Isaac Muller, one of the recent participants in the Wellah Walks Kokoda program, a program sponsored by In Travel Group, reports back from his epic adventure.

On a cliff edge or above a raging river, running down a hill with your brothers in the rain or lying down on the greenest patch of grass, with vibrant butterflies, laughing locals and nothing but trees for as far as the eye could see. This was me, Isaac Muller, a proud Palawan and Wiradjuri man, in absolute paradise for ten of my best days.

I, along with twelve other adventurous individuals, travelled to Papua New Guinea to complete a nine-day trek along the Kokoda Trail. Following the footsteps of our heroic ANZACs, I found this hike to be more than an achievement. It was also about growth. The growth of our mind, body and spirit.

It was on this trip that we formed a bond with the local Kokoda support team, descendants of the ‘Fuzzie Wuzzies’, who supported our soldiers throughout World War II. These young men carried our extra baggage, both mental and physical. They were there to carry our packs when we couldn’t, sing songs when we were mentally struggling, and give a helping hand when we were falling. With hot meals every night, culture learnt around the fire, and a constant laugh to be had, these men became our Legend Boys.

The Kokoda Track is a place of pure magic, holding some of the most historical moments in Australia’s history. A place that must be respected in order to be completed and a place that would gift you with as much as you’re willing to receive. However, the slightest disrespect or lack of connection results in tumbling down majestic, but cliff-like mountains, or flowing down the crystal clear but raging rivers. This place can be the ray of sunshine that dries your saturated clothes or the scorching heat that runs you out of water.

Kokoda was my ray of sunshine, I learnt more about my strengths and weaknesses than I could of anywhere else. I got the motivation and support which has led me to writing this blog, a traineeship at a radio station and mentors that have motivated and supported me.

Wellah Walks Kokoda is so much more than a trip overseas, it’s a family. It’s the aunties and uncles that feed your spirit. It’s the friends that cheer you on when you’re struggling up a mountain, and it’s the foundation that reassures your ability to make any destination.

Through supporting companies like In Travel Group you’ll tackle any journey, even if your shoes fall apart on the second day, your water bladder burst on the third day or you run out of toilet paper with two days to go.

Isaac Muller

Travel Yarn – In Travel Group

In Conversation with Chris Croker, Managing Director at Impact Investment Partners (IIP), the organisation managing the new The Indigenous Infrastructure Investment Fund (IIIF)

Where are you and your mob from?

I’m from the NT. I’m born in Darwin, but my family are Luritja people from the central desert – to the west of Alice Springs. I’m from a pretty large family (one of 11), so family was always around and part of my life. Some would say that we had a difficult life, but I look back on my childhood years are some of the best times of my life. My brother – Alan – and I did everything together. Roaming the streets, climbing trees for mangoes or playing computer games at the local games arcade. It was pretty fun and exciting. My family also travelled a lot – we couldn’t afford to fly, so we would drive everywhere. Down to Alice and country on almost a monthly basis, school holiday trips to Queensland, Broome, Perth or Sydney and Victoria. We drove everywhere. But yeah, family was and still remains very important. We spent a lot of time visiting and living in the remote Aboriginal homeland communities. Just hanging out with family, seeing the country and enjoying being ourselves.

Can you tell us about your own professional journey and how you got to where you are today?

I proudly tell people that my first job was when I was about 10, working with my father and one of my older brothers putting up a fence around a small town ‘down the track’ from Darwin. We worked there every weekend for about six months, doing this and that job.

But my work life really began after university. I studied Mining Engineering at UQ in Brisbane and worked in the mining industry for about 10 years, which was great. It gave me a lot of wide-ranging experience and also allowed me to really drive the development and delivery of some really successful local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander training and employment efforts.

I went back to university and studied an MBA at MBS – a part of the University of Melbourne, which lead me to being recruited by one of the large business consulting companies – Boston Consulting Group or BCG. I stayed with them for a little over four years, working on engagements from international growth strategies for Australian companies to company mergers and integrations. These meant that I travelled a lot! Some staff would have a race to be the first to earn the top tier frequent flyer status at the start of each financial year.

During this time, I worked and lived in the USA for about a year and also in Hong Kong and China for another year. It was very inspirational and exciting but a little draining. I left to take things a little slower and spent time on myself. Working as a freelance consultant for about four years in a number of interesting engagements for both the Aboriginal community, various Aboriginal businesses, but also advising a number of larger companies on how to implement or improve their employee and supply chain diversity. I got called back to the mining industry for another four years to lead a side business of one of the large mining and civil contracting companies – where we focused on Indigenous employment and training; and setting up joint ventures with local communities to access business opportunities in the civil and mining projects around the county. It was a lot of fun, with many friends being made around the county. But for the last four to five years, I’ve been leading the work at Impact Investment Partners. Working on creating opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to participate or share in the economic benefits of business opportunities and investments that are happening on their land or in their community.

Can you please tell us about IIP?

Impact Investment Partners (Impact IP) is a specialist infrastructure investment manager that applies social impact principles to large-scale commercial investments. Our executive team and board members have hands-on experience in infrastructure execution, construction and operations. Impact IP and our Investment Committee also have a depth of experience in investment advisory, private equity, and Australian and international infrastructure funds management.

Since 2014, Impact IP has been delivering a range of consulting and advisory services to Australian state and territory governments, investors and Indigenous communities. We have led policy development in respect to Aboriginal self-determination, regional infrastructure development and community housing investments. Impact IP has also built a large network of Indigenous community leaders and senior expert advisors in Indigenous affairs, and advised on a number of large Indigenous infrastructure projects. In 2017, Impact IP worked to secure one of Australia’s first Indigenous investments in a $20M renewable energy project in Western Australia. We advised on a $14M sewerage sludge treatment system in Western Australia that will provide significant cost savings and economic impact for Aboriginal communities. Impact IP has also provided commercial advisory services to Victorian rural Aboriginal communities for business case development, feasibility assessments, prioritisation analysis and support in the negotiation of financial investment and economic development agreements.

What is the IIIF?

We came up with the idea for the IIIF after working on providing business and strategic advice to Indigenous communities and investigating investment opportunities for Indigenous communities over the past three years.

This is a great investment opportunity that will achieve good commercial returns for all investors and great social benefits, directly for Indigenous people but indirectly for the country as a whole.

How will the IIIF help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

The IIIF benefits community is a few ways. Our investments will be in areas or sectors that have serious and pressing needs. Whether it is investing in improving electricity reliability and affordability in remote town or in providing more efficient options to access primary health services. The lives of Aboriginal people will be directly improved.

Also, we are providing the opportunity for the Indigenous groups across Australia with strong land title and financial capital to ‘do more with their resources’. It is my belief that quite often the scarce money that we do have isn’t put to the best use. Some sits in bank accounts, government bonds or on the share market. Which typical don’t have great financial returns and definitely do little for our people.

Thirdly, we are creating strong demand for services and products delivered by the smaller Indigenous business. With us investing in a Medical clinic for instance, of course the local AMS will be the primary organisation to provide health services – they are the experts, but we will have opportunities for the local indigenous painters, building companies, cleaners, electricity or security companies to provide their services direct to the centre.

Lastly, of course there will be a strong need to employ Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people to work with us – as the Investment Manager and also directly in the construction and operations of the assets themselves.

What is IIP’s role in the IIIF?

Impact Investment Partners is the 'Investment Manager' for the IIIF. We will find, develop and manage all the investments in the infrastructure projects on behalf of the investors. As managing director, I ensure that the dual outcomes – Indigenous Social benefits and financial benefits for all investors, is achieved.

Do you travel for work? If so, where do you go and what item do you always take with you on a business trip?

Yes, I travel a fair bit for work. Recently it has been mainly to Sydney, Perth, Darwin and Alice Springs.

What about leisure holidays? Any favourite destinations? Why?

I’m a sucker for going home. Whether it is Darwin – where I was born or Uluru where we spent a lot of time as a child. The sense of belonging and calm is profound.

In terms of excitement, I love visiting

Who inspires you? Why?

My mother. She passed away a few years ago, but she was born in the desert and lived in a different world from the one that we have today and was subjected some terrible things. But she remained strong and proud to the end.

Do you have any words on advice for the younger generations who might want to follow in your footsteps?

Get out there and have fun. The world is challenging but it has so much to offer.

A brilliant In Travel Yarn here with Chris Croker, Managing Director at Impact Investment Partners (IIP), the organisation managing the new The Indigenous Infrastructure Investment Fund (IIIF).

