Lyn McNaught 2018

celebrating 35 years in the Goulburn Valley

200 YEARS COMBINED TRAVEL EXPERIENCE… The team at Lyn McNaught Travel from left, travel consultants Joe Bovalino, Tara McPherson, Lauren Oliver, business owner, Lyn McNaught, travel consultants Shirlie Baum and Mary Mulkeen. Photo: Alicia Niglia.

Lyn McNaught Travel helping you see the world for 35 years LYN McNaught Travel has been a centerpiece in Mooroopna’s community and streetscape for 35 years. The team at Lyn McNaught Travel have worked closely together over many of those years and are excited to welcome travel consultant,

Mary Mulkeen to the team. This staff group is quite unique in that, between them, they bring almost 200 years of not only combined travel experience, but industry knowledge and customer service.

Travel is quite possibly one of the industries that have seen the biggest change with technological developments.

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celebrating 35 years in the Goulburn Valley

EGYPT’S INCREDIBLE SIGHTS… Pyramid and Sphinx on the Giza Plateau. Photo: Lyn McNaught.

Ensuring smooth travels no matter where you are THE team at Lyn McNaught Travel believes that there is more to the perfect holiday than booking your flights, hotels and tours. As well as providing the options of gift cards and travel insurance, and helping with visas and travel advice, Lyn McNaught Travel helps to take care of the important travel essentials before you leave.

Foreign exchange is now made easier also. These days by far the most convenient and safest way to travel with your money is with a ‘Cash Passport.’ You choose the currencies and how much to load onto your card and be assured that when using overseas ATMs or in-store that your transaction is not linked to your bank account. You get two cards and reloading is easy. You can even reload from Australia using BPAY® which makes it great when family members are away and in need of more funds.

You will also need a smaller amount of

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cash in local currency for when you arrive.

Speak to the team at Lyn McNaught Travel about the Multi-currency Cash Passport (MCCP). The MCCP enables card holders to load both foreign currencies and Australian dollars onto the one card, and can be reloaded as many times as they want during the life of the card, within applicable time limits.

The Cash Passport Mastercard Prepaid Currency Card is another great way to travel overseas with money. If you are travelling overseas either for work or for leisure purposes, Cash Passport is the ideal way to carry your travel spending money. The Cash Passport Mastercard Prepaid Currency Card is now Chip and PIN protected. It is accepted at over 29 million MasterCard retailers globally. It allows you access to your money in local currency from over 1.9 million Mastercard ATMs worldwide.

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Creating memories to last a lifetime BREATHTAKING VIEWS… Taken from the air of the Horizontal Waterfalls on The Kimberley coast.

Photo: Lyn McNaught.

Continued from front page of feature Lyn McNaught Travel business owner, Lyn McNaught said, “I’ve personally had 48 years in the travel industry and over that time I’ve seen a lot of changes. When I first started there were no computers; everything was done by phone and tickets were hand written and sent in the mail, they were as good as cash. To lose your ticket was a terrible shame and not much could be done about that. Things got easier with the introduction of fax machines and now modern technology means that everything is done instantaneously and electronically. “ With modern technology we have everything at our fingertips, there’s up to the minute information and images available to

us and everything is done instantaneously.

“With faster and larger aircraft, flights are more economic than ever, in fact, airfares are cheaper now than when we started 35 years ago. There’ve also been lots of changes in relation to cruises. Originally there was only the Fairstar, known as ‘the fun ship,’ now you can get a ship any week. Cruising has been growing at a rate of 20 percent every year and now you can pretty much cruise to any part of the world. Cruising suits any age, with or without kids. There are megaships, small ships, expedition cruises, river cruises… there’s a cruise holiday designed for everyone, and the cruise market is more affordable than ever before.”

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THE sky is the limit when it comes to holiday and travel possibilities.

Lyn said, “One of the most exciting things about my job is that I get to make people’s dreams come true, and frankly, the world is my oyster when it comes to customising holidays and once in a lifetime experiences for my clients. Each person’s needs and interests are so incredibly varied and that makes this job particularly exciting.

“One of the most important aspects of being a great travel consultant is the ability to listen to our clients in order to really understand what they want out of their holiday. There is no one size fits all, in everything that we do; we aim to customise holidays to meet people’s individual requirements.”

Lyn McNaught Travel is a proud associate member of Helloworld Travel. In July 2017, for the second year running, Helloworld Travel was awarded the prestigious ‘Best Travel Agency Group’ Award at the National Travel Industry Awards.

Lyn said, “Being a part of the Helloworld Travel group allows us to maintain our

individuality along with the customer service that makes us a successful small business.

