About Small Guide Travel

Small Guide Travel is a licensed travel agency and a member of the Travel Compensation Fund. The company is based online and has an office in Brisbane, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. We specialise in creating holidays within Australia and to the South Pacific destinations of Samoa, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia and the Cook Islands - because that’s what we know - we provide local knowledge and personal service that no other travel agency can and, because we are based online can assist travellers from Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK and Europe.

We are small, friendly and professional. Laura Gant is part of the Australian team and Paul Turner looks after the New Zealand office. Both Laura and Paul have a background in travel and hospitality and have travelled extensively through the South Pacific. The Small Guide Travel philosophy is to provide clients with personal service, local knowledge and competitive prices. And, of course, to get back to our favourite destinations as often as possible!

Why should you book your holiday with Small Guide Travel?

• Ease: You can contact us by email any time, any day and we're also just a phone call away (Brisbane office). When you book, your tickets and vouchers will arrive by post. Credit card payment is accepted (by fax or phone) as well as payment by direct deposit.
• Price: We believe we offer the best prices as well as the best service. By all means, shop around and, if you find a better price, please allow us to try and match it.
• Local Knowledge: We know our stuff - the people, the places and the properties. Unlike some travel agents, we only look after people travelling to the South Pacific and within Australia - because that’s what we know!
• Attention to detail: Part of our service is to assist with everything you may need/want from your holiday and more, from providing a 'what to pack' check list, special interest info and discount vouchers to use when you arrive to following up with guests on their return. Feedback from previous recent travellers can really help future visitors!
• We care! Yes, we really do. We love the Australia and the South Pacific and want to help create the best possible holiday we can.

And here’s a little secret - because we mainly arrange holidays for couples wanting romance, we deal with positive people with a great attitude, so work is fun!

Who Is Small Guide Travel?

Ian Heydon has been writing for radio, television and print for over 20 years. He first fell in love with the tropics when he holidayed in Fiji in the early 90’s. This break led to subsequent trips to Fiji and to Vanuatu, where the tropics seduced him even more and he settled, with his family, in Vanuatu from 1999 to 2002. It’s why and how the Small Guide web sites happened. Since then Ian has travelled extensively throughout the Pacific to add Fiji, Samoa, the Cook Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Tonga and Hawaii to Small Guide Travel’s stable of destinations. While yet to visit Tahiti and Niue, we have consultants who are experts in those destinations. Ian has written/produced travel web sites including the original Getaway site (Nine Network) and for Travel Online. While living in Vanuatu, Ian returned to Australia regularly to see the country through the eyes of a visitor, which resulted in the guidebook and web site The Small Guide to A Big Country (hence the name Small Guide Travel). Ian has now settled in South East Queensland. For more than you probably want to know about Ian - www.IanHeydon.com.

Jenny Cowles has worked in the travel industry since 1994 with international, domestic and regional airlines within Australia and more recently Internet travel companies. Having held positions in sales, marketing, finance, and airfare pricing systems, she joined Travel Online as a Wholesale Product Manager where she met her business partner Ian. In looking forward to the future, she decided to put all her knowledge and experience to good use, and is now an integral part of Small Guide Travel. Jen has travelled to the UK, the States, Asia, most of the South Pacific Islands and soon, a long awaited trip to South America. Jen’s love of the Tropics came about through frequent visits to the South Pacific Islands for work and pleasure. She loves the relaxed lifestyle, friendly people, and beautiful landscapes, and considers them her second home. That is when she is not living in Queensland with her husband Roland and daughter Melissa.

Laura Gant joined Small Guide Travel in early 2004. With a comprehensive background in organising travel, she took to her new role like a canoe to a tropical lagoon. Laura has travelled extensively throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Australia and has visited Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands for both work and holidays. She intends with her partner, Scoot, to continue exploring the Pacific and finding new favourite romantic places.

Margaret Laufasa joined Small Guide Travel in October 2006. Her background is Samoan and also has family in Hawaii. She has been to Samoa, Vanuatu, The Cook Islands and New Zealand and plans to travel extensively through out the South Pacific region and other romantic destinations through out the world. She enjoys watching rugby, eating (the Island way – eat till you drop!), sleeping, dancing and watching movies. In her spare time she likes to make up Samoan, Tahitian, Cook Islands, Hawaiian and R&B dances.

Emma Davies started working with Small Guide Travel at the beginning of 2007. Before joining the team Emma travelled to Vanuatu many times including the outer islands where she has stayed with the local villages as part of their family (Moso, Paama). This year she has travelled to Vanuatu and Cook Islands for work and plans to travel a lot more in the future. Emma loves socialising with friends and pretty much spends all her wages on shopping for new clothes.

Tori Rayner joined the Small Guides team in February 2007 and soon after had her first trip to Vanuatu and instantly fell in love with ‘island time’, ‘island life’ and ‘island food’.

Tori likes a bit of adventure, exploring and is a very active/outdoors person and having travelled in the past to New Zealand, Hong Kong and Taiwan, she plans to travel the world especially the Pacific!

Sonia Radel joined the Small Guide team in early 2007 to focus on our Australian products. Sonia has worked extensively in the travel industry and her love of travel has taken her to the UK, throughout Western Europe, the Greek Islands, Japan, New Zealand and right around Australia. During the past six years, Sonia has been a frequent visitor to North Queensland and the Whitsunday Islands, indulging in her love of sunshine, pristine beaches and perfect sunsets. When she's not by the pool with a cocktail, you'll find her at home with her husband Craig and toddler Jacob.

Paul Turner runs Small Guide Travel New Zealand and is based in Auckland. Paul offers personal service for Kiwi travellers wanting to explore the wonderful tropical paradise of Vanuatu. Paul is an avid diver, a keen fisherman, and always enjoys a fine meal in a beautiful waterfront setting. Paul has travelled extensively throughout the world, and looks forward to sharing his love of the Pacific with you.

Feel free to pick our brains, compare prices and let us arrange a perfect break in a Pacific paradise for you!

Other Small Guide Websites

• Fiji A to Z
• Vanuatu A to Z
• Cook Islands A to Z
• Samoa A to Z
• Honeymoon Vanuatu
• Weddings Vanuatu
• Cruise Vanuatu
• Pacific Lagoon Apartments Vanuatu
• Sunset Bungalows Resort Vanuatu
• Study Vanuatu
• The Small Guide to A Big Country - Australia
• Small Guide Travel New Zealand
• Tropical Honeymoons
• Gay Vanuatu
• And, for more than you’d want to know about Ian… Ian Heydon.com