Meet the Team

Our staff are great with people and excellent role models. We employ instructors on the basis of their maturity, judgement, teaching experience and technical skills. All our instructors are qualified, have proven experience in outdoor pursuits, hold a current outdoor first aid certificate, driver’s license, and are trained in risk and crisis management. Our instructor qualifications include:

• NZOIA awards in rockclimbing, abseiling, kayaking, mountaineering and bushcraft
• NZRA raft guiding qualifications
• Project Adventure facilitation qualifications
• a variety of NZQA outdoor recreation standards

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Staff profiles

Ken Robertson - Manager

‘Let go, let God, and enjoy the adventure’

 Ken Robertson took the role of Managing BMAC in April 2016. He and wife Lynley moved here from Ngatea where Ken had been teaching primary industries topics in at Hauraki Plains College. Ken comes with a wide range of work experience from managing his own Logging business, developing and managing a horticulture business, outdoor instructing at Hillary Outdoors, Pastoring a small church, teaching and forestry training.
Kens desire is to develop the team at BMAC, encouraging each member to reach their potential and using the team’s wide range of skills, grow the programs and opportunities BMAC offers.  

 Ken is also a super keen Bee Keeper, all that honey, he is sure thats what keeps him sweet with Lynley!

Emma Smith- Service Manager 

Having moved over here in 2002 from North America Emma brings  her unique accent and training as a chef. She has a love of the  outdoors and a passion for horses. Taking 11 years out, to be a stay  at home Mum to her four busy kids, has been a joy and a test of her  organizational skills (and patience!).  After rejoining the work force  doing admin at a local hotel she has come to join our team. Being  married to the local plod gives her a unique insight into outdoor  activities - and how important it is to get things right so you don’t require  the services of Search and Rescue.  Having lived in the area over 10 years she has a lot of local knowledge and a great insight into the  local community. When she starts baking the locals tend to come round to share the goodies. 

 Instructing Staff 

Daniel Little - Operations Manager

'I love seeing people gain confidence in their own God-given abilities.'

Dans passion for the outdoors began on his mountain bike at age 13 when he was making jumps in his backyard. He later went on to complete a Certificate in Outdoor Leadership with Adventure Outdoors in Nelson. He has done stunt work for The Hobbit movies, won downhill mountain bike races and for fun takes his daughters off roading in his custom truck. Dan is our man who can!
Dan loves working with people in the outdoor environment and seeing them gain confidence in their own God-given abilities.

Claire Wyatt - Instructor

 'The ship in the harbor is safe; but that's not what it's built for.' 

Having trained and worked in several countries, Claire brings more than 20 years experience in the outdoors to BMAC. As well as her Outdoor experiences, Claire is a trained counsellor and adventure therapist, combining these skill sets to bring about the best outcomes for those she works with.
While Claire loves the Outdoors and will happily engage in any and all activities, she also loves running in the mountains and can sometimes be heard singing her heart out too!

 Stephen Ward - Instructor 

Stephen is our very own walking talking Soldier from The Salvation Army. He also brings his funny accent from the UK along with 10 yrs work experience in the outdoors over there. Not only does he love the outdoors he also teaches partnered dancing, loves gaming on pc or console and motorbiking round twisty roads!   He brings with him a relentless enthusiasm and optimism that the outdoors can have a positive impact on people’s lives if used well…….and a cookie monster onesie that he refuses to apologise for.

 Sally Dymond - Instructor 

 Sally grew up in the Deep South of the South Island before joining the Navy at the age of 17. After the Navy she studied to become a Resource Management Planner and spent time working in India, Christchurch and Tuvalu before deciding the corporate life wasn’t for her. Sally’s passion has always been about helping people see the best of themselves in our beautiful environment, so she changed tack and pursued a career as an Outdoor Instructor, building on her hobbies of rock climbing, tramping, mountain biking and whitewater kayaking. She joined the BMAC team in May 2016 and is growing a cult following for her “baby shark” dance.

  Patrick Finn - Instructor 

 Paddy comes to us all the way from Ireland, he brought his can do attitude, several years work experience doing everything from surfing to solo kayaking. He goes hard then he goes home, not to rest but to do more stuff. Paddy LOVES the outdoors! His passion is contagious and seemingly unlimited :-D