Our customers get the best of both worlds, receiving the great deals and savings that a big business can offer while enjoying the personal service and care of your local travel agency.”

Lyn talked about how important ‘good old fashioned service’ is and said, “We pride ourselves on our customer service. When you’re spending a lot of money on a holiday, you want to get it right and our 24-hour emergency service offers peace of mind; if something does go wrong, we’re only a phone call away. “ With almos t 200 years combined experience, we are the most experienced travel agency in the Goulburn Valley and we provide much more than a booking and reservation service. While itineraries offered by our competitors may be more or less the same, it’s the delivery and performance of these itineraries that sets us apart - booking it right, using tried, tested and quality controlled suppliers, with customised service and attention to details.

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Lyn McNaught Travel

celebrating 35 years in the Goulburn Valley

Lyn McNaught

Business owner “I have owned and operated my own travel agency for 48 years and love working in an industry that is always exciting and interesting and love helping people plan their holidays.

I have been very lucky and have travelled extensively over the years, some of my favourite places are Antarctica, Africa, India, Solomon Islands, The Kimberley, Tasmania, the USA and lots more, in fact, I have not been to a place that I don’t love, Over the years my staff and I have built a great rapport with our suppliers, which ensures we receive great support behind the scenes from airlines, hotels and tour companies, so please come in and say hello, have a cuppa and let us help you plan your perfect holiday.

One of my great passions is taking groups away. I love sharing the love of travel and seeing first-hand the pleasure it brings.

We are so very lucky to live in such an amazing place, which we all realise every time we go anywhere. I look forward to welcoming you to my office and hope we can plan a great adventure for you.”

Joe Bovalino Shirlie Baum

Travel consultant “I have been with Lyn McNaught Travel for 30 years. Over these years I have seen many changes. Our industry is forever evolving and for me that keeps it fun and interesting. It also means I have to keep evolving and learning to keep up with the changes. I love what I do here, planning the right itineraries for each of our clients, making sure their travel is just what they want and hearing their stories when they return.

I have been fortunate enough to travel to some of the most beautiful places on the planet, Africa, Europe, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Asia, Australia and others. I am proud to say that I work with a fantastic team and I really do enjoy walking in the door each and every day.”

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Travel consultant “Joe has been involved in the travel industry for over 32 years commencing his career in retail travel in Shepparton Victoria.

After 6 years, I took an opportunity to own and manage a local travel agency, furthering my knowledge of this amazing and exciting industry, seventeen years later I sold the business and was offered a position here at Lyn McNaught Travel.

During this period I gained a wealth of information and firsthand knowledge of many destinations and types of travel.

I’ve travelled to most parts of this exciting world, from all over Australia to the faraway lands of Peru/ America/Canada/ the Islands of the South Pacific, New Zealand, Asia, India, and the European Continent.

Whilst enjoying every moment of every destination I do have some favourites with Europe being my speciality.”

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celebrating 35 years in the Goulburn Valley

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Tara McPherson

Travel consultant “I love being a travel agent and relish the feeling of complete satisfaction it gives me when clients return from their holiday and thank me for the wonderful time they’ve had and tell me “everything was perfect.” Fulfilling my client’s dreams is the most important part of my job. I have been doing it for thirtyfive years and even though it tests my patience at times, I never tire of it or lose my passion for it. I have met many wonderful people and forged great friendships over this time.

I had done a lot of travelling prior to joining this business and lived in the UK, Asia and New Zealand. Since becoming an agent, I have travelled extensively, going to Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and Canada several times. I particularly love Canada and Italy. I’ve also travelled to several parts of the USA and visited great places such as South America and Tahiti.

River cruising is my latest passion and I can’t wait to do another trip next year. It really is a perfect holiday.”

Lauren Oliver

Travel consultant “I have 14 years’ experience in the travel industry and have been working at Lyn McNaught Travel for the past 10 years. I absolutely love talking to new and existing clients about their travel plans and really enjoy it when someone comes in with a desire to go somewhere ‘off the beaten track’ or even just a little different.

Planning new itineraries is like a puzzle. It’s fun, challenging and as you can imagine, somewhat stressful at times. But there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the excitement on someone’s face when their dream holiday starts coming to life and then hearing about it all when they get home.

I have travelled to so many amazing countries over the past 15 years but would have to say at this stage my two absolute favourites (other than our own amazing country of course) would be the Hawaiian Islands and Canada. Anywhere that I can go for walks along beautiful beaches, waterfalls, mountains or lakes, I am in my absolute element.”

