Meet the ACTIVE team who run our South America outdoor adventure trips.

We started ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA with one thing in mind - to run the best active, outdoor adventure trips in South America, and we're now running trips in Peru, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Patagonia and Costa Rica.

Andrew after a bike ride... from Morocco to Paris.

Andrew Fairfax I started ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND in 1996. I originally trained to be an attorney, graduating with a BA in Political Studies and an Honours degree in Law. I discovered after a few months at a major New Zealand commercial law firm that I'm not really interested in life behind a desk, and promptly quit. I then decided to follow my life-long passion for the outdoors, and began working as an adventure guide. We've been running awesome active vacations in South America, New Zealand and Australia, and our many happy clients would agree that it's our mission to run the most active, adventurous trips no matter where we go in the world.

Phil exploring the Amazon Jungle

Phil Boorman I first travelled to South America in search of adventure when I was seventeen. I spent several years teaching and guiding overland expeditions through every country in South and Central America, focusing on Peru and Ecuador. In between my trips to South America, I worked as a guide for ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND. I was soon asking myself, "Why can't I show people the best South America and the Galapagos has to offer in an active adventurous way?" The answer is ACTIVE SOUTH AMERICA. Andrew and I have combined our passions for South America, adventure travel and outdoor pursuits to create the best active tours in Peru, Patagonia, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador.

Adrian hiking in Peru

Adrian Bailey When you pick up the phone, you'll most likely reach Adrian or Phil here in our main Pacific Office in Queenstown. Adrian is very much an outdoor enthusiast so he is always happy to chat about hiking, biking and kayaking. Originally from Wales, he has travelled the world competing in marathons and ultra marathons for more than a decade. If he’s not helping people plan their adventures to South and Central America, he’s training for the 100km race (that’s 62 miles!) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Dawn in Peru

Dawn Hamilton Dawn helps people from around the world prepare for their trips to South and Central America, drawing from her own extensive travel experience to answer questions that range from 'what can I expect hiking the Inca Trail?' right through to 'do I really need extra socks?' She's also a bit of a weekend warrior, often arriving in on a Monday with stories about her latest downhill mountain biking escapades!

Pablo hiking in Spain

Pablo Perez Pablo is responsible for making sure your trip runs as smoothly as possible. Originally from Spain, Pablo first travelled to Peru and Ecuador when he was just 16 and has been in love with South America ever since. He's travelled on five continents, lived and worked in five countries and speaks seven different languages! He's also a new father to baby Elina - possibly his biggest challenge yet!

Andres on a volunteer project

Andres More Piedra Andres runs our San José office and still leads many of our Iguana and Quetzal trips in Costa Rica. A man of many talents, Andres is not only an outstanding leader, but also a highly skilled kayaker and accomplished photographer and a member of the national Costa Rican rafting team, competing all over the world. As you'd expect there's not much he doesn't know about Costa Rica!

Since Andrew ran his first official ACTIVE trip in 1996, a lot of people have found their way to us - both clients and staff. We've become very successful, due in no small measure to the dedicated and professional guides who come to us, the interesting clients that our trips seem to attract, and the passion with which we tackle everything we do. We've avoided the temptation to grow indiscriminately, preferring to focus on areas we know intimately, and run a first class guiding operation.

Our seasoned operations team are all ACTIVE veterans, working year round in our main office in Queenstown - with logistics support in San José and Cuzco. This constant support ensures that your trip leader has everything he or she needs to make your trip flow as smoothly as humanly possible, given the vagaries of South American travel. Which is a polite way of saying that sometimes the locals run things on "island time." No worries - we know how to handle everything!