Thank you very much!

In conversation with Liam Ridgeway, Co-Founder of NGNY, an Aboriginal digital services company.

Welcome Liam, thanks for talking with In Travel Group. Can you tell us where you and your mob are from?

It's a very interesting question because my family lines run through a few different areas, so I am Gumbaynggirr (Nambucca Heads and Northern NSW region) through my Dad's line and Wakka Wakka (Cherbourg, QLD) through my Mum's line. However, I also have connections with the Dunghutti people of Northern NSW, as well as the Yuin nation of the South Coast of NSW. My parents brought me up to know the clans and lines of where my family come from and my Dad and other family members have been tracing my family tree ever since I can remember. I am blessed that my family have traced our family history for so many years and don't take this for granted at all as I know that not all of our people have been able to trace this.

Can you tell us a little about your life growing up?

I grew up on Gadigal country, in the inner city of Sydney, so I did grow up off country, but we would often travel back up onto Gumbaynggirr country multiple times every year to be with family.

Growing up on Gadigal country was a really great opportunity for me to connect with other Aboriginal people from different areas around the country. Sydney is an economic hub for all people to explore opportunities for work and the like, so there are Aboriginal people from all over the country residing in Sydney. Growing up in Sydney, I had a lot of non-Aboriginal friends, but I always spent more of my time with my Aboriginal mates, a lot who were my cousins too. I feel really blessed to have grown up in a close-knit community where we have a connection to our history and identity. A lot of my non-Aboriginal mates used to ask me, "How do you know so many people?" and I would always say that our community is close-knit, that I have a really big family or that I actually don't know some of the people but would always acknowledge and yarn to other Aboriginal people.

You’re the the Founder of digital services agency, NGNY. Can you tell us a little about this job and experience? And why you think it’s important for other Indigenous men or women to give it a go as a career?

I always had a dream, all the way back to primary school days, to have my own business one day and I really think it came down to the fact that I wanted to do something where I could be a leader and an inspiration to my people. In school my favourite subject was business studies and then I went onto to do a Business degree at University.

I think setting up your own business, whatever field it is in, is something that all people in our community should consider doing; it is the ultimate opportunity for self-determination and it is the place where we can make the biggest impact for our people. NGNY is not the first business that I have owned, I did set up another tech business before Ngakkan Nyaagu (NGNY).

Owning your own business really forces you to be organised because, at the end of the day, it makes you realise that you are the master of your own destiny. Since owning my first business I don't think that I have been as more planned and organised with my work and personal life ever. I keep an eye on the way that I spend my time and try to ensure that I as productive as possible with my time

What was your motivation for NGNY?

There are a few motivations for NGNY but there are two key motivations that I really want to highlight:

Building the Indigenous Digital Economy, andBeing recognised as a digital agency/business that is not known for being Indigenous but is on par or better than the top ranked digital agencies in Australia and across the globe

The Indigenous Digital Economy is a term that we coined at NGNY and a key focus of this concept is how we as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people look at, and place value on, technology and the ways in which we can integrate it into our communities and culture in a beneficial way. We want to explore technology as an enabler that will help us enhance the great things that we already do in our communities and identify our weaknesses and challenges so we can convert these into strengths. If we were able to just work with our community to find and create technology solutions then this would be ideal, because we have a genuine desire to assist in overcoming challenges that our communities are facing, whether they are urban, regional or remote communities. As Indigenous business owners, we need to be leading the way in how we support our communities and our people not just doing the same thing that other businesses are already doing (for example, employing Indigenous people, because there are already plenty of companies, big and small, doing this). If we lead the way, then we can make a real impact and address some of the key challenges that our communities are facing.

As an Indigenous owned digital agency, we often are invited to work on Indigenous based projects, whether it be for an Indigenous or non-Indigenous client. Whilst we want to continue to work in this space, we want to be recognised as a digital agency that does awesome work on par and above industry standards. The idea is that we don't want to be pigeon holed as an Indigenous business only capable of working on Indigenous projects. This is a key point that all Indigenous owned businesses really need to think about and action. If the Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP) and Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) didn't exist tomorrow, what would you do to survive and thrive as a business? The key here is to flourish from the opportunity that the IPP and RAPs give our businesses, but to be exceptional businesses outside these programs and to be sustainable into the future. The better we do this, the more likely this will lead to sustainable economic development outcomes, especially when we invest in the Indigenous supply chain.

What do you find most rewarding about working in the tech industry?

We thrive off being able to use technology to solve problems and test new tech-based solutions. Working in the tech industry allows us to think of new and more efficient ways of how we are able to solve problems that our communities have been experiencing. Technology and, in particular, the digital tech industry allows us to collaborate with our community to get to the core of the problems that we are seeking to address and find ways to add an evidence base to the already strong narratives that our community communicate so often. Technology gives us an opportunity to create and appropriate ideas and implement and test these and then review to determine success. It is a simple and lean way to implement and review the effectiveness of ideas and solutions and supports an evidence-based approach. It means that you can invest and re-invest until the most effective solution has been discovered. Yes, it sounds simplistic, but the reality is that the big investments that we have been given into our communities in the past have not necessarily sustainably solved some of the big problems that our people have faced for so many years.

We are very inspired by our unique position to be able to explore ways to integrate technology-based solutions into our community and culture because we get the chance to brainstorm and problem solve in very creative ways using technology as our medium. We're starting to see a positive shift in the way that our community is valuing technology as an enabling tool which will support our journey to improved and sustainable outcomes for our people.

Are there any other initiatives you are involved with worth mentioning?

At NGNY, we have built and continue to evolve the build of the Buy-Indigenous (https://buy-indigenous.com.au/) website, which will become a marketplace for Indigenous businesses to promote and sell their products. We want to support the growth of the Indigenous economy by investing our time and resources into supporting Indigenous businesses through our online marketplace. We will be continually evolving and growing this and always welcome feedback from our community on how we can make Buy-Indigenous better.

I am also the co-founder of Indigitek, which is community of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (based in Sydney) in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) space, or interested to explore opportunities in it. We provide exposure to STEM and offer learning and career pathway opportunities that for our community as these are growing industries and areas where we will be able to utilise the skills and knowledge of these areas of thought to be of value and benefit for our people. This year, we will be solidifying our expansion into Melbourne and hoping to expand into other capital cities. The dream is to grow our reach and presence across regional and remote communities.

What’s next for you in 2019?

There are a few things that we have a lot of room for improvement on with NGNY, and it's our ability to market and promote ourselves. This year we're really going to ramp things up to show people, and potential clients, what we have done. We have a great five-year record as an Indigenous owned digital agency and we want to showcase our five-year journey. So, expect to see more from us online and over social media, this includes a revamp of our website.

We're also going to be increasing the way in which we are able to invest back into our community and really promote the concept of Indigenous Digital Economy. We think that it is important that we as an Indigenous owned business are able to actively support our community with our skills and knowledge. We think this is very important for all of our Indigenous owned businesses to invest back into our communities, whether this is through money, time and/or resources.

Lastly, any inspiring words for the mob?

The key to everything that we should be doing is based on sustainability and how we reinvest back into our community. So, no matter your age or area of skills/expertise, find ways to use your time to give back to our mob and collaborate. Yes, there are a lot of our people already giving back, but there is so much more that we could be doing individually and collectively, and then being able to share this good news within our community and with the rest of Australia. If we lead by example, then people inside and outside our community will be inspired to find ways to invest in our communities.

Here we have a chat with Beau Munn, a Dagoman and Gurindji man who works as a Director of Indigenous insurance firm, Origin Insurance.

So, first things first, where are you and your mob from?

