about us

the team

Paul Ratlidge

As the co-owner of Adventure HQ, Paul brings an accumulated experience in Tongaririo National Park of more than 40 years of adventures. This has only been interrupted by 3 years at University where he studied parks, recreation and tourism management and 1 year in the corporate world where he supplied health and safety services to Fletcher Challenge Forests in the Bay of Plenty.

In the past 10 years Paul has worked as a ski patroller and guide for Whakapapa Ski Area on Mt Ruapehu. Rising to the position of Assistant Safety Services Manager and Head Guide he has been heavily involved in public and staff safety. Duties included coordinating avalanche control, comprehensive first aid delivery, technical rescue, and accident prevention and information delivery. He is also an active member of the Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation.

Having guided more than 300 trips to Mt Ruapehu's crater and across Tongariro. Paul's passion for skiing, hiking and the outdoors will ensure you have a quality experience that will leave you breathless and wanting more.

Annie Bradding

Annie is the other co-owner of Adventure HQ. Her background with Tongariro National Park goes back over the last 21 years with the last 7 years of that being Assistant Retail Manager for Mt Ruapehu Ski Areas. Being the largest on mountain retail store in New Zealand, her duties covered a wide range from buying stock, dealing with staff, up front customer dealings to being a main information source for all sorts of queries. Having had a strong passion for the snow sports, Annie found it great to be able to pass on her knowledge of the mountains and the gear required to have a fun and safe experience.

Over the summer times Annie was part of the Summer Operations team, helping to get crater walkers geared up and on their way up the mountain with Paul. Theirs is a friendship that goes back over the years and now has grown into a business partnership. Annie has also spent time working as part of the finance team up the mountain, covering areas such as processing payroll, company cashiering and even running the ticket sales department for 5 years. During these years she even managed to have two children without interrupting a winters skiing!!