linguistic and surfing skills developed further.
	Craig Allen (here with his lovely wife Sophie) grew up surfing and kayaking around New Zealand. On completing a post graduate diploma in Marine Science he spent 6 months exploring the beaches and rivers of Australia’s east coast. Craig has travelled and worked extensively throughout Asia and South America - including a mammoth cycle touring trip through China, Laos and Vietnam, and 3000km cycling up the spine of the Andes. Craig is currently balancing his passion and work leading groups in the outdoors, with his new role as a Dad. On his return from Southeast Asia this Spring he'll embark on his masters thesis in hydrology and water resources. Craig is an outstanding trip leader with the ability to connect with anyone.
	Katharine Mckinnon, PhD, teaches in the Department of Human Geography at Macquarie University in Sydney. Her research focuses on development issues in Southeast Asia, and she travels to the region as often as she can to keep up with what is happening in the lives of the communities she works with. She loves any activity that takes her away from the city into the mountains, or onto the ocean. She is academic coordinator for all classes offered on the Southeast Asia program and when time permits, she leads trips, where she's able to share her considerable experience, passion for, and insights of the areas, with our groups.

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Scotty and Rachel are amazing leaders. They are excellent at their jobs, fun, knowledgeable, and all-in-all just terrific at what they do.
Megan Bollig

I have no hesitation in recommending Rachel and Scott. Their organisation of my school trip to Cambodia was faultless.
Mary Greenland

Scotty, I think you are one of the best guides and leaders I have ever encountered. Also, one of the most amazing people too. You made the trip what it was, and no one takes that for granted.
Jane Butter

Rachel was excellent in every way. There's no better person for the job!
Bidi White

You couldn't find better tour guides than Roger and Jennie!
Bill Grable

Jennie and Roger are a great team to travel with. They have the energy of 20 year olds and the knowledge of sages. Their style of leadership gives the team a true family feeling.
Geraldine and Declan Mordaunt

Couldn't ask for better leaders than Jenny and Roger.
Rosalie Rangi

I feel privileged to have shared Jennie and Roger's Southeast Asia with them.
Adrienne Blackmore

JANINE IS MY HERO! I love her. She is incredibly inspiring in how she lives her life
Haley Walker

Hillary was lots of fun and very knowledgeable on a wide range of things. I Loved her positive energy and general excitement to be there, no matter where we were.
Jillian Forte

Leo was great, super chill, and an inspiration outdoors!
Emily Robin

Mels has such an absolute love for life and is such a free spirit that you can't help but want to be a bit more like her with each passing day!
Julie Walton

Mels was the perfect leader that I never thought existed. She's SO patient, kind, caring, knowledgeable, hilarious, responsible, and FUN.
Kerry Gaiz

Aaron, man what can I say, awesome guy!. His enthusiasm was contagious.
Mike Keenan

Adam was amazing!!! I love Adam, I couldn't have asked for a better group leader.
Caity Feindt

Craig was one of the best parts of the trip. He was approachable, fun, knowledgable and very organized. He could turn any day into an adventure and I always felt comfortable and safe with him. He know's what he is doing, had great communication with the group, and was a blast to have around.
Elizabeth Zwald

I loved Kat and loved having her as a teacher.
Megan Boyeas

Meet Our Team

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