My mob are the Dagoman from Katherine, and Gurindji from Wave Hill region in the Northern Territory Tell us a little about growing up in community? What was it like and what did you enjoy about it the most? The period I spent growing up in Katherine was amazing, especially having a big mob of family members there that you could catch up with and spin a yarn. I still love going back and being able to go fishing and spend quality time with family, especially my nan, mum, brother and sister.We understand that you currently work for an Indigenous owned insurance firm, Origin Insurance. Tell us a little about this job and experience and why you think it’s important for other Indigenous people to give it a go as a career? My job varies from day to day. From a management perspective, being involved in the growth of the business and colleagues we bring on board, and also a lot of prospecting and relationship managing of the prospects and existing clients. It is really important, as mentioned above, as this industry has not invested in Aboriginal representation of insurance professionals. And one thing in particular I am really passionate about is promoting this industry and getting more Aboriginal people in it. I want there to be more role models within corporate Australia that our young generation can look up to. As for me, growing up it was always sporting icons, which is great and I love what they are doing in this space, but I really want the younger mob that don’t or won’t go down the sporting pathway to really set their sights high within the corporate industry. And insurance is a great industry and for myself in particular I have been able to develop great relationships, travel Australia, even liaise with international markets and really grow my knowledge. What was your motivation for getting involved in Origin Insurance? I guess my motivation for coming onboard with Origin was really the passion to make a difference in this space. For myself, I ran my own business prior to this and when I came across Origin and got an understanding of what they were trying to achieve from a corporate and social aspect, I really couldn’t say no. They brought me on and, after a period, they appointed me as a director and shareholder, which I am incredibly grateful for. But I guess it goes back to my point of creating more role models and Aboriginal representation within this industry.What has it been like working in the city and being away from Katherine? Living and working away from the family has had its challenges through my life. Especially me going to school in Victoria and living with Dad, as Mum and my sister and brother still live in Katherine. It helps when I got to visit during school holidays and now being older, I can try to work more up that way with the business, which I can visit more regular. But the work life in Melbourne is definitely different, as I have never lived in a city, and what a city to start in! Melbourne is massive and daunting, but I am loving it now. But as I mentioned it is always good to get back up there, and especially now it feels like a privilege to see my family and spend time there.What’s next for yourself in 2019, is there any news to share? Next for me in 2019 is to focus on the growth of the business and continue to grow and create more opportunities through employment, but to also focus a lot on my growth as an individual and businessman. Some big news to share is that I am having my first child! My partner and I are stoked, as so too are the family, so a trip up north is due to get everyone to meet the little one.Lastly, any inspiring words for the mob whether they’re young or old, business or sports sense, that they can take away? Anything I can say to anyone reading is that the sky is the limit. No matter what anyone tells you, you never stop focusing on what means the most you. And for everyone that is different. If everyone was the same, it would be a boring world! You are brought into this world for a reason, even if that were to be an advocate for your mob, through business, through sport, through family, through anything you want to do! There is always a spot for you in this world! I suffered a lot from depression and anxiety and I always was self-conscious of what people thought about me, in terms of business and life, especially in the position I am in and at a young age. But the fear factor you have to block out and run your own race and do what most inspires you. Never let the doubters get you down and always keep pushing to be the best you can.

Here we have a conversation with Florence Drummond, Managing Director of an Indigenous start-up company called 'Indigenous Women In Mining and Resource Australia' (IWIMRA).

Where are you and your mob from?

I grew up in Northern Queensland on Thursday Island. My original tribes are both Wuthathi and Dauar. Thursday Island is a beautiful place, it’s really quite amazing. The island is not that big. The island has lovely beaches. Pearl shell trade is huge up around Thursday Island, as well as the crayfish industry.

Can you tell us a little about growing up in community? What was it like and what did you enjoy about it the most?

When I was growing up, I particularly enjoyed hanging out with my family. My parents were quite strict, so we never really went that far from family. Fishing is one of my most enjoyable hobbies from when I was growing up. Grade 8 was the first time I left home to attend a boarding school called Kooralbyn International School. It was here that I was exposed to many different cultures and ethnicities. This experience really expanded my worldview. There were lots of people from different backgrounds.

We understand that you currently work as a plant operator in the mines. Can you tell us a little about this job and experience and why you think it’s important for other Indigenous women to give it a go as a career?

From school, I moved to Melbourne for a couple of years, worked at VACCA in administration role and also as in events. From there, me and my partner at the time decided to buy a caravan and travel country for a little bit until we landed back in Weipa, where we would begin our careers in the Mining and Resource sector. I have been working in the mines as a plant operator now for the past six years.

What has been your motivation for starting Indigenous Women in Mining and Resource Australia (IWIMRA)?

After so long of not seeing a lot of progress for women, in particular Indigenous women in the Mining and Resource sector, I decided to open up the conversation and talk with other women across the sector. I soon discovered that other colleagues felt like they had no opportunities to develop in their careers, and that they had entry-level jobs and that was it.

What was it like to be named Weipa’s Australian of the year?

It was pretty full on. It was a humble experience for me, and I will use this platform now to showcase our women’s talent and continue the conversation for better outcomes for women in the mining and resource sector.

What’s next for you in 2019?

In a few weeks I will be travelling overseas to attend the United Nations World Conference on Women in New York. I am really excited for this event, it is huge for IWIMRA and I cannot wait to extend my voice on the big stage and represent my people.

Lastly, any inspiring words for the mob whether they’re young or old?

The strength as women to carry the burden of our communities, the strength of women to ensure our families are safe, the strength of women to empower each other for the longevity of our language, our knowledge, our culture and our traditions. We have forgotten our inner strength to achieve and carry the biggest boulders, we have forgotten the resilience instilled in women, we have forgotten the true strength and might of our voice. So to accept the accolades of congratulations is a dishonour to our old people, because they have dreamed of so much greater, and we must not accept the narrative we are being told, but in fact, continue the dreaming of our old people, as the oldest civilisation of this world, our journey is far, far greater and we must not give up.

A quote for other women and our future generations: Embrace the resilience of our old people and continue our dreaming.

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A big thanks to Florence for taking the time to speak with In Travel Group and for her wise words.

Safe travels,

The In Travel Group team.

Every day of the week, the team here at In Travel Group are helping companies and their people travel across the country to go about their important work. One of the organisations we do this for is Barpa Construction Services, a majority-Indigenous-owned-and-operated construction company, certified by Supply Nation.

“Barpa works on mostly regional construction jobs around Australia,” says Dwayne Good, In Travel Group Managing Director. “And it’s our role at In Travel Group to make sure they get there on time and without any hassle.”

We recently worked behind the scenes to ensure Barpa could carry out large-scale construction projects at three separate locations in remote Northern Queensland – Weipa, Bamaga and Thursday Island. As a travel management provider whose commitment is to provide our customers with tailored travel solutions, we took care of all flights and accommodation, including arranging charter flights into remote areas, ensuring the Barpa crew could efficiently travel between a range of difficult-to-get-to locations.

“Our aim with a company like Barpa is to remove the burden of having to organise the complex travel arrangements,” says Dwayne. “This allows Barpa to focus on what they do best.”

Barpa Director Jeremy Clark says that having In Travel Group take care of the company’s travel program provides peace of mind for their business with efficient service and solutions to challenging travel needs.

"In-Travel Group are a great example of the Indigenous businesses we use in our supply chain, the quality of service they provide demonstrates the maturity of the Indigenous business sector”, says Jeremy Clark.

For more information about Barpa, please visit: http://www.barpa.com.au/company-profile/

Throughout my life and, most importantly, during my rewarding career in the travel industry and owning my own businesses, I’ve been incredibly lucky to have a range of mentors who’ve helped me to navigate my way through the many trials and tribulations I’ve faced. I can honestly say that without these people I wouldn’t be where I am today. With this in mind, I wanted to write down a few thoughts on the power and importance of seeking guidance and tapping into the wisdom of those who’ve been before us. And also highlight the neat, circular nature of adopting these learnings and then being able to pass it on myself to others who might benefit from it.

In Indigenous culture, the role of the elders, of those who hold the knowledge, is highly revered and respected. And to impart wisdom to the next generation has always been vital. In the business world, however, this idea is not as strong. Business owners often flounder and fail without asking for advice from those who’ve done the hard yards before. In my own case, though, I’ve always seen the value of having a strong network of people I can call on to get feedback from and to have my ideas and assumptions challenged. Maybe this is a cultural thing, or maybe I’ve just been blessed, but the number of incredibly talented and successful Indigenous business people I can contact when I’ve got a problem is such a huge help to the work that I do. I can read every business book under the sun – and I try to do just that! – but nothing beats the one-on-one mentorship I have available to me whenever I need it. It’s one thing to learn something academically, but it’s a another to have it reinforced by a mentor with real world experience and examples.

With setting up Inspire Travel Management, which involved an extensive Joint Venture process, I felt so lucky to have Indigenous leaders to go to who’ve done the same thing before. And what surprised me the most is how open and receptive people are to giving this help, with no expectation of anything in return. For me, this is one of the great things about being in business. And now that I’ve been given these opportunities and learnt a lot of lessons along the way, I find myself being more and more open to the idea of helping others too. Nothing pleases me more than being able to assist an aspiring business owner to achieve his or her dreams.

