Meet the team at Ulva's Guided Walks
All of Ulva’s Guided Walks guides live and work on Stewart Island. Their local knowledge; flora and fauna, bird and wildlife expertise as well as overseas experiences, are some of the many reasons why we have such a good time guiding. Each one of our guides has their own story of their Stewart Island life – ask them when you are here. What better introduction to Rakiura Stewart Island could you wish for than a guided walk with Stewart Islanders who have a specialised insider knowledge of Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary? Read our reviews.
Genevieve Early - guide
Genevieve is a self-proclaimed “nature nerd” who loves all aspects of the biological diversity around us. Her favourite groups of organisms are fungi and plants, which formed the basis for her postgraduate studies. After realising she wanted to spend more time outside than in a lab or writing papers, Genevieve now spends her time as a nature guide and is looking forward to sharing Ulva Island with visitors over summer.
She is rapidly becoming an avid birder after finding an appreciation for seabirds on a trip to New Zealand’s subantarctic islands in 2022. While penguins and albatrosses were the introduction to birding, her favourite species now include the mohua/yellowhead, tieke/saddleback and titipounamu/rifleman, all of which can be found on Ulva Island. In her spare time, Genevieve is an avid photographer with a focus on birds and macro images of small organisms – fungi, insects and orchids being favourite subjects. Her favourite part of guiding is seeing people light up as they notice the small or unusual organisms around them which have previously gone unnoticed – you may find yourself an orchid enthusiast, lichen lover or fungi fossicker after your time on Ulva Island with Genevieve.
Genevieve is a self-proclaimed “nature nerd” who loves all aspects of the biological diversity around us. Her favourite groups of organisms are fungi and plants, which formed the basis for her postgraduate studies. After realising she wanted to spend more time outside than in a lab or writing papers, Genevieve now spends her time as a nature guide and is looking forward to sharing Ulva Island with visitors over summer.
She is rapidly becoming an avid birder after finding an appreciation for seabirds on a trip to New Zealand’s subantarctic islands in 2022. While penguins and albatrosses were the introduction to birding, her favourite species now include the mohua/yellowhead, tieke/saddleback and titipounamu/rifleman, all of which can be found on Ulva Island. In her spare time, Genevieve is an avid photographer with a focus on birds and macro images of small organisms – fungi, insects and orchids being favourite subjects. Her favourite part of guiding is seeing people light up as they notice the small or unusual organisms around them which have previously gone unnoticed – you may find yourself an orchid enthusiast, lichen lover or fungi fossicker after your time on Ulva Island with Genevieve.
Emma Jenkinson - guide
Emma is the sixth generation of her family to grow up living on Stewart Island. The wonderful experiences she had as a child generated a passion for the environment and wanting to share it with others – so she undertook studies in tourism, adventure tourism and environmental management after leaving school. Following the traditional path for most young kiwi’s, she then headed overseas to work and travel. Stewart Island/Rakiura was always home though – so she returned and has since spent many years working for the Department of Conservation as well as overnight guiding in the wilderness of Mason Bay and taking day trips to Ulva Island.
Emma is passionate about showcasing her home and the beautiful flora & fauna we are lucky to have here. When she's not guiding, you'll find her out with her family exploring their own backyard, be it hiking on land or out boating on the water.
Emma is the sixth generation of her family to grow up living on Stewart Island. The wonderful experiences she had as a child generated a passion for the environment and wanting to share it with others – so she undertook studies in tourism, adventure tourism and environmental management after leaving school. Following the traditional path for most young kiwi’s, she then headed overseas to work and travel. Stewart Island/Rakiura was always home though – so she returned and has since spent many years working for the Department of Conservation as well as overnight guiding in the wilderness of Mason Bay and taking day trips to Ulva Island.
Emma is passionate about showcasing her home and the beautiful flora & fauna we are lucky to have here. When she's not guiding, you'll find her out with her family exploring their own backyard, be it hiking on land or out boating on the water.
Ulva Goodwillie - guide
Ulva Goodwillie created the Ulva's Guided Walks company back in 2000 when there was an obvious and requested need for visitors to have guides when visiting the Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary. After owning and operating the company for almost 25 years, it was time for her to focus on more personal aspirations and she passed the ownership baton over.
