Rusty Hardley

Hailing from a thrilling background in the $7.3b industry of New Zealand tourism, Rusty Hardley has spent three years as an adventure guide for Waitomo Adventures, cave rappelling in one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist attractions. He was also a Jump Master for “Sky Jump”, throwing people off Sky Tower 192m (600 ft) on the adrenaline-filled cable-assisted ride. Rusty’s intrepid spirit lead him to his next adventure as a national tour bus guide/driver, responsible for leading and entertaining travelers from around the globe. On one memorable trip, he discovered a store with racks full of aviator sunglasses, and soon after, the whole tour bus was filled with beaming aviator-wearing passengers.

After performing exhilarating stunts and delighting tourists in New Zealand, Rusty has embarked on his next challenge as an entrepreneur in a new country. He first fell in love with B.C. after a year in Vancouver and had always wanted to return. Back in his newfound home, his natural charm has led to relationships with brewery and winery owners, beer sales representatives and brewmasters – an ideal fit for his new company, Off the Grid Tours, which specializes in industry and public tours of B.C. craft breweries and wineries, an incredible Bowen Island Golf Club package tour, customizable charter tours, and more.

Rusty believes “since we’re only here once, we should give everything a go.” His vibrant energy and crowd-pleasing attitude make him a natural in this industry; he is thrilled to be in the business of giving people a great time.