Meet Your Guides
Cathy Schier
Guide
A childhood spent on, in and along the river and has enabled Cathy to develop a deep admiration for The Murray River and its environment and she is inspired by Aboriginal culture and learning on country.
Cathy joined the guiding team after thirty years as an education at TAFE and a librarian in special libraries like the Royal Zoological Society of SA.
Green Living Tip: Leave no trace, absolutely no trace. Leave only conversation with soft notes of music and laughter.
Monica Foster
Guide
Monica has a rich background in guiding from working in Central Australia to the Flinders Ranges. It was here she found her passion for exploring and sharing the wonders of Australia’s unique plants, animals, and landscapes. Monica's bubbly personality and thirst for learning is infectious as she helps you discover the unique flora and fauna of the Murray River.
Heather McNaughton
Guide
Heather's passion for travel, adventure and the outdoors is hard to hide. Her enthusiasm is shared through her interpretation of the environment and her past experiences living on Calperum Station (a property you walk through) making her very familiar with the landscape and its flora and fauna.
Kym Manning
Guide
Born and bred Riverlander, Kym is an outdoorsy fella with a passion for water, wildlife and environment. A carpenter by trade, Kym is well known locally as the driver of the SA Carp Frenzy – an annual community fundraiser and carp removal initiative at Lake Bonney. Kym has also been instrumental in installing fish habitats for native fish at Lake Bonney and surrounding reaches of the Murray River.
Kym has also been involved in the release of 400,000 Murray Cod fingerlings locally, clearly a champion of native fish species in the Murray River.
Kayla Mudge
Guide
Hailing locally from Barmera, Kayla has a passion for local food, footy and the Murray River. Her experience as a ranger at Banrock Station sparked an interest in birding which she has built on while guiding and helping guest identify the many species on the floodplain and river environments. When she's not guiding, Kayla plays an instrumental part in developing the local women's football league.
Jo Chibnall
Guide
A passion for nature and deep connection to the land, Jo's adventures have taken her to many corners of this Country and overseas. She enjoys making connections with new people and places.
Mick mock
Guide
Growing up on the family farm in Red Hill in Victoria helped Mick to develop a deep appreciation for the outdoors and cultivate a harmonious relationship with nature. After participating in 9 week leadership development program, Mick pursued further education in outdoor recreation and leadership at University. Since graduating, Mick has relocated to the Riverland for his first season as a guide and is loving sharing his learnings with guests.
Sophie Hoffmann
Guide
Growing up in Renmark, Sophie has fond memories of being in the bush and river as a child, particularly on horseback. She enjoys learning about the environment and how it works and has a science background focused particularly on plant and soil biology. After spending the last fours years at university, Sophie has returned home to escape the hustle. She has a strong connection to water, and loves a swim in the Murray on a sunny day!
Green living tip: Growing your own vegetables and herbs! It is a good way to spend more time outdoors and fresh ingredients are always at your doorstep!
Di Cresp
Guide
A background in nursing, Di has deep roots in the Riverland, marrying a local man and raising three children on the Murray River. Di hung up the scrubs in January 2022 to try her hand at hosting guests on the Murray River. A place where she likes to do a bit of fishing, loves the peace and tranquility of the meandering Murray.
Green Living Tip: install solar panels, rainwater for our home, and recycle as much as possible.
Cathy Ross
Guide
Cathy has made a ‘river change’ to live in the Riverland and taken on a new adventure as a boat host. The first thing you'll notice about Cathy is her love of life. It radiates from her and is as infectious as her laugh! She loves to provide guests a holistic experience from tasting great Riverland food and wine, to sharing stories around an open fire on the riverbank.
Her motto is ‘life is not a rehearsal’.
Sam Sharley
Sales and Marketing Manager/Guide
Sam's life has always involved the Murray River, hiking, camping, fishing and telling stories. A talented wordsmith and musician, he's recently returned from many years in Vancouver, ready to share the passion for his childhood backyard.
The crew were so incredibly skilled and knowledgeable and everything so streamlined. They work so tirelessly so that we could have an incredible holiday as well as learning experience. Really appreciated all their efforts.