If you’re someone who has some wisdom to share, I encourage you to share it widely. And if you’re someone who needs support, all I can say is don’t be afraid to ask.

The people who have helped me over time:

I’ve pestered a lot of great people in my time, so I can’t list everyone who has helped me, but I do want to name two people who were highly influential in my career. In the early days, I nearly quit my first travel job, but I was lucky to have Jodi Sampson around who convinced me not give up. And also Shane Kennelly, who has been a great help throughout the creation of Inspire Travel Management. Thanks Jodi and Shane!

Safe travels,

Dwayne Good.

In Travel Group’s very own James Lofts recently had a chat with none other than Toprank boxing signed Paul ‘Showtime’ Fleming to discuss childhood, representing Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics & cultural awareness.

So first things first, Where are you and the mob from?

I’ve got 3 mobs within my family, first one is from around Babinda, QLD– Wadjanmajja , Cherbourg, QLD – Wakka-Wakka & Jagera from the Brisbane, QLD region. But I grew up in Tully in Far north QLD but now I am residing in Syd, NSW and have been for the last few years now.

Tell us a little about growing up in Tully, QLD. What was it like and what did you enjoy about it the most?

I always wanted to grow up in the big city as a young fella and always had an interest in being able to go to the shops, movies & hanging out but as I got older and I moved away from home I realised just how good it was growing up and living in the country. I was constantly going hunting, fishing, camping, going exploring etc.. You can’t do that in the city and there’s not too much freedom as opposed to living in the country.

We understand that you currently that do a bit of dancing & cultural activities in Sydney with a dance group. Tell us a little about that & why you think it’s important for the mob to be connected to it?

Yeah, I dance with the Wirradjarri dance group here in Sydney. It’s something I got into and have been doing it the last 3 or 4 years now. I wasn’t lucky enough to grow up with too much culture back home, so you could say I found it, or it found me. I’m doing dance, attend men’s groups and everything else but It’s much deeper than just doing a dance. We’re trying to bring the old ways back to some degree but its all about the values you have and the values you teach to your kids and extended family. It’s something I’m really enjoying and something that has opened my eyes and changed me for the better.

A lot of things happening around the world and in Australia today with drugs, suicides, violence etc. A lot of these things that directly affect our people, it’s good to know who you are and have a strong base to ground yourself. It’s like we’re caught in between 2 worlds and we don’t really have an identity. People these days are more worried about being famous and knowing people and think this is important to them but over 60,000 years ago we were the custodians and shared everything. We were humble, loving and caring.

How did boxing come about seeing as you grew up in Tully, QLD where footy (Rugby League) is a religion and everyone plays it?

I played rugby league from when I was 6 years old onwards and I was a decent little player making rep teams here and there. I could never crack the next level of rep footy and I was sick of other people being the driver of the ship so to speak so I wanted to take my destiny into my own hands and be my own leader. Boxing is a solo sport where you’re in control of your own destiny and the reason why I leaned towards it. Plus growing up I had a fascination with it as a kid I was always into Martial Arts movies like Karate kid, Bruce Lee movies plus video games like street fighter, double dragon and the rest of it. Plus, I owned a heavy bag and I had my own gloves, so I always was drawn into it from an early age. Dad always taught me as well but when I got to 12yrs old I thought stuff it I’m going to focus on this and the rest is history.

What was it like to represent Australia at the 2008 Olympics at Beijing?

Look I’ve been to about 14 different countries and been all over Australia except for Tasmania but in saying that I’m not the traveling kind of guy. I like my own couch and chilling at home and I don’t like living out of bags. I love to chill and be comfortable. But China, was very different and weird to some extent. They don’t really take to westerners too well but in saying that, the road to get to China for the 2008 Olympics was much sweeter for myself and much more of an achievement as I trained so hard and put in a lot of effort and made a lot of sacrifices to put myself in that position. I got to see some tourist destinations like the great wall, the palaces etc. But overall was a good experience.

Tell us a little about training under Billy Hussein who is highly regarded in the Australian Boxing circles and signing with Toprank boxing which is one of the major boxing stables in the U.S.A currently home to Terrence ‘Bud’ Crawford & Vasyl Lomachenko to name a couple.

I’m still currently with Toprank but have had a bit of time off the last couple of years but also still with Billy ‘H’ as well. He’s trained the likes of Billy ‘the kid’ Dib & Garth Wood, Daniel Green just to name a few but obviously has the experience training world class fighters which will help me as well. It’s been a great ride and experience so far but plenty more to come. I also re-signed with Toprank for another 4 years so hopefully after this upcoming fight in December I’ll kick on and look for that world title shot next year sometime.

Seeing as we’re an Indigenous owned corporate travel agency, what’s your favourite destination

internationally & domestically?

Croatia is my favourite international destination above all by far. All the mountains, natural landscapes, great weather and the people are friendly which helps. Domestically it’d have to be Cairns, QLD for sure. It’s a city but not a massive city but you can take a short drive outside of it and its rural again. It has the worlds best swimming holes and there’s nothing better then hitting the swimming holes. Something I miss about being away from North Queensland.

Lastly, any inspiring words for the mob whether they’re young or old, business or sports sense, that they can take away from this?

Whatever life throws at you, you’ve just got to stay positive and keep pushing for whatever it is that you want. Whether it’s sport, business, a career in art or whatever it may be, you’re going to have setbacks. No one who’s made it to the top has had a clean run to achieving what they wanted. It’s the mistakes that you make you always learn from which will help you grow as a person. Don’t be afraid to take chances and make mistakes as you may lose out for the minute, you’ll end up learning to make yourself better and that’s what our culture is about too. I’ll be able to pass it down to the younger brothers and sisters and help them to grow and eventually achieve their goals.

Our great friends and long-time supporters A.I.D.A (Australian Indigenous Doctors Association) were over in Perth earlier this year for their annual A.I.D.A conference which brings together Board members, staff and the like for their AGM meeting as well as workshops and panel interviews including prominent Indigenous Doctors within the Medical industry.

The A.I.D.A Board and Secretariat requires travel around Australia and beyond to represent A.I.D.A at various events, sector committees and more. Here at In Travel Group we are extremely grateful that we're able to provide an amazing Indigenous organisation like A.I.D.A with their travel services that makes it easy for them to get to their destinations for their important work on time of course.

One of our deadly clients NCIE (National Centre of Indigenous Excellence) has been up to some pretty cool

& interesting work holding their IDX Flint - Drone training programs recently in Sydney.

IDX Flint is a national program for regional and remote communities that sparks the interest, ideas and talent of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in making digital technology. This month the IDX Initiative hosted it’s annual IDX Flint Facilitator camp at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Redfern Sydney.

25 IDX Champions from 13 communities across Australia are participating in the digital training. The training covers the use of robotics, virtual reality, coding and drones and is an opportunity for the participants to connect and share knowledge, as well as gain new skills to take back to community.

This week the participants are undergoing a week of intensive training to complete their CASA remote pilot licence. With a few more days of hands on training to go, the participants will face an exam later this week on everything they’ve learned, with the aim to take their new found skills (and qualifications) back to their home communities around Australia!

In Travel Group loves seeing our clients get up to some interesting projects around the place and we're always more than happy to assist with getting our clients to where they need to be.

You can find out more about the program here; https://ncie.org.au/idx/#flint_program

#IndigenousDX #IDXFlint #intravelgroup

Our good friends and clients Conservation Volunteers recently sent two of their staff members (Sonia & Brett) to the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) in Edinburgh to promote voluntarism in Australia and New Zealand.

Before the conference started, Sonia and Brett participated in the local volunteer project which was held at Gorgie City Farm, South West Edinburgh, to set up to provide community services and employment opportunities focusing on inclusion, education and sustainability within their community.

They also suited up and got their hands dirty to give the stables and animal boarding facilities a much-needed makeover. We at In Travel Group always love to see our clients with a smile on their faces and doing some awesome things around the world while we assist with getting them to their destinations for some important work.

It’s always great for us at In Travel Group to see what our deadly clients get up to and to help them get to some pretty remote locations.

Aden Ridgeway’s, Cox Inall Ridgeway in Sydney is one of our longstanding clients, who prides themselves on being a champion of First Nations Social Change and have done so since 2007.

