Our Team

KATIE CAMPBELL

Meet Katie, a seasoned hiking tour guide with 19 years of experience under her belt. As head guide, Katie knows every twist and turn of the Flinders Ranges, Lord Howe Island, Grampians, and Larapinta. With her charismatic comedic charm and a knack for spinning an entertaining story for any occasion, she makes every hike unforgettable.
Off the trails, Katie is a trivia night MVP, thanks to her vast repository of quirky facts. When she's not guiding adventurers through Australia's stunning landscapes, you'll find her soaking up farm life on Phillip Island with her horses, surfing, hitting the golf course, or cheering on Collingwood. Katie’s passion for wildlife and the great outdoors is infectious.

DAVID HEAP

David’s love of nature and walking, equipped with 30 years of working as a physiotherapist, makes him invaluable on the track. With his wife Kathleen, David guides Red Centre, Larapinta and everywhere in Tasmania. As our Flinders Island local, David is an integral part of our Group-guided and Self-guided walks on the island. We know that wherever David is our walkers will be happy and well taken care of. When not guiding David is assisting us in creating and introducing new walking holidays.

MEREL DALEBOUT

Merel is an experienced outdoor guide with a passion for exploration and adventure. Her deep knowledge of the natural world and her enthusiasm for the great outdoors make her an exceptional guide, inspiring and educating those who join her. Merel also plays a key role in developing new unique and engaging walks for Auswalk. Her favourite walk is the Tour du Mont Blanc, a breathtaking trek that circles the Mont Blanc massif. This trail captures Merel's love for majestic landscapes, physical endurance, and the camaraderie that comes from sharing such extraordinary experiences with others. When not on land, Merel works for a ultra-luxury cruise company, as an educator and submarine pilot in the polar regions and tropical waters.

MARIE KILLEEN

Marie has been guiding for Auswalk since 2009! She was a secondary school teacher for 25 years before going back to study at 50 to gain qualifications in Toursim Management specalising in Eco Tourism. Marie takes her role seriously, caring for and ensuring that all our lovely walkers have a fun and enriching experience and due to our many repeat walkers it often feels like welcoming family back each trip. Maries favourite trip is Lord Howe Island and for very good reason - endemic plants and animals, crystal clear water, coral reefs and friendly people and ofcourse views everywhere you look. Off the track Marie likes to indulge her creative side with embroidery, craft and gardening.

PAUL KILLEEN

You’ll know you’re in safe hands with Paul, having worked for 38 years as an Electronic Engineer and Risk Manager. Paul joined the Auswalk team around 2016 guiding many of our Australian walks with his wife Marie. He loves sharing his knowledge about the things you’ll find out on the track – the interesting, the obvious and the not so obvious. Paul enjoys his role as a motivator supporting walkers to do and see things they wouldn’t get to experience on their own. His favourite walk is Lord Howe Island as it really does tick all the boxes. Ocean, mountains and great weather! If Pauls your guide you’ll leave with more than just fantastic memories as he’s also a very skilled photographer. When not on the track Paul enjoys music and gardening.

KATHLEEN IVES-HEAP

You’ll often find Kathleen guiding with her husband David in the Red Centre, Larapinta or anywhere in Tasmania. They have been living and guiding on Flinders Island since 2007 and are a key part of both our Group-Guided and Self-Guided trips there. Among Kathleen's favourite walks are Mt Strzelecki (you can see her home from the top) and Mt Amos as that’s where they were married! Kathleen is a passionate therapeutic yoga instructor and a music teacher so be prepared for a good stretch and a singalong on the bus!

GEORGIE BEALE

Georgie has a deep connection with the Great Ocean Walk, having grown up calling this wild and wonderful section of coastline home. With 25 years experience in coastal management, conservation and education Georgie sees her guiding as a culmination of all the skills she has gained throughout her career. Her specialty and favourite walk is of course the Great Ocean Walk, offering Auswalker's unique insights that only a local could know! Georgie loves witnessing the awe and excitement of our walkers and is passionate about making their experience unforgettable. Georgie enjoys spending her time with family and loves a good music festival!

