Our staff
Nigel Muir
PROJECT LEAD
Nigel is a trustee for the Wairoa Charitable Trust and was a foundation trustee for Nga Haerenga, New Zealand Cycle Trails Trust and a former Deputy Chair of Recreation Aotearoa.
Nigel has an MBA from the University of New South Wales, a Diploma in Business Studies from Massey University and attended Harvard University. He has won several awards in corporate Australia where he worked for Mars Inc and Goodman Fielder Ltd.
In sport, Nigel represented New Zealand at the World Triathlon Championships in 2013. He has been a Wellington junior representative swimmer and footballer and Marlborough colt rugby player. Nigel remains actively engaged in a variety of sports and community programmes.
Nigel believes The Whale Trail will create new job and tourism opportunities for our regions.
Importantly, it will also play a key role in helping to get the Marlborough and Kaikoura communities more active and healthy.
Vicki Nalder
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Vicki is a registered surveyor, the Chair of the Cadastral Surveyors Licensing Board of New Zealand, and managed the construction of the Marlborough cycle trail extension between Blenheim and Spring Creek on behalf of Waka Kotahi.
Vicki joined the Whale Trail team to co-ordinate the consenting, approvals, and construction contracts to build the trail.
Hamish Seaton
TRAIL DESIGN
Former South Canterbury farm boy and UC Honours Graduate in Eletrical and Electronic Engineering Hamish has a storied career in trail design throughout Aotearoa.
He designed the Old Ghost Rd (grade 4), upgraded sections of the Dun Mountain Trail in Nelson and parts of the new Grade 2 Whakarewarewa Forest Loop in Rotorua. He assisted with design work on several of the Queenstown trails (Roxborough Gorge, Lake Dunstan track and Kawarau Gorge tracks), and has been responsible for trail design, construction monitoring and quality control on the Paparoa Track (Grade 4) which is the first Great Walk that is also used by mountain bikes.
Involved in the original feasability study for the Whale Trail, Hamish is happiest in the field producing detailed construction notes and ensuring the Whale Trail will take its place in the Great Rides of Aotearoa
Steve Alloway
TRAIL ENHANCEMENT, CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE
Steve's role helps with all the small details after the trail is constructed that add to the user experience, such as wayfinding and signage, rest areas and amenities, planting and landscaping.
Trail maintenance is an often overlooked aspect on cycle trail assets and something that Steve is passionate about, a consistent user experience year on year is our objective.
Apart from riding his bikes Steve is a trustee on the Mountain Bike Trails Trust and enjoys volunteering on the trail network at nearby St Arnaud and helping out at Rainbow Ski Area in the colder months.
Robin Dunn
PLANTING SPECIALIST
Rob has spent 30 years helping develop the Marlborough District Council’s Parks & Open Spaces assets and he’s loving being involved with this exciting project. After completing a Commerce Degree at Lincoln University, Rob’s career has seen him involved with nurseries, landscaping and horticulture management.
He’s is passionate about Aotearoa’s native flora and fauna and a keen walker/hiker, cyclist, mountain biker and bike packer. Assisting with The Whale Trail project and plantings is a great opportunity to apply his skills and knowledge to ensure the planting across the highly varied terrain of the Whale Trail follows ecologically sound principals, and has the best chance of survival.