Their staff have recently been travelling across the country meeting with mobs face-to-face in remote homelands. It’s an honour for us here to play a part in their important work with helping the Indigenous communites around the place. #IndigenousBusinessTravel #intravelgroup #coxinallridgeway

In Travel Group recently had a yarn with Indigenous entrepreneur and Australian of the Year award winner, Dion Devow.

Can you tell us who you are, where you and the mob are from, a little about your background?

My name is Dion Devow and I am an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander man and a father of three. I was born and raised in Darwin but moved in Canberra in 1994 to attend university. After graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Science in health education. On my father's side I am Manbarra. We are traditional owners for the Palm Island Group in North Queensland, and South Sea Islanders (Kanakas) from Tanna Island. My mother's people are from Erub or Darnley Island in the eastern Islands of the Torres Strait.

Can you tell us about your business? What do you do?

I am an Entrepreneur and have worked in community development and Aboriginal Affairs for over 20 years within the areas of health, education, justice and more recently business and have always work to help my people.

www.darkiesdesigns.com.au

www.yerra.com.au

I have also developed a business for my daughter Tea’, who is 12 years old, called www.teaandbelle.com.au .

Tea is very interested in business and has been since the age of four, so last year I, along with a friend, developed this business for our daughters to celebrate them as kidpreneurs and to promote Reconciliation.

I have developed https://canberraindigenousentrepreneurscentre.com.au to assist Indigenous people with their business journeys.

How do you manage to juggle it all and make it work?

All of my endeavours work as I have a great support network of family members, who are also my business partners, with clearly defined roles that allow me to keep abreast of all of my businesses and allow me to also continue to be creative and develop all of my businesses and keep my family life balanced. I have strong faith and this is what keeps me going and gives me guidance through the good and bad times in my life.

Can you tell us how you came up with the name Darkies Designs?

I came up with Darkies Designs because I am dark skinned and have always been very proud of that, and I wanted to change the word DARKIE (which has been used in a derogatory way throughout history to describe people of colour) to a positive word that represents a label that expressed pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through imagery, art, and language through design of clothing etc.

How important do you think it is for Indigenous-owned businesses to do well in mainstream Australia?

It is very important in that it sets the tone and changes the way our people are perceived.

And what about Indigenous employment? Is that a feature of your business? Or do you think it's an important thing for Indigenous businesses to aim for?

Yes, Yes and Yes! Statistics show the Indigenous business owners employ Indigenous people and this is great, but I am more focused on being a role model for other black fullas.

Tell us about winning the Australian of the Year award?

Wining the 2018 Australian of The Year Award for me was a complete surprise. It was and will always be a great moment in my life, and it validated the fact that what I am doing is what I am meant to do. That I am on the right path, but the best part is that I was able to share the experience this journey with my wife Danni and with my Children, Dante’, Tea’ and Sienna and that they can now say that their Dad is one of few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the history of the awards that has been nominated and was a state winner and a finalist for National Australian of The Year Award. I want them to know and believe that they can achieve their dreams and aspirations, whatever they might be, and that I will be right there behind them to support them in their quests to achieve them.

What advice do you have for others who are following in your footsteps?

Be Bold, be strong, believe in yourself, and acknowledge those who have helped you get to where you are. Never forget where you came from. God has a purpose for us all, seek him out ask for guidance and you will have success.

As we're a travel company, we should ask a travel question: Do you travel for work? Do you travel for holidays? Fav destination? Where, when, why?

I have always travelled, for work, for holidays et. My favourite places in Australia are Palm Island, Darwin, Ingham. Overseas, my favourite places are Fiji and Hawaii.

In Travel Group’s James Lofts recently sat down with Perina Drummond, Founder of Jira Models.

Perina Drummond, a Torres Strait Islander woman, is by no means just a pretty face. The brains behind the 2017 launch of First Peoples modelling agency, Jira Models, Perina has big plans to influence the fashion industry and provide a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent in the modelling world.

Having grown up in the remote community of Thursday Island (Waibene); and a model herself since her teenage years, Perina is very well placed to lead the charge and give the fashion industry a much-needed change.

“I grew up with all the culture and traditions of the Torres Strait Islands,” says Perina.

“And I do go home at least once every year. You’ll find me up on the island walking around barefoot.”

Based in Brisbane before moving to Melbourne about four years ago, Perina started out just modelling for friends and doing it as just a hobby before deciding to pursue it as a career.

“Beyond modelling, I fell in love with the styling of photoshoots and runways,” says Perina.

“The styling and backstage production of fashion. That’s what led me down to Melbourne to pursue a career in the industry.”

After coming to Melbourne to dive deeper into the fashion world, Perina decided that she wanted to have more of her work inclusive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander models. An idea was born.

“It was just my selfishness to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander models that lead me launching Jira Models,” says Perina.

“The agency has been up and running now for about 18 months. I believe we’re the only agency exclusive to First Peoples of Australia. It has been quite successful. We have a few models already signed to the agency here in Melbourne and around the country. Recently, the agency officially launched at the Melbourne Fashion Week for the First Born runway show which showcased Aboriginal designers and/or through collaborative partnerships with remote Aboriginal communities around the country.”

“I’ve been working with a design label out in Fitzroy Crossing in WA. It’s really important, I think, to create opportunities for people from remote communities to come to the ‘big smoke’ of Melbourne and experience this other world outside their own; to model, to showcase their design collections at fashion weeks. I can absolutely relate to the want to explore these opportunities and places that we hear so much about but have never visited before. However, leaving home and your loved ones is a difficult choice you have to make in order to succeed in your career.”

Perina notes that the fashion industry is one of the toughest industries to succeed in, especially modelling. Many agencies continue to recruit Indigenous models, though the cultural knowledge, is lacking from both sides, thus making it difficult to retain Indigenous models in the industry. This has provided the catalyst to make Jira Models a success.

“There are a lot of things I explain to industry professionals and models nowadays that they still don’t understand, or they’ve just heard it for the first time or they’ve never thought about it before. This I believe, has really affected the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait models in the past. I would love to create a stable recruitment platform here in Melbourne, and potentially extend into other parts of the entertainment industry.”

“I really didn’t think the agency would be received so well and grow so fast, exciting times ahead,” says Perina.

“If other people want to follow their dreams, I tell them to just do it. Or at least give it a go. That’s what I tell my models. For some of them, they still find the runway and being in front of a camera a bit daunting. I tell them to try it at least once. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. But just give it a go at

least once.”

At In Travel Group we love the wide variety of deadly organisations and individuals we organise business travel for around Australia and abroad. A big part of our motivation as a team is knowing we’re playing a part in making sure people get to important occasions without any hassle. Whether it’s meetings, conferences, festivals, events of all kinds, we work behind the scenes to make sure the travel component is all sorted.

An excellent example of an organisation we work with is Gilimbaa, a full-service creative agency specialising in strategic and connected communication. Gilimbaa is an organisation driven by the power and process of storytelling and the role this plays in the education and celebration of culture and community.

Gilimbaa Co-Founder and Director, David Williams, a proud Wakka Wakka man, was recently in the USA delivering a cultural program for the Australian embassy in Washington DC, promoting the Australian university sector in Philadelphia and, as pictured here, playing the Didge’ in Times Square, New York City.

We’re pumped to have organised David’s travel for this trip to the USA. It’s always awesome for us at In Travel Group to have had a hand in something that’s making a difference.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves how important travel is for our clients, at In Travel Group we are lucky to be helping so many deadly companies with their travel and we are particularly proud of this.

Our client and buddies Pacific Services Group (PSG) Holdings Pty Ltd, a leading Aboriginal owned Construction and Services Company do great things around the country so I wanted to share one their projects with our networks.

A typical trip for the team is to travel from Sydney to Perth and then up to Geraldton, from Geraldton they take a 5 hour drive out to Boolardy Station

where they are contracted to service the Murchison Radio Observatory project on behalf of the CSIRO engineers and scientists.

As an Aboriginal owned company PSG pride themselves on supporting the local communities in which they operate, for this contract PSG have created employment and skills development opportunities for the PIA Wadjari mob who help service the site. (See photo of local Meekatharra girl Mickaela).

We at In Travel Group feel very lucky to have spoken with Terri Waller recently, a truly inspiring woman who is full of wisdom and sage advice. Terri is the founder of Sev-Gen, a social enterprise that goes above and beyond just getting people into work in its Deadly Espresso cafe.

“We do a lot of things,” says Terri.

