THE AUTHORS
AMANDA
My name is Amanda, I’m an Adventure Traveler, creative artist and writer, with a passion for all things travel and outdoors!
I grew up in Australia, and I love exploring this beautiful land, meeting her people, and learning her history. Hearing the stories that make people and places who and what they are is something that is central to both my life and my work.
With a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology, and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management, culminating in my keen passion for Environmental Sociology, I aim to use the skills and knowledge I have to generate discussion and awareness of the opportunities and challenges facing the world today, and to bring to life the many stories and histories that create and frame our world.
The travel lifestyle, living on the road, really resonates with me, as it is my deep desire to step out of the rat race and live simply, thriving with just the basics, while focusing on making a positive difference in the world through experiencing, doing and creating.
My motto is ‘live deeply and fully inhabit your life’, and I endeavor to achieve this every day, throwing myself into adventure and life with energy, motivation and passion, while constantly learning, and seeking those experiences that invest life with meaning and purpose.
MATT
Hi, I'm Matt. I grew up in the beautiful Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia and I currently live in Lake Macquarie.
Over the past 20 years I have been lucky enough to explore and experience many parts of Australia. My early travel experiences were mostly with family during childhood and then later with my own children. However, it has only been in the last 10 years that I first traveled outside Australia. My trips to New Zealand, Europe and Asia were a revelation. They recounted the penchant I had held so dearly for all things travel and adventure as a child.
My enthusiasm for travel and adventure developed during the 1980's and 1990's as a direct result of my love for all things sport. Typical of many Aussie kids of this time, I lived mostly outside. I played cricket, longed for long hot summer days at the beach, pedaled anywhere and everywhere and relished the first muddy Saturday afternoon game of football in winter. When I wasn't outside I was inside watching sport. I loved the thrill of contest and this has never waned.
Not surprisingly then, my introduction to the much loved culture of travel revealed itself through sport as I was enthralled by many fascinating displays of people and place expressed and celebrated on a grand scale through events such as the Olympic Games, world cups and more. From this I also learned the notion that reward is an outcome of hard work. These experiences inspired me to explore and learn more about the people whom I both marveled and admired. I began to study atlases, images and almanacs to feed the curiosity I had for a world unknown to me and far less connected than today. I dreamed of one day traveling to see the landscapes and communities I had read and learnt about and to get a taste and understanding of other cultures.
In the past few years I have begun experimenting with photography and videography in the hope of creating images of people and place in a powerfully positive and inspiring way.
I am also passionate about the natural world and promoting clever and sustainable practices that help to maximise our use of the earth’s natural resources. I know I can use the knowledge and work experience I have developed over the past 15 years in finance and environmental practice to bring about positive changes in this way.
In 2016, with my wife Amanda, I began exploring Australia, thanks to a 13 month leave of absence from work. I hope to inspire others to travel and explore that world I once only imagined as a child.