Description

Hi I’m Stuart and I’m from the UK,

I’m moving down to Queenstown at the start of April 2016 looking for any outdoor instructor/guide work in the area. I am just coming up to the end of 1 year visa in Australia and now after acquiring my 12 months working holiday visa for New Zealand I will be looking for a position with an Adventure Centre for the full 12 months.

Back Ground:

I am a certified BCU (British Canoe Union) level 1 kayak and canoe coach with a large amount of personal experience in white water kayaking and rafting. I also have a UK valid appointed person (First Aid) certificate as well as the BMC’s CWA (Climbing Wall Award) which allows me to lead climbing lessons and courses on any man made climbing wall. I have also started to log experience towards my SPA (Single Pitch Award) and CWLA. I have over 200 hours of group and school coaching sessions in climbing including everything from introductory sessions, abseiling, belaying, correct use of equipment as well as teaching advanced climbing techniques. My Kayaking experience involves a similar number our hours coaching as well as a few independently organised multiday river trips on flat water. I was also lucky enough to partake in a 20 day trip to Nepal where I worked alongside 2 private companies that hosted rafting excursions down the Sun Kosi, some of which lasted up to 9 days in a consistent grade 3-4 environment. My role on these trips was as a safety kayaker in grade 3 scenarios and more like self-preservation in grade 4 (the difference in volume from Welsh rivers was quite a shock at first). BELA (Basic Expedition Leader Award) is another qualification I have gained which allows me to lead 3 day hikes in the UK up to 800m.
All of this experience has been gained from studying the National Diploma in Outdoor Education and Sport at Walford and North Shropshire College where I graduated with a Triple Merit and then started full time employment for 3 years for a UK adventure centre call Live the Adventure Ltd. This particular adventure centre also enabled me to pick up experience in coaching and safety briefing in mountain biking, mountain boarding, high ropes, archery, rifle shooting, orienteering and team building exercises.

Since the Outdoor work I have worked 2 winter seasons and 1 summer season in the French alps for a company called Esprit Ski, a high end company focussing on top quality 24 hour child care for their guests. Throughout these seasons I had the role of a Snow Ranger, with the responsibility of running enjoyable snow clubs for children from 3 years old to 12. Childcare was the career I was most suited for but I have taken up other roles throughout the seasons because I don’t mind learning new skills and being flexible. I work hard no matter what task I have been given and try my best.
Back home I live near the river Severn, this is where I  hosted a charity event a few years back which was a 5 day river trip down the river. The distance of the trip averaged 30 kilometres a day and totalled just over 150 kilometres upon completion. It consisted of 7 people, 3 open canoes and 2 kayaks. We managed to raise over 1000 pounds that went towards the Help for Heroes Foundations. The river had a few weirs but was mostly flat water so supervision of paddlers on my part was quite relaxed but I was kept busy with river scouting, recording daily distance, navigation, rationing of provisions, finding suitable camp spots and coordinating the setting up of camp and clear up.