Guides & Facilitators

Raymond owns and operates Into the Blue Creative Walks to which he brings a range of creative and organizational skills from his past life in the entertainment & theatre industry. Life on the road with some of Australia's top rock and roll bands and later stints with Opera Australia and the Sydney Theatre Company was a strange and challenging preparation to lead writers, artists and meditators into wilderness. But it has also helped forge an entirely new concept in walking programs.
Raymond has led over 1000 trips in the Blue Mountains, the desert of Central Australia, New Zealand & Tasmania and has over 30 years walking experience.

His personal adventures include a solo walk from Melbourne to Sydney along the Great Dividing Range, which was the subject of an ABC Radio National documentary.

Raymond has great legs.

Jan facilitated the DESERT WRITERS program in 06 with brilliant success. Jan is a highly regarded writer, performer and facilitator who runs popular writing workshops and retreats in Australia and the Asia Pacific. Combining practical, theoretical and experiential knowledge gained in over 25 years in the Australian theatre and film industry, and 20 year’s experience in meditation, Jan has developed a technique called Meditative Writing. Visit www.jancornall.com for more information.

Paul Wilson is known throughout the world as “the guru of calm”. His simple approach to meditation and finding inner peace – skills that he developed as a child in the Outback – has encouraged Buddhists, Christian, Hindus, atheists, and all kinds of spiritual and secular groups to embrace his methods and, frequently, to employ him as a teacher. One enterprising journalist estimated that he has taught over 1 million people to meditate. “His mixture of traditional meditation, alternative therapy, positive thinking and commonsense has persuaded millions to buy into his philosophy." The Times

Rod facilitated our Meditations on Mungo journey in 2007 and will be leading MEDITATIONS ON MOUNTAINS & SEA in 2008. He has been involved in health-care management, education, tai chi and meditation for the majority of his working life. He was an executive administrator for a medical rehabilitation center; has made an extensive study of Oriental medicine; was co-founder of “Mindful Business” which operated courses in meditation and mindfulness for the corporate sector; has spent 38 years studying martial arts; has been teaching Tai Chi for the past 25 years; currently teaches meditation at Nature Care College and has been teaching meditation and Buddhist philosophy for 16 years.

Singer, composer, vocal arranger, musical director, workshop leader and author Tony Backhouse, is one of the leaders in the Sydney a cappella movement. He currently directs the Café of the Gate of Salvation gospel choir and male trio the Heavenly Lights.

His CV is far too long to mention here. So to find out more about the man who shall be leading our DESERT CHOIR IN 2008 after the outrageously wonderful SINGING UP THE OUTBACK go to www.tonybackhouse.com.au.

Tom has been an Outback guide for over twenty years, escorting travelers, scientists and photographers to remote parts of Australia.

For that same amount of time he has also been a professional photographer.

Tom's love of aboriginal culture is evident as is his deep connection with the Australian desert. To view some of his work go to www.ozimages.com.au/portfolio/tkeating.asp

Liz Ashburn is a highly regarded teacher and artist who has forty years experience teaching  workshops to artists in the areas of drawing, sculpture, painting and photography. Her workshops combine traditional teaching techniques with alternative and stimulating approaches to art practice. These offer unique ways to experience vision, extend memory and develop each persons creative capacity.

Her teaching at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales was recognised by an award for teaching excellence and innovation and in 2007 she received the Order of Australia Medal for her service to the visual arts, contemporary Australian art, education and the community. She is an Emeritus Professor at the University of New South Wales and a Conjoint Professor at the University of Newcastle. Her work is exhibited in important regional and university galleries and has been collected by prestigious museums.
For a more in-depth look at Liz Ashburn’s work visit www.lizashburn.com

Garry Egger has post-graduate qualifications in behavioural biology and epidemiology. He has worked in preventive health for over 35 years in Government, Industry and privately, and has consulted for the World Health Organisation and several National and regional Governments in his specialty of Lifestyle Medicine. Dr Egger initiated Fitness Leader training in Australia in the 1980s and Medical training in weight control in the 1990s. He developed the GutBusters program for men in 1991, which was the first men's program of its type, to be widely reported in the scientific literature. Dr Egger has written 25 books (including several University texts), and around 100 scientific publications. He holds Adjunct Professorships at three Australian Universities.

Garry will be leading the LIFESTYLE MEDICINE for GP's in 2009.

LULU BULL is the senior teacher at the Katoomba Yoga School and is a direct student of BKS Iyengar. Lulu has been practicing and teaching for over 20 years. Lulu conducts teacher training within the school and travels interstate to conduct retreats and workshops.

Lulu will be running the DESERT YOGA journey in 2008.

Richard White is well know in photography circles for his ability to capture the soul of the landscape. He has been a professional photographer for over 20 years and has taught workshops nationally and overseas since 1995. A Double Master of Photography (2007) with the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) and a past State President.
In 2003 he was awarded an Arts Council Grant for overseas study and won the Victorian Professional Photography Landscape Award. Richard is also a Federal and State Judge at the Annual AIPP photography awards and has won numerous other awards for his photography.
He writes regular articles for Better Photography magazine and Sivershotz International, produces the high quality High Country Calendar each year and a range of black & white postcards and has worked on major documentary projects for television.