Australian born, Naomi Delafield, is a relative newcomer to wilderness travel.  But 10 years ago she met David and has since logged thousands of kilometres of canoe, kayak and backpacking routes in Australia, United States, Canada and Siberia.  Naomi has just finished up a M.Music in violin performance.  In her spare time she has maintained a private teaching studio, directing 3 youth orchestras and marketing her artwork under the name Birchbark Designs. Somehow, she still manages to find a little time to enjoy the Canadian wilderness.  During Voyage to the Bay, she will be recording the experience through sketching, painting and photography while keeping her eyes and ears open for musical inspiration in the landscape.

Nick Stefanovic is a self-declared gearhead. He is an experienced backpacker whose diversity spans from the lush forests of the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island to the Pacific Crest Trail in California. His true love though is ice climbing and mountaineering in the Rockies. Nick enjoys snow shoeing, cross country skiing and truly finds himself at home in the wilderness whatever the season. In April of 2004 he began the planning of a four month long ice climbing trip in the Rockies, and by the middle of December the dream had successfully begun. He’s currently working at Venture Gear in Kelowna, BC and his spare time is spent hiking, biking and kayaking around the Okanagan’s beautiful landscape.  When Voyage to the Bay has reached its completion Nick plans to finish up his much delayed BA in Outward Pursuits at Canadian University College in Lacombe, AB.

Anita Burns represents the youngest member of the Expedition.  She won her position on the team by convincing us that her skill in training Arabian horses would be invaluable in calming the nerves of travel weary Canoes and the people who paddle them!  In her native Australia, Anita keeps herself very busy with training her growing stable of horses, assisting with the family fish farm and soaking up the tropical climate of Northern Queensland.  In November 2005 she will graduate from Bundaberg Christian College near her home in Queensland.  Her enthusiasm for life, willingness to brave the wilds of Canada and skills as a therapist with wild beasts will be most welcome! We are looking forward to her arrival in Canada in early 2006 to assist with the final preparations for a timely departure.

Lauren’s passion for outdoor living and recreation began at a very young age and was nurtured through a high school outdoor club. It was during this time that she realized the importance of the outdoors and it became more than recreation, but a passionate lifestyle.  The prospect of being able to again immerse herself in wilderness exploration and to continue her involvement in outdoor education through participating in Voyage to the Bay has become a major focus of her life over the past 12 months.  Lauren brings a sense of adventure, wonder and a love for constant learning to the group and is sure to give a spark of energy to all of us.  Following the trip she plans to continue working somewhere between outdoor education and guiding.  As she says, “The thought of me being able to give others the experience of a lifetime by sharing my knowledge of the great outdoors is so exciting to me. Voyage to the Bay will help make my dreams a reality!”