Meet the Team
Stefan & Michelle Boddie | Owners
Stefan is the fourth generation of the Boddie family to work this land. Stefan has quite a history with the glowworms — back in the ’80s, he and his two brothers spent hours exploring the caves around our farm, long before running tours was even an idea. While Stefan mainly works behind the scenes and you may spot him in the office from time to time, he’s the technical mastermind who makes sure everything operates smoothly.
Michelle, married to Stefan, is our office guru here at Down to Earth. If you’ve emailed or called, chances are you’ve chatted with her. She looks after bookings, safety briefings, guest questions, and the endless list of things that keep our tiny family business humming along. We’re endlessly grateful for her calm, caring presence — she truly keeps us all in line!
Ash Waghorn | Tour Guide & Operations Manager
Ash, our Operations Manager and Cave Tour Guide extraordinaire, has been exploring caves since he graduated from high school. After working in a few different roles, he’s come back to what he loves — guiding and connecting with visitors from all over the world. Ash married into the family in 2009 and has three amazing teenagers. When he’s not underground, you’ll find him in the bush hunting or fishing. He’s got a fantastic sense of humour and loves testing out new dad jokes on our visitors — they’re a hit (most of the time)!
Heath Boddie | Seasonal Tour Guide
Heath, Stefan’s brother, grew up exploring these hills and caves just like Stefan did. Every summer he joins us to guide tours, share stories, and bring his easy-going energy to visitors from around the world. Heath’s also a proud member of the local Fire Brigade and a certified first aid instructor. He’s always ready to lend a hand and make sure everyone has a great experience.
Fran Boddie | Family Support Crew
Fran, our mum, lives just down the road and often pops by the office to lend a hand. We’re incredibly fortunate to have her support — she’s by far our biggest cheerleader. She thinks we’re the best in Waitomo, and we promise she’s not biased at all!
Nala | Chief Cuteness Officer
Nala is our friendly Down to Earth pup, a Maltese cross, who doesn’t do much in the way of “official” duties. We think she absolutely excels at being adorable, catching the odd fly, and offering up her belly for a rub (usually from visitors who miss their own furry friends). If you spot her around the office, don’t be shy — she’s always up for a pat.
About
Mark Devid
Making a good impression on your site is a huge thing to keep in mind, but what about on other sites? If you go to other sites and scam people out of their money and get banned off forums for bad behavior it will come back and smack you right in the face. Think of it like this.
Vestibulum
80%
Maximus
70%
Imperdiet
90%
