About Us

Hildegard and Ralf Lübcke and their three daughters arrived in Dunedin in 1985 on what was supposed to be a 2-year stay while Ralf was conducting research at Otago University. They soon fell in love with the country and made it their home. After 25 years they have put their roots firmly into the ground here with two daughters married to New Zealanders and three grandsons.

Ralf works as a consultant gastroenterologist at Dunedin hospital. He used to be an active rower, loves the outdoors, and rides his bike to work every morning. Ralf supports Hildegard in her business venture, particularly with marketing and promotion.

Hildegard trained and worked as Biology and Chemistry teacher in Germany taking a keen interest in environmental education. In 1989 here at Dunedin University the opportunity for a Post Graduate Diploma in Tourism presented itself with Hildegard taking up this challenge focusing on interactions of wildlife and tourism. This lead to the establishment of a small-group nature guiding business, initially called “Wings of Kotuku” and renamed “Nature Guides Otago” in 2000. Hildegard is passionate in her guiding, concerned about conservation and particularly the Yellow-eyed Penguins. There are tremendous management challenges like predator control and habitat improvement for these increasingly rare birds which has prompted active involvement by Nature Guides Otago. Hildegard is grateful for the support of her guides who have proven invaluable in supporting these efforts and providing fun and informative tours for our guests.

The purchase of Nisbet Cottage in 1996 opened an opportunity to combine these guided nature experiences with boutique bed & breakfast accommodation to give our guests an opportunity for true eco-holidays.

Our commitment to the environment is rooted in our personalities and we contribute as much as possible to global sustainability. We encourage our guests to support us in this effort.  Read more 

Richard Oliver - Nature Guide

While I am a born and bred North Islander, I prefer to call the South Island home as it is where I have spent over 30 years of my life – initially moving there to train as a teacher. Following that, over 20 years I have been working as a nature guide. I began my nature guiding career in 1988, when I helped to establish Whale Watch Kaikoura where I was a boat skipper and guide. During my time with the company I was fortunate enough to travel and observe other whale watching operations around the world including the Dolphin Fleet in Provincetown, near Boston, and operations in Hawaii and Japan. 
While attending the International Whaling Commission meetings in Glasgow, Scotland and Kyoto, Japan in the 1990s I met some very passionate conservationists including David McTaggart, the founder of Greenpeace. These people inspired me to work for businesses that not only minimise their impact on the environment but provide enjoyable, safe and informative tour experiences for guests. I believe this is best achieved by guiding small groups of people, where a more personal experience is possible - I also believe a successful tour is one where guests complete the tour somehow ‘altered’ by their experience, whilst the environment has been left unaltered. During my time in Kaikoura, I met my wife Trudie, who at that time was a university student completing her marine biology degree, and we have been sharing and debating the tourist experience ever since. Together we started the first bird watching nature tours in Kaikoura, using a 16m yacht. 
I started working for Hildegard at Nature Guides Otago in 2002, while I was a boat skipper/guide at Monarch Wildlife Cruises. A short 4 ½ year ‘time out’ from full-time nature tourism followed, when we moved to Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula – although I did work part-time as a boat skipper and guide during summer, taking guests to the marine reserve and beautiful Cathedral Cove area. 
The pull of the South was too strong, however, and at the end of 2009 we returned to the Otago Peninsula, the nature capital of New Zealand – and my first choice was, of course, to rejoin Hildegard and Ralf at Nature Guides Otago. I look forward to sharing our special place with you.

Stevi Broni - Nature Guide

“Tour guiding is the best job in the world. What other job allows you to visit the wild places you love AND share your knowledge, experience and passion with visitors from all over the world, while at the same time contributing to the conservation of those places”

I grew up in Scotland where I gained a BSc (Hon) degree in Zoology from Glasgow University. A scholarship from 'Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology’ took me to Cape Town where I found myself living on and island with a few thousand African Black-footed penguins for a year. I completed my MSc in Marine Ornithology in 1984 during which year I also spent some research time on Gough and Tristan Island Group in the South Atlantic.
In December that year I `ran away to sea’ as a crew man on `M.V. Southern Quest’, the support ship for `In the Footsteps of Scott Antarctic Expedition’, which called in to Dunedin on its way south. I remained with the expedition for two years wintering over in our own expedition hut at Cape Evans in 1985.
I returned to New Zealand in 1988 and after a brief stint at Otago Museum took up position of Public Awareness Officer for Department of Conservation (DOC) in Dunedin. I worked for DOC for 15 years during which time I made three visits to NZ Sub-antarctic islands, one as Cruise Director for Heritage Expeditions. In 1995 I took six months off to go to Falkland Islands and help with penguin conservation efforts there. I’ve been back to Africa a few times, exploring Namibia and Kalahari
In 2003, I left Dept Conservation to take up a position as Interpretation Coach at Denali National Park, Alaska where I stayed for two summer seasons.
I am now an internationally qualified Tour Guide and Interpretation Coach and run workshops in New Zealand when called upon.
I have known Hildegard for best part of 15 years and was delighted when she asked me to work for her in 2006. I also work part time at Dunedin Public Library and am a Trustee of NZ Sea Lion Trust.
My home is an idyllic little cottage on the outer coast of the Otago Peninsula where I now live with wife Sharyn, daughter Virginia Rose, and a Siberian Husky named Sebastian.