About Us

PureTrails New Zealand has been operating walking and biking tour holidays since 2003. The tour company was established by Hilary Weller and her mother Sue, who were looking for ways to share their love of the wild and beautiful outdoors of New Zealand with others. Dissatisfied with other active tours available for both international and domestic tourists, they sought to develop our own itineraries and travelling style that has proved to be a success.

PureTrails tours are extremely well organised and meticulously planned, ensuring your tour experience is hassle free. We adopt a casual and relaxed approach to daily tour leadership, resulting in an organised yet unobtrusive style of travel. Our tours are designed primarily for the senior active traveller. It's not to say that our tours are any less active, it just means the peer group is much the same age, averaging around 58 years. All our hiking tours have two guides on each trip, so we are able to accommodate a wide range of walking abilities by offering plenty of walk options. We are dedicated to giving you a unique and memorable active holiday experience and look forward to sharing our beautiful county with you.

Hilary, Sue and the team at PureTrails New Zealand

Meet the team

Sue Weller

After retiring from a long career as a registered nurse, Sue was looking for a new challenge and decided that guiding people around the beautiful countryside of New Zealand would be a perfect way to enjoy her passion of hiking and the outdoors, and would provide the opportunity to share New Zealand's best kept secrets with small groups of like-minded people... hence PureTrails New Zealand was established! Sue is a passionate hiker and in addition to hiking extensively in New Zealand, has also enjoyed hiking in Nepal, France, Spain and Italy over the years. Sue also enjoys mountain biking and gardening, and lives with her husband John (below) in Tauranga.

 

Hilary Weller

After travelling the world for several years and working in tourism on her big 'OE', Hilary came home and fell in love with her country once again and in particular, the South Island. With a love of the outdoors and her strong academic marketing background, she decided that teaming up with her mother in their business venture was to be an excellent, enjoyable and satisfying career path. In addition to hiking and travelling the South Island, Hilary enjoys photography, mountain biking and DIY house renovations, and more recently, being a mum. Hilary lives in Christchurch with her partner Dean and daughter Josie. Her dream is to one day build a house in the Maniototo with a view of the Hawkduns.

 

Sue Hawkins

Sue has spent much of her life on the Canterbury Plains near Springfield where she grew up. Sue and husband Brian run a sheep and cattle farm, and she has also spent some time working at the local hospital as a nursing assistant. Sue's interests include walking biking swimming and playing golf, and she is also involved in the running of her local golf club. Sue joined the PureTrails team enticed by the opportunity to meet likeminded people and show them around our backyard, and to give a true taste of kiwi hospitality. You may find yourself chatting with Sue over the phone or via our website email, as Sue is now involved with helping run the PureTrails New Zealand office.

 

Jim Millar

Jim grew up in Geraldine, South Canterbury, and spent much of his free time exploring the outdoors both close to home and throughout the South Island. During his 33 years in the New Zealand Police, Jim worked in many of the South Island's most remote areas including Central Otago. Jim has competed in various multi sport and endurance events, and has also assisted in the safety aspects of the renowned 'Coast to Coast' race. Jim is a hobbyist beekeeper, a keen tramper and fisherman, reknown storyteller, a moonlight builder (will be relieved when the Wedderburn Tavern finally changes hands!), and lives in Christchurch with his wife, Stephanie.

 

Heather Fear

Hailing from the North Island, Heather moved to the Mainland many years ago to pursue a career as a Registered Dietitian and over the years has held many challenging roles related to nutrition and health management. After raising three daughters with husband Robin (below), Heather chose to 'retire early' to spend more time with family and pursue a life time ambition to travel. Heather enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and entertaining, travelling and photography, and also devotes much of her time to voluntary work in the community through Rotary. Being part of the PureTrails team gives Heather and Robin the best of both worlds, guiding people around New Zealand in the summer and travelling the world in the winter.

 

Robin Fear

A true Cantabrian, Robin was born and bred in Christchurch and spent much of his career working in the district as a Registered Surveyor. Robin is a keen tramper (professional surveying skills and the latest GPS technology will ensure you'll never get lost with Robin!), vintage car enthusiast, and above all a keen traveller. Robin was one of the original trustees of the Christchurch Little River Rail Trail and played a significant part in the development of this cycleway. Being part of a worldwide Rotary Friendship Exchange program allows Robin and wife Heather (above) to explore many far flung corners of the globe, meeting people and experiencing different cultures first hand.

 

Grant Nolan

Grant took up retirement several years ago from a local sheepskin tannery and has been enjoying the quiet life ever since. Being an avid golfer, Grant can be found on the fairway almost every day, or alternatively out and about on his mountain bike having once been a competitive mountain biker. Being such a passionate outdoorsman Grant has been involved as a volunteer in the renowned annual 'Speight's Coast to Coast' Endurance Race for a number of years. Together with his wife Maureen, Grant has enjoyed many of the South Island's 'great walks', and also enjoys travel abroad.

 

John Weller

John grew up in the quiet North Island town of Wanganui, where in his school days, he helped build the famed 'Wanganui High School Tramping Club Hut' on Mount Ruapehu. John recently retired from a long career as a Property Valuer and Agricultural consultant where he practised for many years in Western Australia, and Tauranga. John and wife Sue (above) have travelled and walked extensively abroad, and John now enjoys introducing our visitors to favourite parts of NZ. Other hobbies include mountain biking, gardening & horse racing (don't get him started on the latter!)

 

Joyce Kelly

Joyce grew up in the tiny South Canterbury settlement of Burkes Pass. She worked in the beautiful alpine environment of the Mackenzie Basin in various pursuits, including in the post office as a Telephone Exchange Operator. It was here that Joyce was inspired to become a water colour artist (some of her work can be seen in the Kimbell Pub). Nowadays Joyce is busy tending her garden, cycling around the quiet rural roads of Russells Flat in mid Canterbury, tutoring water colour, cooking, tramping, and travelling extensively abroad with husband John (below).

 

John Kelly

John hails from Southland where he was involved in various agriculture pursuits including game recovery. John moved to the Mackenzie Basin in his early 20's to take up his passion of flying. His flying career included flying ski planes at Mt Cook and Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, agricultural work and captaining the ATR 72 for Mt Cook Airlines. Since retiring John has been busy developing his 70 acre property at Russells Flat with wife Joyce (above), where they are working furiously to revegitate natives. Other hobbies include mountain biking gardening tramping and shooting.