Our staff are passionate and skilled outdoor educators who have worked in a range of outdoor settings across Australia and around the world, with a wide variety of client groups. Our staff teach across all theory and practical components of the course to provide a holistic and personal approach to meet individual learner needs.

Mike Tolley has been teaching outdoor education for 18 years. After completing a Diploma of Teaching and Graduate Diploma of Outdoor Education, Mike has taught at Maroon Outdoor Education Centre in S.E. Queensland and Boyne River Natural Science School in Ontario Canada. He was the director of the Wilderness Studies program at Chevalier College, Bowral, NSW and then moved to The Gap State High School, Qld to be involved with establishing an Outdoor Adventure Leadership Studies Course and an indoor adventure challenge and climbing facility. During these experiences Mike has led a wide variety of outdoor activities and expeditions. Mike has been teaching at Tropical North Queensland TAFE since the beginning of 2003.

Growing up on the Sunshine coast Mike developed a passion for sailing and windsurfing and continues to pursue these interests in his own time.

Phil Harrison has been teaching for 15 years, and has been employed as a full time outdoor education teacher for the last 12 years. Originally trained as a History/English Teacher, Phil has a Masters degree in Outdoor Education. He has taught at William Clarke College in Sydney, at ‘Kirrikee’, the outdoor education centre of St Andrews Cathedral School in Sydney and at ‘Ironbark’, the residential outdoor campus of St Peters Lutheran College in Brisbane. Phil has been teaching at Tropical North Queensland TAFE since the beginning of 2006. Phil was introduced to outdoor activities through the Scout Association and he has been a Leader for over 18 years. Phil is currently involved in the training and assessment of Scout Leaders as Instructors in abseiling, bushwalking, canoeing and kayaking.

Growing up in Sydney, Phil spent much of his spare time in the Blue Mountains. Canyoning remains his favourite outdoor pursuit.

Michael Blankenspoor has been a qualified educator for 20 years specialising in educational drama and adventure based learning. Over the course of a career, that has seen Michael as a teacher, business manager, theatre producer and outdoor educator; he has observed the need for people to harness their full potential. During his 16 years as the Creative Director of the Australian Youth Theatre in Sydney, Michael developed leadership training that linked outdoor education with the arts and conducted adventure performing tours to China, USA, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vanuatu and Hawaii. With a long term interest in outdoor education, Michael moved to North Queensland to further his studies in Outdoor Recreation. In 2007 he joined the Outdoor Leadership Team at Tropical North Queensland TAFE as a teacher and coordinator for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Growing up on the Sunshine Coast, Michael has always drawn inspiration from the outdoors and has a passion for travel, multi day expeditioning and sea kayaking.