“On the surface, we run a café that provides work experience and work opportunities for vulnerable people, for people who haven’t been able to find work in mainstream opportunities. The business’s mission is to create great coffee for a great cause – so we can continue to provide opportunities for people in a business environment.”

Terri explains that sometimes it’s just about finding a good fit for people who are just on the edges of mainstream society.

“Often, they’re very talented and creative, or they have different views, but just as valuable in community. And it’s not so much the jobs and careers we’re focused on, but more honouring that true creative self and going back to thinking about vocational aspirations and thinking about your goal in life and in society, not necessarily just job positions. Of course, a job is important, but even more important is to develop yourself so you find something that helps you understand what your purpose is, and then let your life unfold from there. We place so much importance on having a job, yet we sacrifice so much with this thinking. What about getting a job in a different way and with a different mindset?”

Sev-Gen is an organisation with a dual mission: to honour the full creative self, then to celebrate, validate and reinvigorate Indigenous ways of being.

“We do lots of activities to do with both of those things,” says Terri.

“We have our ears to the ground to see what’s needed and to see how we can respond in a creative way that’s not being done out there already. Because there’s a lot of approaches out there and there’s no need to duplicate those. Because we make our own money to do our work, we may as well save it up for things that are a little bit different. We’re looking to be a first response to some of those more critical or creative needs.”

The name Sev-Gen is a conglomeration of two words: Seven Generations. Terri tells us it’s based on the sustainability and ecological wisdom that what you do today, effects seven generations into the future.

“We’re just trying to remind everybody to have a good think about what they’re doing because they impact on things,” she says.

At In Travel Group, we aspire to providing employment opportunities in the travel industry for Indigenous people and we love Terri’s philosophy on how to best go about this.

“I hope I can create something that helps to cultivate the right conditions for people,” she says.

“And because society doesn’t always support people in this way, I hope to hold that space and create those conditions for people and shortcut a whole lot of pain.”

Terri’s advice for others is very simple yet powerful. She says to be bold, be brave and to believe.

“Celebrate the individual within a social context for the benefit of the collective,” says Terri.

“That’s my bit of advice.”

Thanks for the words of wisdom.

The In Travel Group Team.

http://www.sevgen.com.au/

We at In Travel Group were lucky enough to recently have a brief chat with Australia’s number one featherweight boxer, Nathaniel ‘Cheeky’ May. The 22-year-old Indigenous fighter, originally from Bunbury in Western Australia, is on the rapid rise to the top – with hopes of having a crack at the world title in 2019. Despite his fearsome reputation in the ring, we found Cheeky to be nothing but humble and polite when we spoke to him while he was on a break and enjoying NAIDOC Week from his West Oz home.

On the topic of boxing, May sounds super laidback about training with one of the world’s greatest ever boxing trainers, Freddie Roach, who has worked with the likes of Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao, to name just a few.

“I’m based full time in LA now and, yeah, I’m training with Roachie over there,” says May.

“It’s a great opportunity to be with him. He takes you in, trains you; I think I can learn more from him in one session than I have before in two years. He’s like a walking dictionary of boxing.”

When it comes to travel, May is a big fan of the sunshine state.

“I love Queensland, to be honest,” says May.

“Brisbane is an awesome city and I always really like going there. I had a couple of big fights over there. At one point I was over there every second week.”

In chatting about his position as a leader for other Indigenous people, especially the young ones who are up and coming, Cheeky seems to take this job quite seriously.

“Us blackfellas, we have it hard, we’re always looked down upon,” says May.

“I believe I am a role model and I’m showing kids where this path can take them.

I’ve always been told to follow you heart, you know, and dream big and don’t let anyone take it away from you.”

The whole team here at In Travel Group is behind Cheeky May and wish him well on his journey to conquering the highest peak of the boxing world. It has to be one of the toughest sports on the planet, and his dedication and discipline are simply incredible. We’re all in awe of his talents and wish him all the best on his way.

The more I travel around this country meeting with In Travel Group clients, the more I see a lot of positive activity taking place with Indigenous companies, entrepreneurs, sportspeople, entertainers, academics, activists and others. It really feels like an exciting time to be out and about and playing a part in a growing movement.

To be in my position, leading an Indigenous-owned company that’s providing travel management services to a diverse bunch of companies, organisations and individuals every day of the week, is such an honour.

One of the many examples of awesome Indigenous-owned companies we’re working with is Bunjil Energy, a company focused on large-scale renewable energy developments for Indigenous land owners ‘On Country’. I mean, does it get any better than this?

Just this week we met with the Founder and Director of Bunjil, Isaac Harrison, a Kabi Kabi and Burra Gubba First Nations man with a heap of experience in the renewable energy sector. Together, we’ve agreed to In Travel Group arranging all travel requirements for Bunjil Energy employees as they move about the country doing their amazing work.

We at In Travel Group believe partnerships like these, no matter how big or small, are worth celebrating and making some noise about.

We’d like to give a big shout out to Issac and the Bunjil team.

From all the crew at In Travel Group, we look forward to working with you and ensuring all your travel needs go exactly to plan.

As many of you will know, it’s currently NAIDOC Week and there’s a whole lot of exciting things going on right around the country at the moment. The awesome theme this year is ‘Because of Her, We Can’.

At In Travel Group, we couldn’t be happier to be celebrating the achievements and contributions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have made and continue to make every single day. We would like to offer a huge thank you and to pay much respect to all the mothers, grandmothers, aunties, sisters and daughters who are so often the foundation of our communities, our families and our nation at large.

At In Travel Group, we also couldn’t be prouder to be managing the travel arrangements for all the deadly women speakers at the NAIDOC Womens Conference 2018. These women – the leaders, the activists, the ones who pave the way – fight for a better future for all of us. To play a small part in ensuring that these women can travel from all over the country and come together to create ideas, networks, businesses and friendships is inspiring to all our team.

One of the conference speakers is the highly accomplished superstar, Karen Milward. We sat down with Karen to have a quick chat about the ‘Because of Her, We Can’ conference and her involvement.

Karen is a Yorta Yorta woman based in Melbourne. An award-winning consultant and business woman, she is director of Karen Milward Consulting Services – an Aboriginal business consultancy offering cross-cultural services to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organisations, communities, groups and individuals. She is a strong advocate for developing culturally appropriate solutions to addressing the issues confronting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations and communities. She is Co-Chair, Indigenous Community Volunteers and the Victorian Aboriginal Economic Board, Chair of Kinaway Chamber of Commerce Victoria Ltd, Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place, and a Director on the Yarra Valley Water and Ganbina boards.

“I’m speaking at the conference about Aboriginal women leaders who’ve influenced myself and the work I do in community – what works, what doesn’t work, where we want to go in the future as an aboriginal community, as women in the community,” says Karen.

“With key messages around young people in particular who might want to start their own business, become an entrepreneur, or just do good things.”

Karen is excited by the event bringing people together to recognise the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women nationally.

“It’s the first time we’ve brought Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women together in one place during NAIDOC Week. It’s such a good opportunity to network and be with some awesome deadly women.”

On the topic of how young women can follow in her footsteps, Karen says the first thing is about believing in yourself.

“Aboriginal women can do whatever they want, it’s often about having the will and the tenacity. But you’ve also got to have the support. Sometimes you can’t just do all these things on your own. Getting your networks together is really important, paying respect to your elders and leaders in community. If young aboriginal women feel like they can’t do something, they can find somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody and help them achieve their goals. I think anything is possible.”

From the In Travel Group team, we wish Karen and all the conference speakers a wonderful journey and experience together.

As an Indigenous owned boutique business travel management company, this is about as good as it gets for us. It has been a pleasure working together to make sure all travel has gone smoothly.

We hope this NAIDOC Week is a good one for all.

Thanks, from the team at In Travel Group.

www.intravelgroup.com.au

Dwayne Good here from In Travel Group. As the Founder and Director of a proudly Indigenous owned company, I’m always excited and inspired to hear about other Indigenous owned organisations around the country. I recently read about the Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation (DAC), a mob based up in a place called Djarindjin, north of Broome, West Australia.

The community there have banded together and, through hard work and dedication, have taken full ownership and control of the Djarindjin Airport, which is a world-class aviation facility. Through making a big investment of time and cash, and then paying it off over several years, DAC have managed to establish an enterprise, one of the few civilian run airports in the country, that now provides key skills training and ongoing jobs for Aboriginal people in the local community and surrounding areas.

