About us
Established in 1997
Doc approved
We are licensed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation to conduct guided walks having met their high environmental and safety standards. All care is taken to respect New Zealand’s unique wildlife and to minimise our environmental impact. Our commitment is to give you the best possible experience in complete safety.
Our team
Bonnie Powers – Director/Administrator
Bonnie’s background spans experiential education, guiding, and community development. She has worked internationally with Outward Bound and other outdoor education organisations, facilitating everything from tramping and rock climbing to sea kayaking and team building. In addition to guiding, she has managed farms, coordinated events, and supported community ventures, giving her a wide perspective on how people connect to land and each other. At KGW, Bonnie brings her organisational skills, warmth, and a deep commitment to creating memorable outdoor experiences that invite people to slow down and enjoy the beauty of this place.
Tom Lake – Training and Outreach Coordinator
Tom has spent his career supporting people through outdoor education, youth work, and community wellbeing. His work has included leading journeys with Outward Bound and other outdoor education organisations, mentoring young people through schools and community programmes in New Zealand and internationally, and most recently running his own group fitness business. Across all these roles, his focus has been on helping people build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging. At KGW, Tom brings his calm leadership, practical skills, and passion for creating guided experiences that leave people feeling connected, inspired, and supported.
John Gray – Operations and Safety Manager
John’s career in experiential education spans more than two decades, much of it with Outward Bound in North Carolina where he worked as a Course Director and Instructor. He led multi-day expeditions across backpacking, rock climbing, sea kayaking, and canoeing, and received the Buckley Bearing Award for his leadership and commitment to the organisation’s mission. Beyond guiding, John has mentored instructors, coordinated staffing programmes, and managed outdoor education at a semester boarding school. More recently, he’s added web development to his toolkit, which he now puts to work building KGW’s digital presence. At KGW, John brings his deep experience in wilderness leadership, a talent for logistics, and a genuine love of helping people discover what they’re capable of in the outdoors.
Mary Fingeroff – Logistics Manager
Mary’s background spans outdoor education and healthcare. She spent over a decade with Outward Bound, working as an Instructor, Logistics Manager, and Program Director at the Everglades Outward Bound Center, leading expeditions in both mountain and marine environments. She also guided multi-day bicycle tours across the eastern United States. In more recent years, Mary has focused on nursing, bringing extensive experience in oncology, hospice, and community health—including time at Wellington Regional Hospital and her current role at Golden Bay Community Health. At KGW, Mary brings her wilderness leadership experience, a calm and compassionate presence, and the reassurance of having a qualified healthcare professional on the team.
Jenni Kingston – Lead Guide
Jenni Kingston has been guiding with Kahurangi Guided Walks since 2007. Jenni is passionate about the outdoors and her enthusiasm is infectious. She has extensive knowledge and understanding of the area and its features. As she grew up in Golden Bay and has been tramping in this part of the world since she was seven, she has a wealth of local knowledge, entertaining stories and experiences to share with you. She has inherited her love of walking from her father Derry (who has become a bit of a legend on the Heaphy Track in recent years). Jenni loves introducing people to new places and is always ready to offer her assistance whenever it may be required. When she’s not out walking, she is at home enjoying time with her daughter.
Reuben McCormack – Lead Guide
Reuben has been delving into adventures for 30 yrs in loads of places you don’t want to go. Occasionally he goes to nice places like Uganda to spy on gorrillas, Papua New Guinea to eat Beetlenut, and Vanuatu to drink Kava. He has participated in hundreds of Search and Rescue missions in NZ and proudly maintains a 50/50 record. A very average surfer but solid on the dance floor. He will hump your load as long as it takes.
Mission
At Kahurangi Guided Walks, we connect people with New Zealand’s remarkable landscapes through authentic, small-group experiences led by passionate local guides. Since 1997, we’ve balanced adventure with environmental stewardship, creating memorable journeys that honor the natural world while supporting local communities.