The Rockjumper Office Team

Our office team in Pietermaritzburg has expanded in synchrony with the rapid growth of Rockjumper in order to keep abreast with the complex arrangements that efficient and organized travelling requires.

The Office Ladies: Alison Wakelin professionally handles her responsible position as Tour Support Manager, Crystal Brook and Sue Anderson handle our tour bookings and admin masterfully, and Coral Gold handles all the Rockjumper finances and systems management.

The Office Men: Adam Riley is now spending less time in the field and is dedicating more of his energy to overseeing the operations of the company. He is supported by Cuan Rush and Matthew Drew who are involved in operations and business management at Rockjumper Birding Tours.

Adam Riley	Adam Riley is the Managing Director and co-founder of Rockjumper Birding Tours. He is a qualified chartered accountant and his keen business sense, customer care and attention to detail has been a major factor in making Rockjumper one of the world's premier bird tour companies. Adam spends approximately half the year overseeing Rockjumper's operations and the remainder guiding or scouting new destinations for future tours.
Cuan Rush	Cuan Rush earned a three-year conservation diploma before launching his career in bird related work as curator of birds at Umgeni River Bird Park in Durban. He then spent several years developing birding multimedia products and has also worked as lodge manager and bird guide at a luxury lodge in Zambia. Cuan is Operations Manager and a full-time birding and wildlife guide for Rockjumper, leading tours throughout Africa, Madagascar and Asia.
Matthew Drew	Matthew Drew has a degree in Economics and a diploma in Project Management. He grew up in Johannesburg and moved to the beautiful KwaZulu-Natal Midlands to follow his dream of developing a career in tourism. After spending three years project managing the Southern KZN Birding Route on behalf of BirdLife South Africa, he joined Rockjumper Birding Tours to take on the exciting role of Business Manager. Matthew has a passion for conservation and eco-tourism and he brings a solid set of business skills to the dynamic team at Rockjumper.
Alison Wakelin	Alison Wakelin was born in Kwazulu-Natal and some of her earliest memories are of precious hours spent with her family in the national parks of South Africa. Alison has been surrounded by birders her whole life and it is no surprise then that she should find herself managing the office for Rockjumper. She is committed to service excellence and is talented in handling the complex logistics of running tours to a mind-boggling diversity of countries.
Crystal Brook	Crystal Brook was raised in Johannesburg and has long nurtured a passion for nature. Her childhood years were brightened through numerous encounters with the natural world, including playing with Lion cubs and shadowing shark researchers on the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal! When you book a tour with us Crystal will be the first member of our team you communicate with, and you can rest assured that she will handle your booking inquiry in a friendly and efficient manner. When she takes a break from making the tour of your dreams become a reality, she can occasionally be found cage diving with Great White Sharks!
David Hoddinott	David Hoddinott has extensive experience leading birding tours throughout Africa, Asia and Madagascar. His zeal for birding has earned him the position as senior leader at Rockjumper and a reputation as one of the world's most talented birders. He is well known in birding circles for his endless energy and legendary bird spotting skills. David is a committee member of his local branch of BirdLife and sits on the South African rarities panel.
Keith Valentine	Keith Valentine developed his interest in the outdoors and birding at an extremely young age. After completing a degree in Financial Management, Keith decided to follow his dream and become a bird tour leader. Keith guides for Rockjumper throughout Africa, Asia and Madagascar and has an exceptionally in-depth knowledge of the region's birds and wildlife. Keith has a particular passion for birding the rainforests of central and western Africa.
Glen Valentine	Glen Valentine has an unquestionable passion for birds that, like his brother Keith, developed at an extremely tender age. At 19 he managed to break his brother's record of becoming the youngest person to have seen 850 species in southern Africa! Glen has also travelled extensively in Africa and is poised to become Rockjumper's top Asian bird guide. He posses exceptional birding skills and a personable nature, coupled with hearty levels of enthusiasm.
Rainer Summers	Rainer Summers has likewise been involved with birding and wildlife since an early age. Rainer has a BSc Honours degree in Ecology and Conservation Biology and, since finishing his postgraduate degree, has worked on a number of birding projects. He is an avid sportsman and birder and his passion for African birds, exceptional enthusiasim and extremely likable personality make Rainer one of our most popular leaders.
Markus Lilje	Markus Lilje fulifilled his passion for birding and photography by guiding in and around the Kruger National Park for over five years. He also completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Management and now guides througout the African and Asian continents for Rockjumper. Markus possesses profound knowledge of a wide variety of natural history subjects, ranging from Dragonflies to reptiles, which he enjoys sharing on his tours. He is also a fluent German linguist.
Sue Anderson	Sue Anderson developed a passion for wildlife and the environment from an early age, and followed her interest by joining Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (then Natal Parks Board) where she worked in the hospitality industry for 14 years. This was followed by 7 years with BirdLife South Africa at their Wakkerstroom Training Centre where she headed up the development of their travel project and promoting birding tourism to South Africa. Sue currently works as a consultant in the travel division of Rockjumper where she strives to ensure that all clients enjoy a completely hassle-free tour by arranging logistics for both pre and post tour extra requirements. .
	PJ grew up on a farm in the heart of Zululand, South Africa. His interest in the natural environment developed at a young age and he spent countless hours in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, St Lucia and Mkuze Game Reserves. After school he became a qualified field guide and worked at a private lodge in the Timbavati Game Reserve adjacent to Kruger National Park. Wanting to further his education he later obtained a Bsc in Geography and Environmental Management and worked for an Environmental Consulting Firm for 3 years. PJ is now a full-time member of the Rockjumper Birding Tours team where he plays an important role in operations.