ABOUT US
Highland Adventures was founded by the brother and sister team of Simon and Amee Lewis. While occupying key management roles within Highland Adventures, they are also key specialists in 4 wheel driving, eco based activities, corporate and team building events.
Highland Adventures was conceived by Simon Lewis to provide a range of 4 wheel drive activities on New Zealand’s South Island. Primarily based around Land Rover vehicles, Highland Adventures is aimed at allowing its global customer base to indulge a range of exciting ‘kiwi experiences’ in the worlds most famous 4x4 range. Simon has a long track record of experience in both business and 4WD areas.
SIMON LEWIS– Managing Director / Head of Operations
Simon successful completed a 16 year career in the Royal Navy Submarine Service at the end of 1999, having serving in a variety of supervisory management roles, becoming one of the Royal Navy's youngest promoted communications officers. It was during his time in the Navy that he be came familiar with Land Rovers and began his love of off road expeditions.
Having gained an Honours Degree in IT Management, Simon went on to take up senior management roles in the UK finance industry before moving to the telecoms sector, working for Vodafone for over 5 years as a senior business manager in project and consultancy roles.
Apart from his successful business roles, Simon's involvement with Land Rovers is extensive, having owned and driven many of Land Rover's vehicle range in the past 20 years. He is a highly experienced off road driver and expedition leader, having completed a number of global long range expeditions in some of the worlds most challenging environments, such as the Australian outback deserts, mountains and jungles, Africa's deserts and the frozen wilderness of Icelandic glaciers and cold deserts.
Expedition planning requires many of the facets learnt from operational business management and Simon puts these to excellent use as Operations Director for Highland Adventures. As a highly motivated people person Simon also has extensive experience in people management and leadership in both commercial and expedition settings.
Simon is extremely committed to creating a business that is highly focused on operating in an environmentally friendly. As well as ensuring that Highland Adventure respect and conserve nature by operating in the traditional "Tread Lightly" manner for 4wd operations, he is also keen to use Highland Adventures to educate customers in environmental matters, improving knowledge of the New Zealand flora and fauna, and also demonstrate Highland Adventures commitment to being extremely ecologically aware.
Simon is also a keen love of the outdoors enjoying tramping, camping, nature photography and of course all combined with his love of Land Rovers and expeditioning.
AMEE LEWIS - Eco Operations Director
After an 8 year successful career within the British Royal Navy, in such diverse roles as communications, helicopter maintenance and instructional roles, Amee moved to similar success within administration and retail in supervisory management roles in civilian life. After an 9 year career with the UK police force, where she was Wildlife & Conservation Officer for the East of Leicestershire, she took a career break to attend University, where she gained a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours) in Marine Biology and a Master of Science in Marine Environmental Protection. She attained both qualifications at the School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor, North-Wales, UK.
It was around this university education that Amee worked for Earthwatch in both Canada and Mexico, photographically-identifying Gray Whales and tagging Black Sea Turtles. Amee has also worked for the Atlantic Whale Foundation in Tenerife on key Pilot Whale and Bottlenose Dolphin projects and Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) on a sand-dune restoration project. She has also worked with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research vessels from Honolulu, Hawaii. She is also an active member of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMAREST).
Her current objectives are to utilise her Marine Biological skills to educate Highland Adventure customers on the New Zealand marine environment as part of our product range. As Highland Adventures are strongly committed to conservation and operating in the most environmentally friendly manner possible she will be responsible for ensuring Highland Adventures operation are in line with legislation and we fulfil our eco-tourism goals.
Protecting the environment she lives and works within is something she feels strongly about and believes is paramount for the protection of the environment and the organisms which inhabit it.
Amee has a keen interest in Cetaceans, Sea Turtles, Sea Lions & Seals, Marine Mammal Acoustics, Seahorses, Cephalopods and the Fisheries Resource Industry. She is also working closely with several scientific journals to be published in the near future.
Within the company Amee plays an active role as the Eco-Operations Director, supervising our operations in our belief that Highland Adventures runs in an eco-friendly way and minimises waste to the environment and ensuring our customers are both educated and made aware of our commitments.
Her expertise in the marine field ensures guests and visitors are well informed and briefed regarding the protection of the habitat within which they are visiting. She is extremely well informed and loves the chance to share her interests about species, drawing attention to locally endemic and important species to the New Zealand marine and terrestrial habitats.
Combining her marine and zoological expertise with her love of the outdoors with the Highland Adventure Company concepts are a reflection of this desire which she shares with her brother.