About Chris
I have proudly belonged to the MTA family since 2011 and my time in the travel industry is over 30 years working in all aspects of the industry including leisure, corporate and group travel for International and Australian travel.
My primary focus these days is designing Worldwide and Australian leisure itineraries as well as planning for special interest groups including golfing tours. I have the experience to offer a dedicated and professional service to my much valued clients.
MTA offer the best support for travel advisors in the industry, this also includes our after hours assistance for clients that may require urgent travel assistance.
Our contacts through leading travel industry affiliations and our integral relationships with airlines, cruise and tour companies, hotels and the rest of the travel industry means that I always have the latest information at my fingertips.
My industry knowledge is constantly being updated through attending supplier seminars and conferences as well as the opportunity to participate in worldwide travel educational trips.
I always have a wish list for where I would like to go next! The following are some present thoughts that I have but working in our industry there are so many exciting destinations to choose from, I'm always adding something else! At present I'm also spending quite a bit of time researching golf destinations for my group golf tours.
* Travelling the Silk Road by rail
* East Africa, in particular Kenya and Tanzania
* Argentina, South America
* a return visit to India
*Washington,D.C.
* Mauritius
My top 10 favourite places or destinations are:
*Japan, the beauty of the gardens, old cities and temples, the living culture of the Japanese people
*Vietnam, I have visited Vietnam twelve times and each time never fails to surprise or delight. The food is always wonderful!
* Morocco, a visit to the desert area is a must as well as hiking in the West Atlas Mountains, the souks of Marrakech and Fez and the blue city of Chefchaouen. So many contrasts in one country!
* Kerala State and Rajasthan in India, extraordinary history, incredible palaces, the religions.
*Bora Bora, Tahiti, simply exquisite, fabulous for a honeymoon.
*Sri Lanka, a country rich in history and culture. Highly recommend a tour that encompasses all areas, so much colourful contrast.
*Russia, The Trans Siberian rail journey, cruising on the Russian Waterways, visiting the beautiful cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the riches of the Hermitage and the Kremlin museums.
*Cruising the Kimberley Coast from Darwin to Broome by a small expedition ship.
*Zambia, fantastic game parks!
*Italy
My most exciting trip would be the Trans Siberian railway - travelling from Beijing to Moscow through Mongolia, a fantastic and breathtaking experience. This trip was as much about the journey as the destinations. There is a certain rhythm to travelling by rail which I really enjoy. Passing through the Gobi Desert in the early hours of the morning was truly beautiful and in a way overwhelming when you contemplate the vastness of nothingness around you. This was contrasted with the size of the forests and huge river systems in Russia. It was also memorable visiting Mongolia, from Ulan Bator to the Mongolian countryside which are gloriously green and rolling and watching the horsemanship of the locals. I loved Irkutz, a cobble stoned city in Siberia. The summer palaces of St. Petersburg were extraordinary in their beauty and it has humbling to consider the wealth invested in their construction.
As if that wasn't enough rail travel in one year, I followed up with a trip on the Ghan from Darwin to Alice Springs the same year!
I've always felt so fortunate to work in an industry that I love and feel passionate about. It is exciting planning my clients' travel and I get such a wonderful feeling when they come back and say "thank you, we've had a wonderful time and everything went perfectly”.
Over the years there have been many changes in the travel industry, particularly when it comes to technology but it is my belief that in many ways the basics haven't changed. The reason why my clients continue to use my services year after year is because of their confidence in my service, attention to detail and impartial product knowledge. Most importantly, they also know that they can call on me should they require assistance when they are away. I can offer my clients flexibility with appointment times and will often have a coffee with a client at 7.00am before they start their working day.
Part of working in the travel industry is having the opportunity to travel to experience places first hand and that knowledge can then be passed to my clients. I've travelled a lot, both through my work and personal travel internationally and within Australia. South East Asia has always been of particular interest as I have lived in the region twice with many visits to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. I have also visited India, Sri Lanka, China, the Mekong, Japan and Cambodia.
Other travels have included several cruises mainly on smaller expedition ships and river cruising, travel to Europe, USA, Canada, Fiji, Tahiti, East Timor, Russia and Mongolia, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Malawi and Zambia and all parts of Australia.
Previous experience
Travellers World Darwin,
Bay Travel Melbourne,
Jayes Travel Newcastle
Areas of specialty
Extensive experience in planning personal, corporate and group travel both internationally and within Australia. Specialising in travel within the Asian region and Indian sub-continent, worldwide cruising, package holidays, golf tours, tailor-made itineraries for Europe, North Africa, South America and USA and travel within the Northern Territory.
Awards
MTA Spirit Award Winner - 2020
CLIA Memeber 2020
MTA Platinum Member since 2013 - 2019
