Years of hands on tourism experience teaches you a number of things about life, people, community and the big bad world. Working with volunteers who are largely retired with a wealth of knowledge about life filters that experience, and leaves you asking what you are doing for society. When should you start? What is your legacy? Who are you in it for?

Growing up in suburban Melbourne, the son of a police officer and Lebanese/ Brazilian emigrant, I was exposed to diverse and beautiful cultures from birth. The diversity of my cultural upbringing is no doubt to root of an insatiable wander lust.

Early life for me included my share of work in the family business, tending to the needs of customers while barely able to look after myself. It was an experience to which I credit my ability to deal with people at any level without any hint of apprehension. When I wasn’t playing or training for football, I was working.

My first job outside the stable of the family business was in another type of stable. 'Clearing paddocks’, or picking up after horses was the gig. I then moved on to cooking hamburgers in a fish shop, driving the forklift at the local market, attending service stations, cooking at a short order restaurant, pizza delivery, coffee shop, gym attendant, copy shop, driving and delivery, cutting down trees, setting up exhibitions, moving furniture. I started a small handyman and gardening business with a friend, and we would carry equipment around on bicycles. The list goes on. When I finished up playing football, I was also able to serve in the Army Reserve as a field engineer.

My first independent travel experience was a trip to Africa I took with my then girlfriend as a compromise between the US and Europe. The trip opened my eyes to so many things, not the least of which the ability of the tour guide to make or break the experience. I’d caught the bug, and there was no turning back.

After returning home I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take a semester abroad, and spent my time in Springfield, Missouri in the USA. It was then to the UK and Europe. En route to Gallipoli for the ANZAC day commemoration, I visited a small island in Greece called Ios. I was there for the next three months, where I worked as a doorman and found myself drawing people into, rather than out of the bar. I continued on to the Middle East back to the USA before returning home to finish my degree.

The office for my graduate position at a financial management company gave me splendid views of the constant stream of tourist coaches dropping visitors to Melbourne. This and answering phone calls about personal investment and life insurance did little to quell my wander lust, and I decided to get my coach license and give touring a go.

A couple of months later I was on the way to Alice Springs to begin work as a tour guide, my little car packed with all the necessities of life. The training was intense and thorough, and the job the most rewarding I had ever done. From there it was to the East coast where I spent the next few years driving backpackers up and down the coast, meeting the most amazing people, and having the most amazing adventures.

I took a short break from touring to put my university education to use in Melbourne starting and running a street press magazine dedicated to reviewing bars. With my brother we started with nothing, and on good will alone were able to produce 18 monthly issues before selling the magazine.

My touring then took me to Europe, and after a generous stopover in Thailand where I undertook my first motorbike tour from Chang Mai, I headed for London. The opportunity for a job driving Aussies and Kiwis all over Europe involved a six week training course. The course took me all over Western Europe, and I spent the next two summers driving people around on their once in a lifetime ‘European experience’. The winter was spent working in a small ski village in Austria.

I returned to Australia to take stock of my direction in life, and to attempt to formalize my tourism experience by undertaking further study. I secured a job with Tourism Melbourne managing volunteers, and began my Master of Tourism at Monash University. My interest turned to developmental tourism, and the positive impacts of tourism. Tourism as a catalyst for sustainable development, pro poor tourism and the idea of tourism as ‘public diplomacy’ are my areas of interest. I want to bring the world closer together, and do it for a good cause.

Born in Country New South Wales, I grew up in the bush for the first part of my childhood until my family moved to Newcastle in 1989 (the year of the Newcastle Earthquake). Moving to the city brought new experiences and new friends and was around the time I had my first obsession with motorbikes.

Later on during my last year of High School I joined the Army Reserve and enlisted into Transport Corps where I worked my way through various levels of training to get my heavy vehicle and oversize transport qualifications, these qualifications were then transferred into civilian equivalents and would eventually lead me to future jobs including driving tour coaches.

After completing my last High School Certificate (HSC) exam I started worked as an apprentice Communications Cabler (linesman) and was able to obtain my cablers licence and other qualifications that were above that of a basic cabler. This is also where I gained some valuable computer skills which would set me down the path of teaching myself web and graphic design to the point where I have been able to create this site which you are looking at.

Then after serving a short period in the Army Fulltime Service I began a career as a Driver/Guide in Coach touring for a company called Oz Experience, this lead to meeting Simon (Moose) Buckley a fellow Coach Driver/Guide who is the master mind of the Ride Right Round Project. I really enjoyed my time working on the east coast of Australia, meeting new and interesting people and enjoying something of a holiday lifestyle, all in the name of showing visitors to Australia a great time and memorable experience.

After a couple of years on the road touring Australia I packed my bags and headed for Europe where again I worked for 3 years in Coach touring with Topdeck tours as a driver. I travelled to all parts of Europe, East, West and Central, Through parts of Scandinavia and Russia. There I had the pleasure of attending Oktoberfest in Munich all 3 years, the last time as the equipment coach driver and transport manager. Although it's all about the beer, the Oktoberfest social network I would consider to be the most important and best part of the whole show, catching up with old friends and recalling another season gone by over a beer or two.

Upon returning to Australia after a busy 2007 touring season I was offered an opportunity to do something most dream of, to tour Australia and be paid for it. Working on a 150 year birthday celebration tour, driving a semi set up as a mobile stage and entertainment centre, I was chosen to travel around Australia from community to community for 8 months (Feb 14th - October 7th), visiting schools and local public, putting on sporting activities and bands.

After working 5 years in tourism I have met many interesting people who in many different ways have changed my life and the way I interact with people and conduct myself day to day. I have also had many experiences with negotiating through countries less modern than those most of us know today and have come custom to the things we don't often consider such as crossing a boarder with language barriers.

I am excited about the ride and look forward to the challenges and achievements that lie ahead.