Ulva still likes to dip her toes back in and help us out with guiding now and then - she is passionate about her home and committed to giving visitors a special insight into Rakiura/Stewart Island National Park's unique attractions. Fittingly, Ulva bears the name of Stewart Island's Ulva Island, but also the wildlife sanctuary of Ulva Isle in the Hebrides of Scotland, just off Mull and very near to Iona. A highlight of her walking programme is a leisurely ramble which introduces visitors to Ulva Island's history, scenery and spectacular birdlife.
Ulva has also written the very handy 'Ulva Island - A Visitor's Guide'. Filled with 160 pages of stunning colour photographs and Ulva's delightful energy and passion for Ulva Island, this fabulous book allows easy identification of the unique flora and fauna when strolling along the Island's gravelled pathways.
Ulva Goodwillie created the Ulva's Guided Walks company back in 2000 when there was an obvious and requested need for visitors to have guides when visiting the Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary. After owning and operating the company for almost 25 years, it was time for her to focus on more personal aspirations and she passed the ownership baton over.
Ulva still likes to dip her toes back in and help us out with guiding now and then - she is passionate about her home and committed to giving visitors a special insight into Rakiura/Stewart Island National Park's unique attractions. Fittingly, Ulva bears the name of Stewart Island's Ulva Island, but also the wildlife sanctuary of Ulva Isle in the Hebrides of Scotland, just off Mull and very near to Iona. A highlight of her walking programme is a leisurely ramble which introduces visitors to Ulva Island's history, scenery and spectacular birdlife.
Ulva has also written the very handy 'Ulva Island - A Visitor's Guide'. Filled with 160 pages of stunning colour photographs and Ulva's delightful energy and passion for Ulva Island, this fabulous book allows easy identification of the unique flora and fauna when strolling along the Island's gravelled pathways.
Matt Jones - guide
Matt was born in Kent in the south east of England and from a young age had an interest in all wildlife but particularly birds. Early years of birding were spent in his home county of Kent, mainly at Dungeness, Elmley and Oare Marshes with its corridor of marshland and reed beds providing the ideal location for Matt to get his fix of waders - one of his favourite groups of birds.
The twitching and listing bug soon took a hold and Matt travelled the UK far and wide to get birds on his list, finding a few rarities along the way such as American Robin and Roller. His UK list stands at over 400 birds. He has since travelled extensively around Europe, North America, Asia, Pacific Islands as well as Australia and New Zealand. Highlights of these trips included seeing Tiger in India, Leopard in Sri Lanka and Kagu in New Caledonia. The Kagu was on Matt’s “most wanted bird” list and is now on his world list!
It was during one of these trips to New Zealand that Stewart Island found its way into his heart and since 2007 is where he has called home. As a freelance bird watching guide, Matt's exceptional field experience is revealed as he shows fellow bird watchers the endemics of Ulva Island, the vast variety of seabirds on pelagics, and the iconic kiwi during evening trips. He has worked with TV and film crews and also works for a local Stewart Island project annually monitoring forest bird call counts. Matt is a keen photographer and has had images published in books, magazines and websites both nationally and internationally, however he sees himself primarily as a bird watcher. View Matt's photos on his website www.mattjoneswildlifeimages.com
In his spare time, he has volunteered for the Department of Conservation (Kakapo Recovery Programme on Codfish Island, helping to tag Great White Sharks off Stewart Island and gathering data for the Southern New Zealand Dotterel project). He volunteers for the Stewart Island/Rakiura Community & Environment Trust (Blue Penguin surveys, banding Sooty Shearwaters and Kiwi/Morepork/Weka bird call counts). In 2011 Matt became Chairman of the Ulva Island Charitable Trust, a group that (in conjunction with DOC) works towards keeping Ulva Island open to the public, remaining free of introduced pests and predators, and aspiring to be one of New Zealand’s premier bird watching locations.
Matt was born in Kent in the south east of England and from a young age had an interest in all wildlife but particularly birds. Early years of birding were spent in his home county of Kent, mainly at Dungeness, Elmley and Oare Marshes with its corridor of marshland and reed beds providing the ideal location for Matt to get his fix of waders - one of his favourite groups of birds.
