There’s a common question I get asked: “How did you go from the food export and restaurant industry to travel planning?”

The honest answer is: I didn’t really leave it at all. I just found a bigger canvas to paint on.

The Through-Line: Travel

When I look back at every chapter of my career—from my time in food export, to opening and managing Japanese restaurants and sushi bars—there’s been one constant thread running through it all: travel. And more specifically, the transformative power of experiencing a new place, a new culture, a new way of being.

In the restaurant business, travel wasn’t just background noise. It was the heartbeat. Learning authentic Japanese cuisine meant understanding where it came from—the regional differences, the seasons, the philosophy that shapes every plate. You can’t truly understand food without understanding place. And I became obsessed with place.

So I travelled. A lot.

The Education Nobody Talks About

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience travel from almost every angle. I’ve squeezed into economy seats, white-knuckling armrests on long-haul flights. I’ve sat in business class, seeing how a lie-flat bed and a decent meal actually does change the travel experience. I’ve even flown first class—an experience that opened my eyes to what luxury travel actually means (and spoiler: it’s not just the caviar).

But here’s what those flights taught me more than anything: everyone has different needs, different preferences, different anxieties, and different dreams when it comes to travel.

The person stressed out in economy next to you might be on their first international flight ever. The couple in business class might be celebrating forty years together. The solo traveler up front might be running from something or running toward something—possibly both.

I’ve been all of those people. And that’s where the real education came in.

The Moment Everything Connected

A few years ago, after a particularly meaningful journey through Asia, I found myself thinking: “There are so many people in my community who want to travel but don’t know where to start. Or they’ve had a difficult travel experience and don’t know how to recover from it. Or they have dreams of destinations that feel impossible to reach.”

That thought wouldn’t leave me alone.

I started talking to friends, colleagues, people at my local café. And I heard the same stories over and over again. People intimidated by flight anxiety. Families wanting to travel together across generations but not knowing how to make it work. Solo travellers worried about safety. Couples wanting that romantic experience but not knowing where to invest their money. Travellers with disabilities being told “no” when they should be hearing “yes, and here’s how we make it happen.”

And I realized: I could help with this.

Why Now?

The restaurant and export business taught me everything about detail, quality, relationships, and the importance of knowing your craft inside and out. But it also taught me something perhaps more important: that connecting people to experiences matters.

When you run a good restaurant, you’re not just serving food. You’re creating moments. You’re hosting milestone dinners, first dates, family reunions, quiet Thursday nights for regulars who’ve been coming for years. You’re part of people’s stories.

Travel does the same thing—just on a grander, more transformative scale.

So I studied. I got my ATIA and CLIA accreditations. I trained in luxury travel and cruise planning. I pursued my NDIS certification so I could specifically support travellers with disabilities—because everyone deserves a dream trip, and “difficult” doesn’t mean “impossible.”

And this year, I opened Sunraysia Boutique Travel.

What I’m Here To Do

I’m here to take everything I’ve learned from experiencing travel from economy to first class, from restaurant hospitality to export business precision, and to put it to work for my community.

I’m not here to process bookings like a call centre. I’m here to have conversations. Real conversations. About what makes you nervous. What excites you. What you’ve always wanted to do but never thought was possible.

I’ll come to your home or office. We’ll sit down with a coffee (or something stronger), and I’ll help you design a journey—whether that’s a cruise through Alaska, a luxury river experience through Europe, your first solo adventure, or a multi-generational family trip that actually works for everyone.

I’ve been on those flights. I know what the cabin looks like at midnight. I know which airlines really do take care of you and which ones cut corners. I know the difference between a hotel that’s technically nice and one that makes you never want to leave. I’ve made mistakes (the wrong time of year for a destination, the hotel that looked great in photos but felt empty in person) and I’ve had perfect moments (the café in Bali I stumbled into at 7am, the sunset in the Maldives that nobody told me about).

And I’m using all of it.

Come Travel With Me

You don’t need to figure this out alone. You don’t need to spend hours online comparing endless options. You don’t need to book a trip that looks good on a brochure but doesn’t actually suit your needs.

If there’s somewhere you’ve been dreaming about, or a type of journey you’ve wanted to take but didn’t know where to start, let’s talk.

I’m here. I’m local. I get it.

And I’d love to help you create the next chapter of your story.

Sunraysia Boutique Travel specializes in luxury travel and cruising, and I’m accredited with ATIA and CLIA. I’m also NDIS certified, so if you’re looking for accessible, tailored travel experiences, that’s something I genuinely love to do. Whatever your journey looks like, let’s design it together.