Karla's Travel Journey
I have spent my entire life in some way, shape or form in the travel industry. I grew up in a family owned bus business. My dad and his dad both operated school bus runs which soon grew into charters for school camps and local community groups. It wasn’t long before dad was operating public and group tours to destinations all around Australia. I was so lucky to be “on tour” from a very young age, hostessing on board ski weekends from the age of 14 and then off on safari to the Red Centre, Top End, Fraser Island, the Whitsundays, Tassie, Flinders Ranges and just about anywhere you could take a coach in the 70’s and 80’s. The love of travel in Australia lead me to roles in the industry, designing itineraries, co-ordinating tours and facilitating wonderful travel experiences for both Aussies and international visitors to discover what an amazing country Australia is. I was so fortunate to be able to do such things as hot air ballooning in Alice Springs, sail around the Whitsundays, bush bash along the Gunbarrel Highway and explore the remote outback including Cape York, Arnhemland and well-known dirt highways, like the Oodnadatta Track. Not to mention trekking to Sealers Cove at the glorious Wilsons Prom. These times were so much fun and never felt like work!
I have been incredibly fortunate that for me, working in the travel industry has never really felt like work. It is literally such a pleasure to be able to create amazing holidays for people. Over the years I have collaborated with many other businesses and sometimes deviated into other areas, but travel never left my heart and I’ve always been able to combine it with whatever else was on my plate at the time. My husband and I ran the Smiths Gully General Store for 12 years along with our three daughters. During this time, we became a real part of the community and it still holds a very special place in our hearts. Although the hours were long and there was a lot of hard work, the people were great and the location so beautiful. In 2005 we hosted a camping safari by coach for the local families to the Red Centre. This was such a great success with 40 people from Smiths Gully, Panton Hill & St Andrews joining us to travel via the Barossa Valley and Coober Pedy to Uluru and Alice Springs and then back along the Oodnadatta Track and the Flinders Ranges. Everyone loved the experience and got the appetite for more group travel together. Over the next decade we hosted more family adventure trips and went much further afield. Our travels took us to Southern & Eastern Africa, Egypt, Jordan and Peru.
As the kids got older and more independent, we decided it was time for some ladies’ getaways. Who was I to say no? These trips were a little more glam than the adventure trips we’d enjoyed with the family. We headed to “must do” cities including London, Paris and New York and then we definitely had the bug. Next was Vegas of course! Then came Italy, Ireland, Canada, a Europe River Cruise, Croatia, Vietnam, Germany and Portugal. Wow! We covered a lot of territory.
As time has gone on, I have been able to get away on some amazing trips with friends and family, including “Mother & Daughter” trips which has included Paris for Christmas, trekking the Gorillas in Uganda, self-drive around Hawaii and New York Christmas Markets.
The last 8 years I have been part of the team at Emma Whiting Travel which is a boutique agency in Melbourne with a huge focus on customer service and unique bespoke experiences which I love being a part of. I was fortunate to continue broadening my first-hand travel experience and added a lot more destinations to my list. Some of my favourite trips have been walking the Camino in Spain, drinking pina coladas in Cuba & Mexico, relaxing in an over water bungalow in the Maldives, Carnavale in Rio trekking through the Sacred Valley in Peru, glamping in Torres del Paine and the absolute highlight is our cruise to Antarctica. How amazing has my travel career been so far. Sharing these amazing destinations and experiences with clients, friends and family who are in some way all now part of my “travel buddy family” with such great memories to look back on and the desire to create more travel moments for the future.