The Lifeblood and the Future of Mountain Valley

For us, our people are the lifeblood and the future of Mountain Valley. In keeping with the spirit of Mountain Valley, our philosophy is to create an environment in which our team can develop and take on new challenges, thereby enriching their own lives.

All of our senior staff are local people, whose love of the country and this remarkable region of mountains, forests and rivers is always evident in their work.

Unlike many operators, our senior guides live and work full time at Mountain Valley. They have a lifetime of experience on the river, in the bush or on a horse, and bring richness to our adventurous activities through their stories of the local history, culture and legend, its flora and fauna.

All of our guides have relevant qualifications and/or experience to support their positions, and all of our key team have current first aid certificates.

Meet some of our team below!

Carla Pedler- Senior Horse Guide
Carla has been a part of Mountain Valley for many years, with her family being residents of McVicar road for generations.

Carla's message to you: 
"Take some time out in the great countryside or try something new. Either way it's a great place to visit."

Aiden Edmonds - Horse Guide

I work alongside Carla to ensure the horses are happy, healthy and well tended...I also guide the treks here at Mountain Valley. My favourite trek is the 3 hour trek with lunch; we stop at an amazing lookout and have a picnic half way through the ride which goes through a lot of differing scenery. There is no better way to spend a day at work.

Aiden's message to you

"come to see this awesome peice of New Zealand!"

Deon Warren - Head of Aquatic Activities (his own words!) and Operation Manager

I'm responsible for anything that happens here on the rivers around Mountain Valley involving rafting & kayaking but also including fishing, river crossings, and swimming. I see myself as a 'real' Kiwi, who thrives on excitement in the outdoors. I enjoy meeting different types of people taking part in the variety of river work I do. As for Mountain Valley, it's 'Location, Location, Location'!

Deon's Message to You

"Come see some REAL Kiwis!"

 

 

Tracy Edmonds - Kitchen Duties and 'Housekeeper'

I take care of all of the accommodation at Mountain Valley, keeping it clean, tidy and in order. I am also one of the 2 masterminds behind Mountain Valley's hearty cuisine, spending a lot of time in the kitchen developing menus and preparing meals. I have been working at Mountain Valley for around 8 years now; the environment and people make this job the ideal one for me.

Tracy's message to you

"Come and indulge in everything Mountain Valley has to offer - there is something for everyone"

David Runga - AKA 'Bones'

Bones moved to the local district in the early 1970's and and started off his career by cutting scrub and bush, followed by forestry work and then road making. In 1985 Bones started helping to host river activities, rafting, kayaking, camping, hunting and fishing around the area. In 1997 Bones moved to Mountain Valley and has been helping to guide on the river, as well as assissting on many of the other activities Mountain Valley has to offer.

Bones' real forte and passion is Bone Carving and Mountain Valley is proud to showcase and sell his works of art.

 

 

Bones' message to you

"A place to come to find yourself"