About the NZCA

Originally from Wales in the UK, Rach has been based in Frankton, Queenstown since 2019 . She has worked as an outdoor guide since 2011, specifically a canyon guide in Queenstown for 2 years.

A qualified arborist, she’s hanging on a rope at work as well as at play, and in her spare time is a Canyon SAR volunteer for the Wanaka Swiftwater Rescue Team.

Rach played an important role in the 2024 NZ Canyoning Festival at Makarora, particularly organising the festival T-shirts and raffle. 

Richard was a dynamo of enthusiasm for canyoning in the top of the south, exploring extensively throughout the region.  His vision for more canyoning in the area led to him running the 2018 Festival in St Arnaud, Nelson Lakes.

Richard’s other key contribution was in Canyon SAR. He saw the need to get better organised, and pitched the case to Land Search and Rescue NZ, to allow NZCA to be officially recognised as an associate member, and Canyoning as a specialist discipline.  He spent several years coordinating the new funding and responsibilities, before handing the SAR coordinator’s role  to Oli Polson. 

Tom was a rock climber once, and a caver, and sometimes climbed mountains. He even occasionally got in a boat and floated down rivers. Then he heard about the sport of canyoning and since then he has been busy mashing all of these skills into a rubbersuit.

Tom has done some canyons, not enough to be an expert (he’s wholly unqualified), but enough to consider himself an enthusiast. He even bought a Hilti and like a rubber clad sheep rustler, stole many fine first descents from other people. That’s a horrible mental image isn’t it.

Currently based in Christchurch, and loves canyoning in the Canterbury foothills and the Southern Alps at large, he would like to keep exploring canyons expanding his skill set and trying to encourage more people to take up the sport.

Pete has helped NZCA in particular with bolting standards development, and support to canyoning in the upper north island. 

Pete is a recreational caver and canyoner, and spends many weekends either with his caving club or canyonning with his good mates. An active member of the Auckland Speleo Group + also on the clubs committee, he has travelled all over NZ many times, caving and canyoning.

Pete started selling canyoning gear over 9 years ago, because he couldn’t find a bag that drained quickly enough. He made the first prototype, and the rest followed. Now he spends his time making new products, prototypes and importing quality goodies from all over the world for the sports he loves.

Pete spent many years climbing, predominantly in the UK and Europe, prior to taking up canyoning. With a real interest in caving + canyoning, the friends, adventure and discovery are the things that keep his interest. He has pioneered many first descents with close buddies around his local area + in the Coromandel etc.

Currently interested in building a good community of skilled mates and having all the fun he can squeeze into life.

General committee members do not have any specific responsibilities, but offer advice to the rest of the commitee as well as helping with specific projects when needed. 

Chris has assisted the NZCA running Canyon SAR courses and support to festivals and general debates on the executive.

I have been canyoning on and off since 2008, mostly recreational with some commercial guiding thrown in for good measure! I guess I am best known as a caver, but I was initially a rock climber that got drawn into caving and white water kayaking when I was an instructor at the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre.

These sports combined my love for water, rocks, ropes and adventure. When introduced to canyoning I realised it ticked all the boxes with the bonus of jumping off high things into the water! My caving background has taught me a lot about rigging and about pushing myself physically and mentally along with the buzz of exploring unknown areas, something I am keen to do in the canyon world. Kayaking taught me to respect and learn to understand the power of white water which gives me an advantage when navigating big water canyons. I am also the training and safety coordinator for the New Zealand Speleological Society (caving), where I have led many rigging and rescue courses.

I also help run LandSAR/caveSAR courses, teaching vertical rope rescue skills which transferred onto SAREXs where I have performed roles as a team member and team leader.

Andy assisted the NZCA in developing our Safety Mangement Plan, alongside other committee members such as Grant Prattley and Dan Clearwater. 

I’ve been actively encouraging friends and colleagues into the sport, and supported the Canterbury Sections first meet in 2017, and am keen to develop the community side of canyoning within Christchurch to pull together like-minded adventurers for some social events.

I’m equally passionate about introducing people to canyoning in a responsible manner, encouraging best practice, environmental stewardship and appreciation of the unique geology and ecology of our native bush; and am committed to ensuring access is maintained to existing canyons where landowner concerns over safety and liability may lead to excessive risk mitigation measures in the future. 

My expertise in safety leadership, safety legislation, sociology and psychology have already provided the associat ion with credible expertise in the development of the SMP for both the 2016 and 2018 festivals; and is something I’m keen to continue with, as well as supporting the Technical Officer in advocating for safe canyoning practices and education programmes for newbies.

Annette contributed a number of submissions to the Department of Conservation relating to NZCA and canyoning, such as the Wellington CMS, Paparoa National Park Management Plan, Griffin Creek and McCulloghs creek hydro scheme consents. 

With multiple seasons of canyon guiding and canyon exploration in New Zealand which started in 2005, Annette travelled to Europe to further her canyoning education; as at time there were no canyon specific qualifications available in New Zealand. She studied with the Commission International de Canyon, to gain the top level canyon guide qualification and returned to New Zealand to continue guiding and was then also involved in the development of the NZOIA canyon qualifications, and was appointed as an assessor. Even with the abundance of outdoor recreation already available in New Zealand, canyoning remains Annette’s number one favourite. This gives her high motivation to help the growth of canyoning in this country and encouraging New Zealander’s to also embrace it and be part of the sport at all levels. Annette was part of a four-person team that completed the first descent of Gloomy Gorge in New Zealand, which has attracted the attention of the international media.