Biography
ENLARGE
Aaron first visited Canada on a ski trip through the picturesque Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta which later evolved into a stay lasting over a year and a half. Throughout his travels, Aaron was particularly taken with the country's cultural diversity, its natural beauty, abundance of wildlife and the hospitality of its people. Having completed a Tourism Degree in his homeland of Australia, Aaron returned to the UK, finding his place with the Audley team. Since beginning at Audley, he has revisited Canada and Alaska several times, and some of his travel highlights include seeing the grizzly bears in Katmai National Park, exploring the quiet fishing villages of the Maritimes, and searching for orca off the coast of Vancouver Island. On his most recent trip, Aaron travelled back to Australia visiting iconic places such as Uluru, Kakadu National Park and The Great Barrier Reef. Besides travelling, Aaron enjoys mountain biking, photography, hiking and camping.
My Most Memorable Experience
"The absolute highlight of my recent trip to Alaska was my time spent at Brooks Falls, deep within Katmai National Park.
The day began with a scenic floatplane trip to Brooks and within minutes of landing I had spotted my first grizzly bear.
Throughout the day, I had seen over a dozen bears from a number of vantage points in the Brooks Falls area. With the salmon run in full swing, the bears were very active and clearly had one thing on their minds.
For me, one of the most interesting observations was seeing the different personalities of the bears, how they interacted with each other and how their fishing techniques all differed."
My Favourite Destination
"Having spent a whole summer living and working in Jasper, this friendly small town and the surrounding national park holds a special place for me.
Jasper National Park has some some of the most dramatic alpine scenery in the Rockies. The park has a good network of quiet roads and hiking trails to explore, making the wilderness easily accessible.
The town has a local feel, avoiding the glitz of other purpose-built resorts. Wildlife is often seen throughout the region including bears, wolves and moose; however during the fall rut, the local population of elk are most prominent and their bellowing calls can be heard echoing throughout the valley."
My Favourite Accommodation
"Canada and Alaska have a great selection of wilderness lodges; however my favourite is the remote Chic-Choc Mountains Lodge situated on the Gaspé Peninsula in Québec.
This eco-lodge has been specifically designed to integrate with the surrounding environment. The surrounding forest has one of the densest populations of moose in Canada.
While the superb local cuisine and Québecois hospitality is an attraction in itself, most people are drawn by the lure of the outdoors - here you can enjoy some of the best hiking, cycling, wildlife watching and kayaking in eastern Canada.
In the evening guests gather around the large open fire and share the day's stories over a glass of wine."