Master Reef Guides - Far North

Master Reef Guide | Sailaway Port Douglas | Tropical North Queensland (Cohort 2) (From: New Zealand)

Master Reef Guide Brooke is from New Zealand, she moved to the Whitsundays, Australia in 2011 where she discovered a newfound passion for the Great Barrier Reef. Brooke has now been living and working on the Great Barrier Reef for eight years, she is working with Sailaway Port Douglas to share her backyard – Mackay Reef located off Cape Tribulation. This region encompasses Brooke’s love for the reef and the rainforest.

Brooke enjoys the unique opportunity to guide her guests from one World Heritage Area to another while using her platform to educate her visitors. Brooke believes the highlight of her position is educating people about the Reef. She believes you can teach everything but passion, passion is inspired and a critical ingredient for delivery memorable guest experiences.

Brooke considers the Great Barrier Reef not only a destination but the worlds’ most valuable classroom, where you can find the best text book Mother Nature has ever written.

"Becoming a Master Reef Guide has added so many tools to my guiding tool belt and sparked so much more curiosity. The quality of specialist speakers within the field school was invaluable and inspiring! I feel the Great Barrier Reefs’ future is bright with such knowledgeable and passionate ambassadors out there in the field every day and I’m so proud to be one of them".

Master Reef Guide | Skipper | Experience Co. Calypso Reef Charters | Tropical North Queensland (Cohort 4)

Master Reef Guide David has worked extensively on the Great Barrier Reef, throughout South East Asia, Indonesia, Papa New Guinea and the South Pacific. For the past 12 years his passion and interest for these magnificent ecosystems have never weakened.

As a Dive Instructor and Captain onboard Calypso Reef Charters he loves sharing his knowledge with guests and has the knack of being able to intrigue visitors with some of the most interesting critters that inhabit the reefs.

Master Reef Guide | Marine Biologist | Quicksilver Group | Tropical North Queensland (Cohort 1)

Master Reef Guide Glen is a natural ambassador for the Great Barrier Reef and has worked for Quicksilver as a Marine Biologist since 1989. With an extensive educational and professional background, Glen has also travelled extensively around the world to gain a perspective of human impact on tropical marine ecosystems.

Glen's work aims to conserve coral reefs on a global scale by examining sustainable uses for coral reef systems and promoting the adoption of these alternatives through education. He is passionate about coral reefs and rainforests and chooses to live in Far North Queensland with his wife and two children.

“You can dive on a World Heritage coral reef in the morning, splash about under a waterfall in a World Heritage rainforest in the afternoon and still be home in time for dinner and a movie”.

Master Reef Guide | Marine Biologist | Snorkel Guide | Wavelength Cruises | Tropical North Queensland (Cohort 1)

Master Reef Guide Kasey has always been intrigued by the diverse ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef. Her combined passions for spending time in the big blue, experiencing the Reef, science communication and photographing the Reef’s diversity, led her to Cairns. She now works for Wavelength Cruises in Port Douglas.

After completing a Master Degree in Marine Biology and Ecology, Kasey has spent many years volunteering for a variety of reef-based projects in Papua New Guinea, Orpheus Island and Lizard Island. Kasey has a keen interest in the reef bio acoustics and herbivorous fish.

“Working for Wavelength has not only satisfied my hopes to spend time on the Great Barrier Reef, but has also taught me to engage and educate audiences on the reef and its health. I hope to continue my aspirations and further my skills in science communication and fostering positive environmental attitudes and actions as a Master Reef Guide.”

Master Reef Guide | Marine Biologist | Sailaway Port Douglas | Tropical North Queensland (Cohort 1) (From: Great Britain)

Master Reef Guide Louisa’s love of the water started young, sailing and swimming whenever possible in cold English waters and working for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. She went on to study Marine Biology with Oceanography and further developed her passion to explore what is still a much unknown environment.

Louisa is a Marine Biologist onboard Sailaway which regularly visits the beautiful Low Isles, a place she has gotten to know intimately over the last 2 years. She is proud to be a part of ‘eco-tourism’ and having as little impact as possible by sailing to the island every day.

Louisa will be a passionate voice for the Great Barrier Reef by giving high quality interpretation to thousands of people every year. She will enhance visitors’ experiences, leading to a better appreciation and enjoyment of the Reef and awareness of ways visitors can assist its protection.

Master Reef Guide | Marine Biologist | Sailaway Port Douglas | Tropical North Queensland (Cohort 3)

Master Reef Guide Maddison (Maddi) grew up in Taree, NSW. Her mother knew before she did that Maddi would grow up to love the sea. Whenever she was upset as a baby her mother would put her in front of the fish tank, which would calm her down and make her smile.

Growing up Maddi then went on to study and holds a double bachelor’s in Marine Science and Management, and Environmental Science.

Nowadays you will find Master Reef Guide Maddi at Sailaway in Port Douglas where she has worked for several years. With a positive attitude and cheerful smile she loves every single day she gets to show visitors her special backyard, the Great Barrier Reef.

“As a Master Reef Guide I have a group of amazing people supporting me and helping me achieve our shared goal. With constant training and shared knowledge, I can continue to improve my skills as a guide. I will continue to educate and inspire everyone about the importance of our reef”.

Master Reef Guide | Marine Biologist | Wavelength Port Douglas | Tropical North Queensland (Cohort 3)

Master Reef Guide Peta started working on the Great Barrier Reef in 2012 after completing her degree. Peta has always been drawn to environmental communication and found her place at Wavelength Reef Cruises in Port Douglas.

