Meet Your Instructors

Paddy Howlett is a an ex military veteran with an aviation background who has worked in helicopter medical and rescue retrieval both in Australia and abroad. Paddle Australia qualified whitewater water instructor / packraft specialist with over 20 years experience in various paddling disciplines. Paddy is also a qualified navigation instructor, qualified mountainbike guide and professional outdoor educator with decades of adventure and expedition experience. Paddy has competed at World Series level as an adventure racer and National Level in Rogaining. His experience and knowledge as an outdoorsman was tested recently when he completed The Yukon 1000 race which is the world toughest expedition paddling race 1600km from Canada to Alaska through some of the remotest wilderness on the planet.

Kelly van den Berg is a mountain guide and professional outdoor educator and expedition medic that has participated in teams on many wilderness expeditions both here and overseas in varied environments from the deserts of the Sahara to alpine ascents. She holds raft guide qualifications, professional Operations 1 CAA qualification and is a Paddle Australia trainee guide. Kelly was Paddy’s race partner and navigator for the Yukon 1000 expedition race in 2023.

All Gippsland Adventure staff hold current wilderness first aid qualifications, professional white water rescue qualifications, WWCC and are fully insured and licensed operators.