This, for me, is such a positive story. The people up in Djarindjin are truly leading the way with this kind of venture, with a model that’s demonstrating real community impact. So many great outcomes! It’s about jobs, it’s about skills, it’s about people having a go and determining their own futures. And it’s also about showing others that these kinds of things can be done – successfully, profitably and on a community’s own terms.

The best thing about this is that these stories are becoming more and more common. These sorts of enterprises are showing up all the time around the country. It’s truly heartening to see.

In our business, In Travel Group, which organises travel for corporate, non-profit and government organisations around Australia, we’re very lucky to be in touch with and arrange travel for a wide range of amazing Indigenous leaders and the organisations they work with. Every day we get to learn about what inspirational Indigenous people are up to and where they’re off to on their travels. We love it. We love seeing so much positive change in motion. To be part of this, to be helping people along on their way, is what gives us the energy to keep on doing what we do each and every day.

James Lofts is a recent recruit to the In Travel Group team. We sat down with James to hear about his background, his rather legendary cousin, and his work with the company.

Tell us about where you’re from and your background

My name is James Lofts and I’m from Brisbane, Queensland. Born & bred. My mother’s country is Bidjara/Gunggari (Mitchell, QLD) and my dad’s side is Gooreng-Gooreng (Bundaberg, QLD). Mum is 1 of 13, so that side of the family is quite large. This makes for some lively & eventful gatherings, with plenty happening whenever we all catch up, which I love.

One of the cousins I grew up with is Johnathan Thurston. Our mums are sisters and are one year apart, so growing up we were all very close and still are today. I’ve been lucky enough to be a witness to his career every step of the way, which is obviously inspiring for myself on many different levels.

How did you get involved with In Travel Group?

I saw a post on LinkedIn that a connection of mine had liked or commented on that involved ITG and what they were up to. So, I basically just sent a message to Dwayne (ITG’s Founder) congratulating him on what he was achieving with the company, but also mentioned that I had an ambition to get back into the Travel industry in some capacity. Gladly, Dwyane gave me a chance to do so, which I’ve jumped at and grabbed with both hands.

Tell us about In Travel Group – what do you do there?

In Travel Group is a growing company that, after reading about it, I instantly wanted to be a part of it one way or another. Especially knowing it’s an 100% Aboriginal owned business that aims to provide career opportunities and long-term employment for Indigenous people like myself. I know how hard it can be out there finding a job.

I have a range of varied tasks and responsibilities that I take care of at present, which I enjoy. Everything from account management to marketing and sales.

What do you see as the social purpose mission/vision of In Travel Group?

I see In Travel Group as a launching pad for Indigenous people like myself to sustain healthy and prosperous careers within the Travel Industry. Being a part of that is personally very rewarding.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself growing with the company and helping it to become the best version of itself that it can be. I believe we have something special on our hands and I’d love to help the business succeed in the long term.

What and who inspires you?

I’m inspired by driven people who are successful in one way or another. The ones who have worked hard to get to the levels they have always dreamt of. I love what Dame Dash, Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke and Steve Stout have all achieved within the music industry, but also on the business side of things. The latter two worked more so behind the scenes but did their part to build massive empires that nobody predicted. But they believed.

Where’s your favourite place to visit in Australia?

I love the beach and the lifestyle that comes with it. In Queensland there are quite a few heavenly spots, but you can never go past the Sunshine Coast.

In the latest InTravel Yarn, new team member James Lofts speaks with Jirra Lulla Harvey, a Yora Yorta / Wiradjuri woman, Director and Founder of Kalinya Communications and big time travel lover.

James: Tell us about the year ahead for you, what interesting projects are planned for the year?

Jirra: Last year was a year of travel and adventure, so this year I plan on being more home based. I just set up a new office in Fitzroy, and have some exciting local projects I am working on to connect with Aboriginal entrepreneurs and hopefully inspire more community members to start small businesses.

But I do have some getaways planned.

In April, as a part of my MBA studies I will be competing in a global business competition in Montreal, Canada. It looks interesting but exhausting so afterwards I have a little getaway planned on a remote Mexican beach and will be staying in this incredible eco lodge I have had my eye on for a few years.

Miami is my second home, so I will go back there for May and again in December to attend Art Basel – a huge art event that takes over the city with parties and fun art events.

In September I am taking my first trip to the Torres Strait for the Winds of Zenadth cultural festival. I have been dreaming of visiting the Torres Strait for so long, I’m really excited. And then the following week up to Newman for a cultural forum – and can’t wait to explore the Pilbara.

James: What is your favourite international holiday destination and why?

Jirra: The Caribbean stole my heart about eight years ago. I was working with the Kalinago people in Dominica, and the natural beauty, food, music, people’s love of family, culture and celebration won me over. I have been going to the Caribbean every year since and am slowly making my way through all the different islands. I can’t pick a favorite because they each have such distinct cultures and landscapes, that’s why I made Miami my second home – so I have a base to explore from.

James: What is your favourite domestic holiday destination and why?

I love the tropics and the beach, so I have lots of favorite destinations in northern NSW and Queensland. I have taken a few trips to Stradbroke Island recently and love vising Delvene Cockatoo-Collins’s shop Made in Minjerribah – all handmade home wares and beautiful things that reflect her connection to the island.

I also had an incredible stay in Port Douglas because I did a tour with Juan Walker, of Walkabout Tours. He took me through the Daintree, his people are traditional owners and he had so much knowledge of the region it was really special. Whenever I travel I try to connect with Aboriginal business owners and it always makes the trip a million times better.

James: What international travel destination really resonated with you as an Aboriginal person?

Jirra: Places where I can connect with a community, and places where the community has a strong connection to place. I think that’s one of the reasons I love islands so much, nature rules. If a storm comes, you have to stop what you are doing. You can check the forecast as much as you want but on islands, if the weather wants to change – you change with it. I love Vanuatu and stay with a good friend in his family’s village – people in Pango has been so generous in sharing their cultural knowledge with me and my friends. Once I stayed in a Mayan boarding school in Southern Belize, that was incredible!

James: What Australian destination or experience makes you the most proud to be Aboriginal?

Jirra: I am a Koorie woman, so being home with my community makes me most proud of who I am.

James: Australia is a popular travel destination for international travellers, what do you believe our country can do better to represent our Indigenous culture?

Jirra: I believe in self-representation. No one can tell our stories like we do. Aboriginal owned and operated tourism, food experiences, learning exchanges – they are the future. The “Aboriginal brand” can be empty – advertising campaigns created through a non-Indigenous lens without a co-design approach. Without the depth that culture brings, they miss the mark. But honestly, I think that approach is on the way out and we are about to see some very exciting new products on the market that are driven by self-representation, Indigenous ownership and true collaboration.

James: What has been your most interesting travel experience and why?

Jirra: Oh I don’t know if I can answer that. My first really eye opening experience was when I was 19 and attended the Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network Forum in the Philippines. After the conference I went to the most beautiful farming area in the mountains to stay with community. While I was there I learnt that an Australia mining company had poisoned the local water, and clean water had been privatized and people had to buy it. I saw the water trucks come in for those who could afford water, and the rest of the crops dying. I remember complaining about the smell of the toilets and washing with buckets and my cousin who was travelling with me having to explain - cuz that’s because you have to buy water here and its expensive. It was one of those moments that wake you up.

Now I am conscious of trying to tread lightly when I am a guest on other peoples’ land. As Australians we sit in a position of global privilege, with a strong dollar and passports that allow us almost unlimited entry. As Aboriginal Australians we can connect with experiences of loss. On my travels I have heard lots of stories of local people loosing land, water, culture, or reefs dying and forests being cut down. Often these stories are connected to the development of mega resorts and those giant cruise ships, so I feel happiest when I stay in locally owned accommodation and spend my tourist money with small businesses.

James: Business class or economy? And who is your favourite airline to travel with?

Jirra: I am Virgin traveller and addicted to the lounges. It takes up to tree days to get from Melbourne to some of the more remote places I like to travel, having a shower, skipping the lines and eating some free food along the way makes all the difference. I have never travelled business before! One-day maybe.

James: What are some of your most interesting travel habits or routines?

Jirra: I have so many, I’m pretty eccentric with it - I love flying and like to make it as pleasurable as possible. I do yoga before a long haul flight, have a facemask I wear because a lot of flying was taking a toll on my skin, and I take my own food. Plane food has much more sugar and salt – something about your taste buds changing up there so I bring a sandwich and fruit with me. I also never, ever download the wifi apps. Plane rides are sacred to me, they are for enjoying a wine and watching movies – never working or doing emails!