When Peta isn’t working at Wavelength you will find her spending her time volunteering, past work has included the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre at Fitzroy Island, Tangaroa Blue where she coordinates clean-ups, collects data and gives presentations, Manta Trust in the Maldives and at the Centre for Whale Research in Hawaii. Peta believes her job is to make people fall in love with the Great Barrier Reef and want to protect it.

“It is no secret that the Great Barrier Reef, and a great many other ecosystems on Earth, are facing unprecedented challenges. The choices we make as a species in the coming years will undoubtedly determine the future of these magnificent and irreplaceable places”.

“The Master Reef Guide program has given myself and other selected guides on the Great Barrier Reef the knowledge and tools to be the most effective story-tellers we can be. It is my hope that through our stories we will be able to inspire the action that is needed to ensure the Great Barrier Reef continues to endure for generations to come.”

Master Reef Guide | Skipper | Dive Instructor | Tropical North Queensland (From: Great Britain)(Cohort 3)

Master Reef Guide Sam Herridge has a love for the water that goes back to his childhood days, and was supercharged when he first visited the Great Barrier Reef for the first time in 2015.

Since then he has developed as a dive professional, travelling around the Indo- Pacific region in Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand before returning to his roots on the Great Barrier Reef to stay!

“This is the first time in a long time that I have finally felt as though I have met people who really care about the same things as I do and that I am no longer alone in trying to put forward my beliefs about the world and particularly the ocean. I am proud to represent something that I believe in so strongly and am more motivated to do so.”

Auriah Lane - Master Reef Guide | Marine Biologist | Quicksilver Port Douglas | Far North (Cohort 5)

Auriah grew up in a small country town. Despite living far from the ocean, she always loved learning about the environment and being in the ocean at every opportunity. Her passion for the environment lead her to study Environmental Biology at University and volunteer in many different environmental and marine associations.

Auriah translated her passion into purpose while working on the Reef as a dedicated Marine Biologist for Quicksilver in 2018.  She has been providing reef interpretation to large and diverse audiences through presentations and guided snorkeling tours ever since.

“I believe as Marine Biologists working on the Great Barrier Reef, we have the opportunity to be the bridge of knowledge that facilitates people’s connection to the reef. By creating a connection, a moment where people say that is just amazing, and guiding that connection into inspiration to conserve the reef for future generations, is important for ensuring the future of the reef. Being able to give quality to the time that people are visiting and show that the Great barrier Reef is worth looking after is a privilege".

Hayley Brien – Master Reef Guide | Marine Biologist – Quicksilver Cruises | Port Douglas (Cohort 5)

Hayley fell in love with the Great Barrier Reef at the young age of seven. Her first visit to the Great Barrier Reef was on board Quicksilver Cruise’s in Port Douglas.  This sparked overwhelming emotions leaving her with an unforgettable ‘mermaid like’ buzz. Growing up the feeling never left; inspiring Hayley to complete a Masters Degree in Marine Biology and become a published scientist.

Hayley has worked on the Great Barrier Reef as a researcher and surveyor for the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the Great Barrier Reef Park Authority and James Cook University. Since 2019, she has combined her love of performing and the Reef to become a full-time mermaid with Quicksilver Cruises, travelling to Quicksilver’s Pontoon and Low Isles off Port Douglas.

“Every day, I am still amazed by the Reefs natural beauty. Every day, I am still curious to learn more. The mermaid-buzz never disappears when your office is the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. It is an incredible honour to become a Master Reef Guide and be surrounded by the ultimate brain trust for the Great Barrier Reef! Being a Master Reef Guide with Quicksilver will allow me to continue to share my passion and curiosity for the Reef, furthermore inspire and educate a wide demographic of people.”

Katie Tuesley – Master Reef Guide | Coral Expeditions | Far North (Cohort 5)

Katie’s love for showing people the world around us began while working on Fraser Island as a Marine Ranger.  From here, she found guidance from a fellow Master Reef Guide while working as a reef sleep host at Cruise Whitsundays.  Here Katie realised what she wanted to do with her life, and that was to work on the Great Barrier Reef and show everyone how amazing it is.  She then moved to the Kimberley’s, in particular the Abrolhos Islands and  she has also worked in Coral Bay Western Australia where she discovered her love for birdlife and then an opportunity became available to her at Heron Island.  This is where Katie discovered diving and much more. Starting out as a deckhand, progressing to become a Naturalist Guide.

“My mum told me when I was a baby, if I ever cried she would put me in the water and I would be all happy again. That makes so much sense…. I am a water baby. If I could be anything… I would be a mermaid. I made the Olympic trials in 2000 for swimming and unfortunately broke my knee a month before the trials but I’m still in the water any chance I get.”

Tahn Miller – Master Reef Guide | Dive Instructor| Wavelength Reef Cruises | Far North (Cohort 5)

Tahn’s story starts in a small coastal town in New South Wales called Crescent Head, and then later Hat Head, Kempsey.

Like many children from Kempsey, Christmas meant a caravan holiday to the beach. Sometimes for a week; other times, if we were lucky, three weeks. It was an age of wonder and discovery!

Fast forward 20 years and Tahn is on the Great Barrier Reef for the first time, just about to do his first scuba dive in open water. “I remember my anticipation; I see the same look in the faces of the guests on the outward journey.  As soon as I put my face underwater, my life was completely changed, my world view shifted, and I was that little boy again looking for hiding invertebrates and gifts of other unknown things.”
That week changed Tahn’s entire life, he has never since left the Great Barrier Reef...in fact, and he did not even catch his return flight.  That was 10 years ago and he continues his work on the Great Barrier Reef to this day.

“The Great Barrier Reef is such a spectacular place and I absolutely love to see people connecting to it just like I did on my first day. It reminds me daily of just how lucky we are to be able to walk and swim on this Earth.”