MICHELLE WHITEHOUSE

Michelle is our go-to guide for all things Carnarvon Gorge. Following the completion of her Outdoor Education and Nature Tourism Degrees in 2013 she has been guiding ever since in locations like Kangaroo Island, Uluru Katja Juta and Outback Queensland. Carnarvon Gorge stole Michelle’s heart in 2016 and is now her ‘office’, her home, and her favourite walking destination. From cultural sites to paddling platypus, Michelle loves showing our walkers the diverse landscapes of Carnarvon while bonding over a shared love of the Australian bush. When not guiding Michelle can be found walking her two kelpies.

CHRIS DONAGHY

With nearly 30 years experience in vocational education as trainer, manager and consultant, Chris seized the opportunity to retrain in 2022 in Outdoor Leadership, and puts all his experience to good use as a hiking and rafting guide (for both big and little people!). Our walkers enjoy his expertise (and love of meeting people!) when hiking the Three Capes and Great Ocean walks. Chris cites the Three Capes hike as among the most spectacular in Australia: 'when you're looking at the rock formations, it feels like being a pebble in the land of giants'. Alongside his passion for the great outdoors, Chris is ever hopeful his football team (of the round ball variety) will counter their apparent aversion to winning, and is on tenterhooks to see if Scotland can ever win a major soccer tournament. Luckily his love of live music helps Chris deal with this ongoing disappointment.

NAOMI

Naomi swapped laptops for landscapes and hasn’t looked back. Originally from Melbourne, with stints in Europe and around Australia, she’s always had a bit of an adventurous streak. These days, Naomi guides tours through some of the country’s most remote and spectacular places— hiking gorges, swimming in hidden waterholes, and sharing stories along the way. “I carry a deep respect for the Traditional Custodians and the connection they have to land, water, and story. It’s a privilege to swap yarns and walk these landscapes with guests; nothing beats seeing people fall in love with this country.”

ERIC WARD

Eric has lead walking and cycling tours in South America, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Japan. his leadership skills have also taken him into the water as a white-water kayaker and professional rafting guide – leading the first commercial 12 day white water rafting adventure down the Franklin River in Tasmania. It’s safe to say he knows his way around a map being a topographic mapping expert. No maps are needed for Eric on the Great Ocean Walk – a walk he’s been guiding for more than a decade. His favourite walk is the Grampians Peaks Trail for the challenge and unique mountains. Away from guiding, Eric enjoys mountain biking and travelling with friends and family.

BRETT NEAGLE
CEO

Brett has always taken the path less travelled, having lived and worked overseas in Africa, India, Brazil and Europe. He had his first taste of walking in the Himalayas and the Andes on the Inca trail in the 80s and hasn’t stopped since. Prior to Auswalk, Brett worked as a counsellor for youth in the justice system. His love of exploring brought him back into the tourism industry where Brett grew Auswalk from offering a handful of Australian walks to now offering hundreds of walks all over the world. Brett’s favourite walk is always the last one he walked – recently he returned to Nepal and researching new trips in Japan, Croatia and Turkey.

TASH PORTER (THE REAL BOSS)
OPERATIONS MANAGER

Tash’s extensive experience in the travel and tourism industry, a passion for living a healthy lifestyle and her eye for detail makes her the perfect fit for Operations Manager at Auswalk. Tash leads the team of Destination Consultants, overseeing the entire process from enquiry to delivery. She works out the logistics of new walks and creates and maintains processes to ensure that everything runs smoothly in the office and out on the tracks for our walkers. Tash’s favourite walk is the Nakasendo in Japan, due to the beauty and simplicity of the countryside and the incredible cuisine. When not at Auswalk, travelling or cooking up a storm at home, you’ll often find Tash at hot pilates, seeing live music, watching a foreign film, or visiting the theatre.