The twitching and listing bug soon took a hold and Matt travelled the UK far and wide to get birds on his list, finding a few rarities along the way such as American Robin and Roller. His UK list stands at over 400 birds. He has since travelled extensively around Europe, North America, Asia, Pacific Islands as well as Australia and New Zealand. Highlights of these trips included seeing Tiger in India, Leopard in Sri Lanka and Kagu in New Caledonia. The Kagu was on Matt’s “most wanted bird” list and is now on his world list!
It was during one of these trips to New Zealand that Stewart Island found its way into his heart and since 2007 is where he has called home. As a freelance bird watching guide, Matt's exceptional field experience is revealed as he shows fellow bird watchers the endemics of Ulva Island, the vast variety of seabirds on pelagics, and the iconic kiwi during evening trips. He has worked with TV and film crews and also works for a local Stewart Island project annually monitoring forest bird call counts. Matt is a keen photographer and has had images published in books, magazines and websites both nationally and internationally, however he sees himself primarily as a bird watcher. View Matt's photos on his website www.mattjoneswildlifeimages.com
In his spare time, he has volunteered for the Department of Conservation (Kakapo Recovery Programme on Codfish Island, helping to tag Great White Sharks off Stewart Island and gathering data for the Southern New Zealand Dotterel project). He volunteers for the Stewart Island/Rakiura Community & Environment Trust (Blue Penguin surveys, banding Sooty Shearwaters and Kiwi/Morepork/Weka bird call counts). In 2011 Matt became Chairman of the Ulva Island Charitable Trust, a group that (in conjunction with DOC) works towards keeping Ulva Island open to the public, remaining free of introduced pests and predators, and aspiring to be one of New Zealand’s premier bird watching locations.
Sandy King - guide
Sandy grew up on Stewart Island and was involved in the early concept and planning to eradicate Norway rats from Ulva Island in the 1990s. Her career path is firmly rooted in conservation and wildlife with a particular interest in islands - Sandy has been involved in pest eradication projects at Campbell, Codfish and Macquarie Islands.
Now part of the Conservation Dogs Programme as handler of Gadget the rodent detection dog, Sandy and Gadget travel around New Zealand detecting rodents and promoting island biosecurity, as well as utilising their expertise at home on Stewart Island and Ulva Island. Read more about Detector Gadget and the Conservation Dogs Programme
Sandy grew up on Stewart Island and was involved in the early concept and planning to eradicate Norway rats from Ulva Island in the 1990s. Her career path is firmly rooted in conservation and wildlife with a particular interest in islands - Sandy has been involved in pest eradication projects at Campbell, Codfish and Macquarie Islands.
Now part of the Conservation Dogs Programme as handler of Gadget the rodent detection dog, Sandy and Gadget travel around New Zealand detecting rodents and promoting island biosecurity, as well as utilising their expertise at home on Stewart Island and Ulva Island. Read more about Detector Gadget and the Conservation Dogs Programme
Dan Lee - guide
After trying out a career as a plumber (squeezing into small spaces getting wet), and a Royal Navy submariner (much of the same), Dan felt a hunger for big skies and to be enveloped in nature.
His passion for the outdoors came from a childhood of snaring rabbits on the South Downs and wild camping in Dartmoor National Park in England. Dan has now lived on Rakiura for 8 years and has worked for the Department of Conservation for most of that time in the biodiversity world. He was involved with some awesome species recovery work as well as welcoming visitors from around the globe and interpreting the conservation values of Rakiura and New Zealand.
After leaving DOC, guiding allows Dan to have a flexible work life with a young family while still being involved with some of the projects and creatures that make this place so special. Naval habits die hard though, so you will only find this ‘sun dodger’ guiding the nocturnal Kiwi tours at Mamaku Point!
After trying out a career as a plumber (squeezing into small spaces getting wet), and a Royal Navy submariner (much of the same), Dan felt a hunger for big skies and to be enveloped in nature.
His passion for the outdoors came from a childhood of snaring rabbits on the South Downs and wild camping in Dartmoor National Park in England. Dan has now lived on Rakiura for 8 years and has worked for the Department of Conservation for most of that time in the biodiversity world. He was involved with some awesome species recovery work as well as welcoming visitors from around the globe and interpreting the conservation values of Rakiura and New Zealand.
After leaving DOC, guiding allows Dan to have a flexible work life with a young family while still being involved with some of the projects and creatures that make this place so special. Naval habits die hard though, so you will only find this ‘sun dodger’ guiding the nocturnal Kiwi tours at Mamaku Point!
