Stu has a background in conservation and recreation management. He founded and ran NZ Bushpest LTD, delivering fieldwork services in the backcountry of Aotearoa for over two decades. Stu meet Geoff Chapple in 2002 walking Te Araroa and walked with him over Waiau pass starting his connection to the trail. He walked Te Araroa in 2022/23 and has a commitment to keeping Te Araroa resilient, authentic and true to the wild places it connects.