PADDY SCOTT
HEAD OF SALES & MARKETING

A lifelong passion for walking was sparked at just eight years old during a trip to Nepal, a country Paddy has since returned to an incredible eleven times. This deep-seated love for exploration paved the way for a career spanning over 25 years in the travel industry. Beginning as a walking guide, Paddy led trips across the globe, accumulating a wealth of experience that includes visiting all seven continents and over 75 countries. This extensive first hand knowledge makes Paddy a natural fit as Auswalk's Head of Marketing, bringing a genuine understanding of what creates an unforgettable walking holiday. When not inspiring others to travel, Paddy loves to cook, trying out new recipes inspired by his global adventures.

ANNE BLOCKLEY
DELIVERY TEAM MANAGER

Anne provides invaluable training and support to our Destination Consultants to help them reach their full potential, as well as supporting the ongoing development of the business. She has owned businesses, has a couple of grown-up kids and has a real passion for customer care. A great lover of walking and being out in nature, the Auswalk Mont Blanc, Japan and the UK walks are all on her bucket list. With 10 trail marathons and numerous half marathons under her belt, alongside weekends spent mostly training, she's likely to conquer them in record breaking time and barely break into a sweat!

DAN GREEN
GROUP GUIDED MANAGER

Dan is a man of many talents having worked as a Arborist, conservation officer and as a Ski patroller combining this with guiding for several years and is highly experienced and knowledgeable. For the last few years he has taken on the full time role as Groups manager. His experience as a guide and attention to safety are second to none. He has also travelled the world and found his home in Australia more than 20 years ago, having been born in England. Outside of Auswalk he keeps fit, tries to get outside as much as possible and plays guitar when he can't.

JACKIE SEARS
GROUP-GUIDED COORDINATOR

Jackie is one of Auswalk’s Group Guided coordinators. In 2017 Jackie joined Auswalk swapping a 15 year career in the corporate finance world for her dynamic role organising all of the logistics and back of house arrangements for our Group Guided trips. Jackie has travelled extensively overseas, including working and living in the UK for many years. Equipped with her caravan, 2 kids and her husband, Jackie is now ticking off wild and wonderful destinations in Australia - her favourite being Kings Canyon Rim Walk in the NT. If you ever need an extra person for music trivia Jackie is your girl with an amazing ability to remember any and all song lyrics!

IAN LANDY
SALES TEAM

Ian has spent his life encouraging people to enjoy exercise and the great outdoors, having previously worked as an Outdoor Education Teacher and in Sports Administration. As an Auswalk Destination Consultant, he thrives by helping people to live out their walking dreams. He loves the Flinders Ranges walk with landscape like no other - amazing sunrises, geography and scenery. In his words, a true nature experience with little human impact. Ian's your man to talk about Flinders Island, the Great Alpine Walk, Mornington Peninsula, the Caminos, Coast to Coast, Mont Blanc and Queen Charlotte. Being an avid sports fan he will happily talk about that too!

KAREN SCHARNBOCK
SALES TEAM

Karen has worked in the travel industry for 16 years, selling every mode of transport from cruises to rail and now walking! She’s an avid traveller, having visited all 7 continents, including Antarctica. Karen has lived in the UK and Canada, where she picked up an interest in ice hockey. She’s also a big Collingwood supporter and hopes that admission doesn't scare off other AFL fans. Karen likes to combine her passion for travel with her love for live music — she once flew all the way to Ireland just to attend a concert!

KRISTYN WARD
SALES TEAM

Kristyn comes to Auswalk with a wealth of experience in the travel and sales industry. She’s visited 38 countries and counting, often veering off the tourist path to explore “less trendy” regions like Morocco, Brunei and Borneo. Kristyn's favourite destination is Kerala in South India, where she spent a week working with baby goats on a farm. Wildlife plays a big part in where Kristyn chooses to travel — she sponsors animals that she's met across the world, from Orangutans in Borneo to Elephants in Thailand.

BELLA NOLAN
DESTINATION CONSULTANT

A customer service pro, Bella's worked in the specialty for 11 years, across hospitality, local government and travel/tourism. Working on both Domestic and International walks at Auswalk, Bella loves the challenge of creating a customer's perfect trip - and says it's like putting together pieces of a puzzle. Being born and bred on the Mornington Peninsula, its walk is very close to her heart with its nostalgic and homely feel - a spot you'll often find her enjoying beach walks with her pampered pooch Yuki, burning off all the calories from her baking! Bella's our guru for the Bibbulmun, Cape to Cape, Great Ocean Walk, Abel Tasman, Bay of Islands and Provence holidays amongst others!

