Travel has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

 

Growing up in Perth, Western Australia, I spent most of my childhood travelling through Asia — places like the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. By the age of 11, I had started scuba diving, and by 12, I had earned my junior open water certification. Travel wasn’t just something I did — it became part of who I was.

 

From a young age, I was always curious about the world. I loved discovering new places, planning trips, and finding experiences that felt special — whether it was a hidden beach, a local restaurant, or an unforgettable boat trip.

 

When I finished school, I completed a TAFE course in Travel and Tourism and became a travel agent. It felt like the perfect path because all I wanted to do was help people travel.

 

But I quickly realised something.

 

Most people using travel agents were from an older generation, planning cruises or luxury holidays. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, my passion was different. My heart was in adventures, backpacking, island hopping, diving trips, and helping younger travellers figure out how to make incredible trips happen without spending a fortune.

 

I saw so many people my age wanting to travel but having no idea where to start.

 

Where do you stay?

What route do you take?

How long do you spend in each place?

What’s actually worth doing?

 

And that’s where the idea started. At first, I thought about starting a blog. But the problem with a blog is that it’s only one person’s perspective — mine.

 

Travel looks different for everyone.

 

Some people want budget backpacking through Southeast Asia. Others want luxury villas in Europe. Some want hidden gems, some want beach clubs, some want adventure. That’s when I realised the answer wasn’t a blog. It needed to be a platform.

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A place where travellers could share their own itineraries, recommendations, stays, and experiences — all in one place. At first, I thought maybe a forum would work, but forums get messy. Information gets lost. Great advice disappears.

So I asked myself:

 

What if there was an app built entirely for travellers?

 

A place where you could search destinations, save itineraries, discover where to stay, and get real recommendations from real people — not paid influencers.

 

That idea became Travel Nova.

 

The crazy part?

 

I had absolutely no tech background. None.

 

I had no idea how apps were built or where to even begin. But I knew the idea was there, and I knew travellers needed it. So I found a team, started building, and after nine months of development — and another five months getting through the App Store process — Travel Nova was finally born.

 

Over a year later, what started as an idea became a real platform.

 

And this is only the beginning. Every day I have new ideas for Travel Nova — new ways to make travel easier, better, and more inspiring.

 

Because at its core, Travel Nova was built for one reason:

 

To help travellers travel smarter, connect easier, and discover the world through real experiences.

 

No paid recommendations.

No endless searching.

No information getting lost.

 

Just raw itineraries, honest recommendations, and a community built by travellers, for travellers.

 

I truly believe travel changes people. It fills your life with stories, memories, and experiences you carry forever. And my hope is that Travel Nova helps more people create those moments for themselves.