As a kid I used to watch the show “Getaway” and remember thinking wow, wouldn’t it be
cool if I could travel the world and get paid for it? Lo and behold, that became a possibility. Prior to working in tourism, I was in the Royal Australian Air Force. I spent my days in a very small, dark office, and I remember dreaming of being able to go outside again!
I started at Journey Beyond in April 2021 as a Guest Experience Manager onboard the Indian Pacific at Journey Beyond Rail. What I really loved about working on train was the camaraderie between the crew and the friendships you make. When you’re working seven days on, seven days off, you really do become a great little family. While in this role, the job of a lifetime came up at our Cruise Whitsundays business – Guest Experience Manager. Within a few short weeks of applying, I was living and working in Airlie Beach
I’m originally from the Gold Coast and had been living in Adelaide while working on the Indian Pacific. It’s a very different experience living in a small town like Airlie Beach but there’s a real sense of community that I’ve enjoyed. You’ve also got the amazing weather up here in Queensland and the team at Cruise Whitsundays is fantastic.
My role as a Guest Experience Manager is largely centred around the guest experience, making sure people have the best time possible on our products. A typical day for me includes attending meetings with our executive team about how we can improve our business and my big focus right now is how we can use data to make our products the very best they can be. Since I’ve been here, I’ve had the fantastic opportunity to experience Reefsleep at our beautiful pontoon, moored 39 nautical miles from the mainland on the Great Barrier Reef. The Guest Experience Manager position at Cruise Whitsundays is different to what I was doing on the trains, but there is a lot of cross-over in the roles. At the end of the day both jobs are about our guests having the best experience possible.
I believe that at Journey Beyond, if you have a good attitude, show a genuine interest in advancing your career and ask the right questions, you will go far. I love coming to work each day, tourism is absolutely where I want to stay in my career.
The best piece of advice I’d give to someone starting out in the tourism industry or looking to advance, is don’t be afraid to get in on the ground floor. Anyone who is considering a move into a management role would really benefit from being on the front-line, experiencing a product and understanding how things work. Don’t ever be afraid to dream big, you might get there sooner than you think.
Looking for your next exciting career? Check out our available positions here.