PIPER DIXON
DESTINATION CONSULTANT

Piper is one of our Japan destination consultants, originally from New Zealand’s South Island. Piper spent two years living in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture teaching English before moving to Melbourne to work at Auswalk! Her top travel destination is, of course, Japan. Her favourite hidden gem is Yamadera Temple. A serene mountainside temple located at the top of 1,015 stairs! Piper also loves the vibrancy and fast-paced feel of big cities like Tokyo and Osaka. In her spare time, Piper loves watching documentaries, drinking coffee, trying different cuisines, listening to world music, and learning French!

JESSIE BURLEY
ACCOUNTS & DELIVERY TEAM

Jessie B found her way to Auswalk in 2022 and works in our Accounts Department and Delivery Team. Jessie’s favourite travel destination is Mexico. She loved exploring the bustling streets of Mexico City and visiting stunning coastal towns. Jessie’s favourite Auswalk is the Queen Charlotte Track, having completed it with her best friend and fellow Auswalk team member Jessie I in 2025. Her highlight was going for a swim after a day on the track. In her spare time, you’ll find Jessie at a hot pilates class or cooking with friends.

JESSIE INGERSON
JUNIOR PRODUCT MANAGER & DESTINATION CONSULTANT

Jessie is a Junior Product Manager and Nepal destination consultant here at Auswalk. She loves mountain walking because of the epic views along the way and the sense of accomplishment upon reaching the summit. Her favourite walk is the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal because of the incredible Nepalese culture and pristine landscapes. Jessie has just completed her business degree and is now exploring the world, discovering new walks, and climbing more mountains.

BEC ALLEN
DELIVERY TEAM

Bec is part of our delivery team, ensuring that Auswalkers have everything they need to navigate the trails. Bec has worked in the travel industry for 6 years now and is passionate about facilitating epic holidays! Her favourite place to travel is Switzerland because of the incredible mountain views and delicious food (hello chocolate and cheese!) Bec also loved connecting with her family heritage in Hungary and Poland. In her spare time, Bec likes to read, hang out with her dogs, and play netball.

MAIKA HARRIS
DESTINATION CONSULTANT

Maika grew up in the shadow of Mt Fuji and despite having lived in Australia for the past 10 years, still enjoys exploring Japan on a regular basis. With a background in tourism and finance, we're lucky to now have her applying her knowledge of Japan and its culture to our destinations. - naturally, she's the first point of contact when planning your Japanese adventure! She enjoys exploring old Japan with her favourite walk being the Nakasendo, describing it as showcasing the amazing serenity of Japan while exposing walkers to the stunning architecture of Japan's historic post towns, mixed with traditional temples and shrines. When not at work Maika enjoys cooking Japanese food and exploring Australia.

MONICA BUSCH
DESTINATION CONSULTANT

Born in Scotland, raised on the West Coast of Canada and now a dual Aussie Citizen, Monica was born to travel. With a career in the travel industry she has clocked up visits to a whopping 33 countries and still climbing. There are still so many places on her bucket list but with her time here at Auswalk as a Destination Consultant, she has now added our 3 Capes in Tassie, Dordogne in France and West Highlands Way to the list. With two of her 3 adult children now living in Darwin, a visit to the NT is always on the cards. When Monica is not travelling she is busy keeping herself fit with local walks, pickleball, yoga and pilates!

ASTRID WATT
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Astrid is part of our marketing communications team. She has worked in the travel industry for around 8 years, running all sorts of tours from wine tasting in the Yarra Valley to adventures in the Grampians/Gariwerd. As a passionate history buff, Astrid ran walking history tours of Melbourne’s CBD and produced a self-guided tour of State Library Victoria before joining Auswalk. Her favourite travel destination is the Scottish Highlands because of the incredible mountains, the adorable highland cows, and the abundance of castles.