Director / Principal Ecologist and Tour Guide
Take some time and you will see that Craig is more than just South West Queensland’s walking natural history guide, as he is known around these parts. In addition to being an ecological encyclopaedia, Craig is a huge fan of the Brisbane Broncos. Rivaling his love for the Broncos is that which he feels toward snails. From boyhood, Craig has had an inexplicable fascination with snails and is even credited for the discovery of a number of new species. Just ask him about the ones with fuzzy noses, if you dare. Those who have had the pleasure of meeting Craig might be most surprised to learn that he plays the didgeridoo and enjoys listening to heavy metal on long drives. Fear not, we don’t play any music which is out of favour with our tour-goers!
Meryl Eddie
Business Manager and Tour Guide
Jack of all trades, Meryl is friendly and accommodating and will help make your experience one to remember! She loves horses, and used to show cattle and managers their grazing farming property north of Roma. Meryl is able to fix a fence, change a tyre, brand cattle and in her youth would run rings around most on a sporting field. Meryl is also heavily involved with the local community, setting up the charitable not-for-profit Maranoa Wildlife Caring & Education Centre and initiating a local Junior Touch Football Competition. Interestingly enough, Meryl is not a fan of heavy metal.
Rosamund Aisthorpe
Botanist and Tour Guide
Rose is a local gal whose love of plants is a fire that was lit at a very young age. In fact her mother will confirm that Rose’s first multisyllabic word was Eremophila, the scientific name for Emu Bush. You may recognise her bright smile from an episode of ABC’s Gardening Australia, which featured her parents’ garden many moons ago. At some point during her tweens it occurred to Rose that learning the Latin names of various gum trees was not a common pastime among her peers and that she must follow her destiny to become a Botanist! Another of her passions includes Geology, which makes her a great match for her partner who is a professional opal miner and cutter. Her favourite animal of the moment is the Rough-throated Leaf-tailed Gecko, which she rates as the coolest lizard EVER.
Samuel Kretschmer
Ecologist and Tour Guide
Hailing from the centre of the universe – South Australia, Sam is a recent migrant to the area. His first love was singing, but when his rendition of Khe Sanh caused an Amsterdam karaoke bar to shut for the night, he realised a change was necessary. Following in the footsteps of his idol, Russell Coight, Sam decided to pursue a career in his backyard – the Aussie outback. He enjoys all things outdoors, from camping to snorkelling, but especially bird watching (referring to the feathered variety).
Paanthida Otto (Paan)
Field Technician and Tour Guide
Alongside her partner Mark, Paan runs a citrus orchard north of Roma, where she tends to various species of trees with her dog, Muffin, by her side. She also channels her creativity into developing and trialling a range of citrus products. Originally from Thailand, Paan has spent time in the USA and travelled extensively around the world.
Paan is a tremendous asset to our Boobook Explore tours. She is an avid walker, a fantastic cook, and brings a wonderful sense of humour to our evening campfires.
Weston Campbell
Field Technician and Tour Guide
After leaving the nest of a remote cattle station in the Charleville-Augathella region, Weston is now happily settled in Roma with his two kelpie dogs – one of which is trained to find reptiles. Trained how? By watching Weston do the same. He has a passion for reptiles, birds, and other wildlife and is also an avid wildlife photographer and drone operator with skills in video and photo editing. Additionally, Weston enjoys learning languages, from Japanese to Russian, and has a talent for making music and drawing.
Anne Moloney
Tour Guide
Anne, a local school science teacher, originally hails from ‘The Shire’ in Sydney, an area surrounded by the Royal National Park and a variety of waterways, perfect for bushwalking, swimming, and fishing. Over 30 years ago, she headed to western Queensland for a short 10-week stint as a governess. However, she fell in love with the outback and a local fella, leading her to explore and teach across various parts of the region while touring with her family.
Anne loves exploring the Australian bush on foot and has participated in some fabulous yoga retreats at Wallaroo and camping trips with family and friends in the Carnarvon Range. She is actively involved in local community groups, such as the Bendemere Garden Club and Roma Bush Gardens.
For Anne, meeting new people, hearing their stories, and making connections are some of the job’s highlights. She also loves sharing her lifelong passion for gardening with others.
Her favourite plant is the velvety flannel flower, and her favourite animal is the laughing kookaburra.
Rebecca Hagen
Cultural Heritage Advisor and Tour Guide
Born and raised in Roma, Bec brings a deep passion for cultural heritage to the Boobook Explore team. Holding a first-class honours degree in Archaeology and Anthropology from UniSQ, her honours research project involved leading a technological analysis of stone artefacts excavated from a rock shelter in Far North Queensland.
Growing up with a love for the environment, animals, and all things historical, Bec has cultivated a profound appreciation for preserving and sharing cultural heritage. Joining Boobook Explore provides an opportunity to experience archaeological wonders firsthand while educating others about their significance. Bec also holds minor qualifications in environmental studies, tourism, and business management.
When not conducting field work and exploring heritage sites, Bec enjoys the tranquillity of living on a 20-acre property on the outskirts of Roma, where she lives with her young family and an assortment of beloved pets and farm animals.
Bec’s favourite species: beyond the archaeological wonders I study, I’m endlessly fascinated by nature’s own bizarre experiment—the platypus. This creature looks like evolution stitched together spare parts from the animal kingdom’s lost and found: a duck bill, beaver tail, and otter fur while being one of only two mammals that lay eggs. It’s easy to see how scientists from the 1800s thought the discovery was a hoax.