WHO ARE DOWNUNDER JOURNEYS?
Travel is an experience investment, the right itinerary matters.
OUR STORY
With owners born and bred in Australia and New Zealand you can be assured we know what we are talking about when we offer South Pacific travel advice. We take great pleasure in creating tailored adventures for our clients wanting to visit our homelands. To ensure our itinerary recommendations are the best they can be, we regularly visit home to work with travel partners. It's a cliche to say we love our jobs, but the reality is that we live to travel and explore and it's our pleasure to help people visit the South Pacific.
Complimentary itineraries
We do NOT charge booking fees
We do it all!
We can book your land, air, cruise, accommodation and activities.
Customized itineraries
Each complimentary itinerary is tailor made to suit your budget, travel dates and interests.
Travel specialists
We are a team of Kiwi's and Aussies helping clients experience our homelands for 30+ years.
MEET THE TEAM
We have the best jobs, no doubt about it!
MANDY - OWNER/DIRECTOR
I was born in Adelaide, Australia. I have been selling travel for over 30 years. Being from Australia when I moved to the USA, selling travel to my homeland was a simple choice. I had the knowledge to help others experience the place I grew up in and visited on so many occasions.
What is your travel history?
I have traveled the world since I was 17 years of age, continuously, so there are not that many places yet I have not been, travel opens up your eyes, I would rather spend money on travel than on personal effects.
Favorite travel memories?
Small boat cruising in Croatia, awesome adventure. Africa viewing the wildlife, being able to sit and watch a hungry male lion and it’s family feed at a waterhole.
What “must pack items” do you always take on a trip?
I always travel with phone and laptop, but then I always work whilst I am travelling. I like to keep in touch with my clients if they need me and my biggest hate is packing a suitcase.
You can follow Mandy on her adventures here:
Instagram @aussie_global_traveler
KOREN - OWNER/DIRECTOR
I am New Zealander now based in the USA. I needed to book a trip and a friend of mine recommended Mandy at Downunder Journeys. Fast forward to today, well over a decade later and I’m now working with Mandy. I still use Mandy to book my trips!
What is your travel history?
While we have moved for work relocations to Australia, Thailand and the USA we have had many opportunities to experience life and cultures where we live and on our travels. We often pack up the family and head off on holidays to new places either in the country we are living or overseas, also back home to NZ and Australia to see family and friends. There’s many places we’ve been but so many more to see. We favor cold places with mountains as we love to hike.
Favorite travel memories?
I'd say our trip to Nepal. We went when our kids were 5 and 9 and hiked up to Poon Hill in the Annapurna region. We had low expectations of the kid’s ability to walk uphill for days so we arranged for sherpa’s to help walk/carry/lug them up the mountain. Embarrassingly our kids were a lot taller and bigger than the sherpa’s.
What “must pack items” do you always take on a trip?
Stretchy pants, sneakers, my iPad, a backpack, camera, sunscreen, sunglasses and snacks. My iPhone! Packing light is always my goal but I like to be prepared for most things so it's a fine line between packing exactly what I need and too much.
You can follow Koren on her adventures here:
Instagram @korens.kaptures
MARISSA - TRAVEL SPECIALIST
I met Mandy in 2009 on a group trip to Australia and from then on I have had a passion for travel and made it a part of my future career. I joined the team to pursue my passion and help others experience the same beauty and excitement that started my travel dreams.
What is your travel history?
I first traveled internationally when I was 13 years old and have not stopped since. I have loved learning about different cultures, trying new foods, and having new experiences in beautiful places. I have not been everywhere yet but I continue to explore and learn of new amazing places.
Favorite travel memories?
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Walking with young lions in Africa and horse back riding with zebra and giraffe.
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My husband and I going on our honeymoon to Italy and staying on the coast of Sorrento
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Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef
What “must pack items” do you always take on a trip?
My must pack items are snacks since I never like to get hungry and my reusable water bottle to fill up wherever I go.
DOWNUNDER JOURNEYS SERVICES
Answers to frequently asked questions
What other services do Downunder Journeys provide besides flights and accommodation?
We are your one stop shop for everything South Pacific, we do it all… air travel, cruises, land transfers, accommodations, travel insurance and touring. We will even book your restaurant reservations and tee times. We will also process your travel visas for Australia as a complimentary service for all US citizens traveling on the booking.
Will I need travel insurance for my trip?
We advise you to get travel insurance to cover any unforeseen circumstances that can arise when least expected. This will provide you with peace or mind for your trip. In the current travel environment we will recommend a travel insurance policy that covers you for any covid related travel issues. This will cover costs associated with trip cancellation or trip interruption should you or one of your travel party be diagnosed with Covid-19. We will provide a travel insurance quote at the time of booking. You are free to use our recommended insurance, find your own, or book without insurance.
We pride ourselves on being outstanding travel agents and happily provide potential clients with referrals from our current clients for peace of mind. We are registered cruise planner specialists, members of CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) and an ARC (Airlines Reporting Corporation) accredited agency.
I'm just thinking about a trip but am not sure about details yet, should I bother getting in touch?
Yes definitely! Early advice in the trip planning process can save you time and money. It gives you a chance to consider carefully the best time to travel taking into account events you may want to attend eg The Australian Open, the best time to travel and best pricing for flights and accommodation.
Do you book travel to anywhere other than the South Pacific?
We certainly do! If you would like the same great service to another destination outside of the South Pacific, we can help you with that too.
What is a customized itinerary?
This means that everything that is suggested can be changed to suit you. We believe that an itinerary designed around your group size, desired destination/s, accommodation and activity preferences will give you the best travel plan for your upcoming trip. We provide itinerary suggestions to help you see what kind of opportunities there are available. Our suggested itineraries provide a good starting point for you. When you talk to us we will get a better understanding of what type of trip you have in mind and we build your travel plan from there.
What is a cruise planner specialist?
Cruise Planners is an award winning company that specializes in cruise and land based vacations. We are a travel agency that is part of the Cruise Planners large network of travel specialists. To be a member of Cruise Planners we are recognized as providing quality personalized travel advisory services, best value options, value-added benefits and amenities for our clients.
I would like to receive updates from Downunder Journeys. Do you have a newsletter?
Yes! You can sign up below to receive updates on travel specials, tips, inspiration and you will receive a copy of our South Pacific eBrochure which is full of travel itineraries for Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia.