What’s your favourite destination you’ve been to in the world and why?
Africa – beautiful cities, haunting history in South Africa and safari experiences that stay with you forever. We have been twice now and would return in a heartbeat.
If you could teleport yourself somewhere new right now, where would it be?
I would love to teleport to Antarctica – it’s on my bucket list but I am not keen on the idea of the voyage to get there!
What’s your funniest travel experience?
In Rome – trying to communicate in broken Italian and with much hand waving to the landlords in our apartment that both taps in the shower were delivering scalding hot water.
What’s your worst travel experience?
Finding myself detained at the airport in Paris for not having the right visa. It was amusing at first but then became a bit of a nightmare. Needless to say it all worked out but not before a bit of negotiation.
What’s the one item you can’t live without when you fly?
A good book
What’s the most random thing you’ve experienced or witnessed in a hotel or resort?
Rounding a corner at the Sheraton in Port Douglas and running into President Bill Clinton. He was traveling through Australia to Asia on a speaking tour after his Presidency. It was the day after 9/11 and he had been confined to the Resort for security purposes. We were on a mission to get ice cream and he stopped for a chat with us.
Describe the best culinary experience you’ve ever had?
Eating at Charlie Trotter’s fabulous restaurant when we lived in Chicago. It was one of the first degustation style dinners around at the time and was amazing for all its flavours and presentation. Sadly he has now passed away.
If you could have one celebrity at a dinner party, who would it be and why?
Walt Disney – just so creative and ahead
of his time. I would love to get inside his head.
What has been a career highlight to date?
The Oprah Winfrey visit to Australia some years back when I managed the PR team for Hamilton Island. We were the first stop on her Australian visit and after all the planning
with Tourism Australia, there was such a sense of excitement when her plane touched down. And then I got to meet her which was also a delight.
What’s one quirky fact about you?
I got to tell Richard Branson that he was going to wear a cow suit for a publicity stunt in Chicago when we managed the PR for the Virgin Atlantic inaugural flight from London (Heathrow) to Chicago (O’Hare).
