“Individual commitment to a group effort.
That is what makes –
a team work,
a company work,
a society work,
a civilization work.”
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
The quotes of teamwork come regularly.
Companies cry the benefits of teamwork, regularly.
What many people do not know of Papua New Guineans is that teamwork is one of our core functions. Everything we do is as a team. We learn it early and we possess it today.
Advance Native Tours is successful because we are a cohesive team built over decades and this is to the benefit of our guests. It is also why we are committed to developing our business with a future vision … a vision that includes skilling and training of our children, through education programs and work experience, of development of the communities with whom we liaise and of continual development of our health services.
We invite you to browse this page and meet some of our wonderful team …
With an impressive 99 Kokoda treks under his belt, Roy is intimately familiar with the Kokoda Track, the track communities, the demands on trekkers and how to manage each and every trek individually and according to trekkers ability, needs and desires.
He is also a highly respected clan elder in Buna and a local community police officer and he posses a keen sense of humour and the ability to fix problems easily and is the driving force behind the success of Advance Native Tours and the current array of community projects that we are developing.
Roy is one of the owners of Advance Native Tours and is instrumental in our guests welfare in Oro and along the track. He is an active proponent of our youth skilling through experience and he actively assists with our youth mentor program “Head Start Smart“.
Sam has been trekking Kokoda for many years, with over 40 successful treks to his credit and has worked as trek cook for a number of Kokoda Trekking companies. Sam is also an accomplished first aid provider and over the course of the next few treks, we envisage Sam will progress up to junior trek leader.
This advancement is in line with our youth development program and will allow one of our assistant cooks to take up that role. Advance Native Tours is committed to upskilling the young men and women of our communities through work experience and education via our business models including our funded “Head Start Smart” initiative.
Willie has an amazing trekking history which includes in excess of 250 Kokoda Treks with many of the most successful Kokoda trekking companies and has been involved with the establishment of the Kapa Kapa trekking and is one of the few people to have a good working knowledge of that relatively unknown, yet exhilarating trek.
This makes Willie one of the most experienced trek leaders on the track and his knowledge of the track, the communities, the conditions and the history is compelling to say the least! He is also an active marathon runner and many of our guests will see him each morning running the sands of Buna beach.
Like Roy, Willie is also a proud proponent of youth skilling through experience and he actively assists with our youth mentor program “Head Start Smart“.
Gary is also a successful Kokoda trekker and is passionate about Papua New Guinea Tourism. He is one of Advance Native Tour‘s owners and co-ordinates much of the in-country activities. Gary heads up our Port Moresby team however he is a born and bred Buna man and knows intimately, both the National Capital District of Port Moresby and the Northern Oro Province.
One of the advantages of touring with us, is our “on-ground” support network, meaning that unlike many of our competitors, we have assistance available to all our guests almost immediately. An important fact that should not be underestimated.
A dedicated and enthusiastic Papua New Guinea Tourism proponent, Ian has a network of local travel associates across PNG ensuring guests get the most welcoming experiences, regardless of the tour or locality chosen.
As our Australian coordinator, he has been involved with Advance Native Tours from the outset and has tour organisational experience with Kokoda trekking, snorkeling around the coastline including the amazing Tufi fjords and the stunningly rich marine diversity of many of the New Ireland reefs, cycling the Boluminsky Highway of New Ireland, climbing the volcano’s of East New Britain and immersing in the Highlands culture!
Ian actively seeks out new and exciting PNG experiences to complement our current offerings and can help with PNG specific inquires you may have, whether it be for holiday, business or family.
Without our team of meet and greet officers, locality stewards, carriers, runners and assistant cooks and meal hands, we would not be able to offer the tours that we do. Quite simply, these guys are the backbone of our business and they are just so capable at it. They too trek the track, but while our trekker guests rest their weary bodies by the river, or collapse onto their mattresses, our team are preparing dinner, setting up camp and have even been known to fit in the odd game of football as well!
To suggest they are anything but extraordinary would be amiss. Advance Native Tours certainly appreciate them and we are very proud that their remuneration with us is about the highest in the industry. We also provide boots, hats and uniforms as well providing workers compensation and superannuation (almost unheard of in the PNG tourism market). We furnish them with sleeping mattresses, sleeping bags and jackets (remember it does get cold at altitude and these guys are from the hot humid coast … they feel the cold). This is why we have great retention and staff loyalty, which all goes toward making your trek a very memorable one.