Mary Mulkeen

Travel consultant “I have been in the travel industry for over 35 years, working in both retail stores and more recently for one of the UK’s leading travel agents and tour operators.

I have been fortunate to travel to a lot of places within Europe, including the Greek Islands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Egypt and cruised the Med and done Gullet cruises in Turkey. I have also travelled to Canada, India, the US and Caribbean.

After recently moving to Australia from the UK I am excited to return to the travel industry working with Lyn and the team and am looking forward to meeting people and booking the diversity that Australian destinations offer.”

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Lyn’s top 10 THE INCREDIBLE ANTARCTIC… This photo was taken from the Zodiac.

Photo: Lyn McNaught.

THE ANTARCTIC

The top of my list – it is an absolute privilege to travel to this amazing place where nature is at its most exquisite. To sit silently amongst the penguins and just observe their world. To hear the ice crackle and pop. To observe the sheer beauty of the glaciers, the mountains of ice, the giant icebergs of all different shapes. Be amazed at the bird life. To see a whale frolic in front of your Zodiac urging you to say hello…you just cannot imagine all the different shades of blue that you see in the ice. To watch fur seals chase each other and giant elephant seals that weigh up to four tonnes fighting for space on the beach with king penguin chicks running around looking for their parents. To feel and be part of nature is indeed a privilege and a pleasure.

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AFRICA- SO MANY ‘WOW’ MOMENTS… Some baby elephants pictured walking alongside their mum. Photo: Lyn McNaught.

AFRICA

Along with me you can form a great love affair with Africa, multiple stamps in my passport attest to this. Places like Chobe where I saw my first leopard, a gyrocopter flight over Victoria Falls, staying at Elephant Bedroom in Samburu where elephants roam freely, sometimes stopping by your tent to munch on the vegetation, visiting a Masai Village and dancing with the Masai, watching baby elephants play like naughty children in Amboseli, the magic of Kilimanjaro, sitting a few feet from a giant silverback gorilla or watching a mother preen her baby in Uganda.

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TASMANIA

Tasmania is a place of breathtaking natural beauty, rich heritage and untouched wilderness. Explore places that have remained unspoilt for thousands of years, engage with wildlife and experience a rare and close up encounter with Tasmanian devils.

NEW ZEALAND

They say New Zealand has everything the world has to offer all in one place. From the majestic snow-capped mountains towering above heavenly fiords and sparkling lakes, to lush pastures, ancient rainforests, the amazing geothermal area of Rotorua, to the

stunning Bay of Islands. Whether you want to drive yourself or take a coach tour, New Zealand has something for everyone.

food and wine, meeting wonderful people and making friends to last a lifetime.

EUROPE – RIVER CRUISING

Recently I travelled to a wonderful country that has been the world’s best-kept secret for years, Myanmar; one of the truly unspoilt places still left to visit or the land of smiles.

Everyone greets you with one and believe it or not it’s natural, where people have absolutely nothing yet have everything.

Visit some of the most spectacular temples, pagodas and monasteries, some adorned with gold, and hear the history of Mandalay, the last royal capital of the Myanmar Kingdom.

Imagine a holiday where you unpack once, where you gently cruise along some of the most majestic rivers in Europe, where towns and cities come to life, where you can discover history, things you learnt about at school that you never thought you would experience. Dinner under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, flamenco dancing in Spain, tulip time in Holland, vineyards of France, lavender fields and truf fle hunting, all the while experiencing outstanding service, divine

MYANMAR – BURMA

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celebrating 35 years in the Goulburn Valley

Lyn’s top 10

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THE KIMBERLEY

GALAPAGOS ISLAND

There is only one way to describe The Kimberley and that is ‘Simply Spectacular.’

You can travel the rugged and adventurous Gibb River Road, cruise The Kimberley coastline, where you can take a helicopter and land near Mitchell Falls.

There was standing room only at the wharf. All the seats were taken by the local sea lions, who looked at us as if we were the intruders. A land made famous by the writings of Charles Darwin – you feel like you are in another world.

EGYPT

Imagine no litter or graffiti, no parking meters, no road rage, clean and cheap taxis, great public transport – clean and on time, being able to walk anywhere at any time feeling safe in the process. Polite, welcoming and helpful people.

There is such a place and it’s called Taiwan, where all of the above is common and expected, along with wonderful food, great hotels and amazing scenery.

There are some places in the world that are on the ‘must do’ list and Egypt is one of them. The Pyramids of Giza are top of the list and don’t disappoint. The sound and light show is amazing, you can visit the Egyptian Museum with an experienced Egyptologist bringing history to life.

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TAIWAN