Kia Ora! It all began in geography class when I was 13. As I learnt about different places, I developed an overwhelming desire to see and experience all I was learning about. My focus became to jump on a jet plane, fly away and see the world.

Leaving school, I worked, saved hard and, at the age of 20, jumped on that jet plane with my friend Lorraine. My Overseas Experience (OE) lasted almost a decade, exploring much of Europe and Asia. Upon returning to New Zealand I was delighted to be employed by Air New Zealand, where I had many great travel experiences.

In 2015, Air New Zealand made the decision to exit the retail travel market. At the time I was managing the Hastings Holiday Store and, after I was made redundant, I explored many avenues, including leaving the travel industry.

It was a big decision-making time for me and I am thankful for the support of my clients and friends as it became clear that I could not leave the industry. A defining moment was when a client of mine, Ashley Hartly, gave me a fatherly/mentoring chat. I expressed my concerns to him about working for myself.

“Ashley explained to me that it's not about the company you work for. People book with you because of who you are, the service you give, what you do and how you make them feel.”

I had huge respect for Ashley, and his words gave me the confidence to “go for it”. Several years on, it was absolutely the right decision. Travel is in my blood, it's my passion and love, and today I still love creating memorable journeys for my clients and sharing in their love of travel.

My travel experiences have ranged from sleeping on the deck of ferries and floors of trains, or staying in hostels and 2-star hotels, to luxury cruise liners, business class travel and everything in between. These days I don’t tend to sleep on the floor of trains, but recently my husband and myself made the decision to stay in a hostel (albeit a private room) for the location and value. On that same trip we also flew business class and used a low cost airline.

I am constantly putting myself in your shoes and thinking how my experiences can help you. Your travel journey begins with dreaming, and my passion is to help you bring those dreams to life. The key is to ask the right questions! I am with you at every step of the journey, from the initial planning stage to providing support on government regulations and being available for you at any point from start to finish.