From one van in Sydney to our own fleet, ground operation and design studio across Australia and New Zealand.
For the first two years we ran transfers and day trips around Sydney. Guests kept asking the same thing: "Can you arrange Melbourne too?" We tried referring them to local operators, and two times in three something went wrong - late vehicles, unprofessional guides, sudden surcharges. So we decided to do it ourselves.
A fleet subsidiary followed in 2017, New Zealand in 2019, an independent design studio in 2021, and a China entity in Shanghai in 2023. Every split came from the same judgement: this part of the work deserves someone more specialised.
Today that means 36 licensed Mandarin-speaking guides, 186 vehicles in service and over 240 proven routes. Not the largest operator, but a whole chain - every link in our own hands.
Drag or scroll sideways to see the full journey
Founded in Sydney for airport transfers and day trips to the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley, serving under 300 guests that year.
Recognising peak-season reliance on outside vehicles as our greatest risk, we formed Southland Charter with our first twelve owned vehicles.
Kiwi Best Travel opened in Auckland with a South Island team, launching combined island itineraries.
Bespoke work was separated from the sales team into Atelier Voyage, staffed by senior designers only.
Travel agency licence obtained, with RMB collection and domestic invoicing so guests complete everything in China.
Five operating entities, 186 vehicles and 36 licensed guides serve over 8,000 guests a year, with repeat and referral business above forty percent.
Clear boundaries make collaboration simple: each task has one owner, with no buck-passing and no repeated explanations.
The group's licensed Australian operator, contracting hotels, tickets, restaurants and attractions nationwide, and running dispatch and driver teams across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Every Australian leg is ultimately this entity's responsibility.
A separately licensed New Zealand ground operator covering both islands, with teams based in Auckland, Queenstown and Christchurch. Real-time judgement of fjord sailings, glacier hikes and Mt Cook weather windows is what makes a South Island itinerary actually work.
186 vehicles in service from 5-seat sedans to 55-seat coaches, all commercially licensed with passenger liability cover. It provides in-house transport capacity for all our service lines and supports trade partners at peak season - capacity being its core value.
A studio of senior designers handling only bespoke work, never packaged products. It holds the relationships for private camps, helicopters, yachts and fine dining, and keeps long-term travel records for returning guests.
The single window for Chinese guests: pre-sales consultation, contracting, RMB payment and invoicing, pre-departure documents and after-sales. Everything can be completed in China, in your own time zone.
Serving agencies, corporates and schools with wholesale ground quotes, incentive travel, conference handling and study tours. Annual framework agreements unlock tiered pricing and priority vehicles in peak season.
Business registrations for all four entities, our travel agency qualifications and industry accreditations are set out below, item by item.
Numbers shown above are placeholders; originals and scans are available for verification at contracting. Licences and accreditations are renewed periodically, and the latest valid documents prevail if policy changes.