James: As a regular traveller what are your three “must do” travel tips?

Jirra: In Australia, find an Aboriginal owned tour company. It’s not always easy, but here are my tips for finding them – Google Aboriginal tour in the area you are going – then click on the websites that come up – then go to the “About us” – if it is Aboriginal owned, there will normally be a story about the owners telling you who their mob is.

Get out of the resort! I get frustrated in resorts because I can’t feel the place I am in, I can’t hear it, smell it, engage with it. I also struggle with the division in resort towns between locals and tourists. It seems like the resorts scare tourists about local engagement, because then you spend all your money inside their walls. But with that said, there are of course safer places to travel and if it’s your first time go easy on yourself and pick somewhere you have heard positive things about.

Be respectful. When we travel we are guests. We are not always invited either, not everyone wants tourism in their neighborhood or on their traditional lands. But I feel like when you act as a guest, respect culture and try to spend local, the whole experience is so so much more fun.

Kalinya.com.au

@kalinyacomm

In Travel Group are pleased to welcome our newest team member - Mr Justin Potter! Justin is a great addition to our growth plans for 2018, welcome to the team Justin!

Before joining ITG Justin spent over 7 years with travel company Corporate Traveller so has great experience in managing small to medium size company travel needs.

Myself, Bridget and Alastair have all previously worked with Justin, he has a great reputation and is a great fit for ITG, our goals and our mix of clients. Justin joins the operations team and will be responsible for managing our clients needs.

Working at In Travel Group, one of the most rewarding parts of our service is helping our clients travel to destinations required to perform the important work they do for Indigenous Australia.

Last month we were fortunate to facilitate the travel arrangements for our client the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA), helping their delegates, members, and staff travel to and from AIDA 2016 in Cairns.

AIDA 2016 brought together a wide range of people to help recharge and reflect on the importance of strength and resilience in continuing to grow the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students and doctors.

Thank you for your on-going support, AIDA. We appreciate the opportunity to help with such a special event.

Dwayne Good

Executive Director at In Travel Group

Great photo of the In Travel Group running team at City2Surf 2016!

In Travel Group put a team together to run the Cuty2Surf to help raise funds for Indigenous child education through the Cathy Freeman Foundation.

Our team raised over $3000 for the Foundation, a massive thanks to all who donated to our run, its great to have such amazing support.

In Travel Group is looking forward to Supply Nation Connect 16 next Tuesday the 3rd of May at Australian Technology Park, Sydney. If your attending Connect come and talk with corporate travel experts - In Travel Group - on booth # 92

To support our client the Cathy Freeman Foundation help raise funds for Indigenous child education, In Travel is putting together a team to run with Team Freeman in this years City2Surf in Sydney, Sunday 9th of August.

Our vision at In Travel is to create opportunities for Indigenous Australians and this is why through our running and fundraising efforts we have chosen to support the Cathy Freeman Foundation.

After the run we will be joining Cathy and the team for a BBQ at Bondi Ice Bergs in a private section for Team Freeman.

The In Travel Team is recruiting runners to help raise funds, if anyone would like to join us please contact dwayne@intravelgroup.com.au

If you don't feel like running but wish to donate go to the In Travel Team page - https://city2surf2015.everydayhero.com/au/in-travel-team-freeman

Thank you for your support!

Dwayne Good

Executive Director

Corporate Travel Consultant

The Company –

In Travel Group is a rapidly growing travel business dedicated to managing the corporate travel needs of Indigenous organisations throughout Australia.

With a head office in Melbourne we have a range of clients from varied industries in various locations around Australia.

Our business holds strong social and community based values, we are a friendly and flexible, hard working team of travel professionals.

The Position –

Corporate Travel ConsultantFull timeMelbourne and Perth CBD

Due to company growth we seek an enthusiastic corporate travel professional to join our team and become involved in the future growth of the company.

You will be responsible for managing the domestic and international travel requirements of a portfolio of corporate clients. Strong customer service skills are a must, as well as great attention to detail, productivity and professionalism.

You will be encouraged to provide strategic input, share your knowledge and work towards a senior leadership role as the business grows.

Requirements –

Minimum 2 years corporate travel consulting experienceGreat domestic and international product knowledgeStrong work ethic and desire to grow within the businessGreat written and verbal communication skillsFriendly and professional approach to customer serviceExperience with the GDS, Sabre preferred but not essentialExperience with back office system Tramada, but not essential

Benefits in joining In Travel Group -

Initial starting salary of $60,00 Inc. super + bonusesCareer progression opportunities as the business growsTravel industry incentives and perksA flexible and friendly work environmentOn going training and development

To apply please contact In Travel Group Director, Dwayne Good, on 0434 986 891 or email your expression of interest to dwayne@intravelgroup.com.au

In this month’s InTravel Yarn I talk travel with Mayrah Sonter, NITV presenter, AIME board member, proud Wiradjuri woman and Director of the exciting new media, events and communication company, 33 Creative!

33 Creative is co-owned by Mayrah and former Deadly Vibe CEO Georgia Cordukes. Both Mayrah and Georgia have worked on diverse projects from events, media production, communications campaigns, conferences and social marketing campaigns.

For more details on 33 Creative visit - www.33creative.com.au

Dwayne: Tell us about the year ahead for you, what interesting projects are planned for the year?

Mayrah: 2015 is already proving to be a busy year. Getting a new business off the ground is a huge undertaking and I’m enjoying the challenge so far. Each month the business is growing, we are gaining more clients and getting to work on some amazing projects.

We are delighted to say that we were successful in our bid to produce the City of Sydney NAIDOC event, ‘NAIDOC in the City’ in Hyde Park on Monday 6th July from 11am-3pm. If you’re in Sydney, make sure you come and check it out. We are honoured to have the opportunity to produce such an important celebration for our mob and the Sydney community.

Around the Traps, the Indigenous Arts program on NITV will also be back in 2015. We just recently covered the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras which was so much fun!

Dwayne: What is your favourite international holiday destination and why?

Mayrah: Has to be Los Angeles! My husband and I lived in LA for 2 years; it’s such an exciting city. LA is such a laid back place, everything is so cost effective, you can order what ever food you want….and Mexican food…..lots of Mexican food!

Dwayne: What is your favourite domestic holiday destination and why?

Mayrah: I have always loved the Gold Coast. I spent many holidays there as a child visiting my grandmother and have some great memories there. You can’t beat the great weather, the beaches and all the theme parks. There is also an awesome putt putt course there that I’m really good at!

Dwayne: What international travel destination really resonated with you as an Aboriginal person?

Mayrah: As a young girl, my family always had visitors from the First Nations communities of Canada as my mum ran the ‘Healing Our Spirit’ worldwide conferences in Sydney. I had always wanted to go and see for myself and got the chance to do this last year, which was amazing! As part of an Endeavour Fellowship, I got the opportunity to study Indigenous media last year, travel to Winnipeg and Toronto and meet some amazing First Nations mob in the media and arts communities.

After meeting Canada’s First People and getting to know them, it was interesting to see that Australian and Canadian Indigenous people have a lot of synergies, similar cultural ways and we also share some of the same challenges. It is a fascinating experience to travel to the other side of the world and feel at home in another community.

Dwayne: What Australian destination or experience makes you the most proud to be Aboriginal?

Mayrah: I have been lucky enough to have travelled to many communities throughout our country in my work at Vibe Australia. Whilst touring with the Vibe 3on3 Basketball and Hip Hop Challenge, I was amazed when I travelled to Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory and visited the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre. It was such an amazing space; such a great display of Indigenous culture and arts that I didn’t expect to find in such a remote location. I thought that was pretty deadly and made me proud to be Aboriginal.

For details on Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre - http://www.nyinkkanyunyu.com.au

Dwayne: Australia is a popular travel destination for international travellers, what do you believe our country can do better to represent our Indigenous culture?

Mayrah: I feel our culture needs to be more visible in our major cities; we need more cultural centers, place names, greater promotion of languages and our cultural sites! We need to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures more and have it be a greater part of our national identity.

Dwayne: What has been your most interesting travel experience and why?

Mayrah: For my first trip overseas, I travelled to South Africa on a school water polo tour at age 15. I remember being so excited, such a big trip, without my parents to a foreign country. When we arrived in Johannesburg, we boarded a bus to head to our first location and I was shocked to see a shanti town for the first time. It still makes me sad thinking about the poverty that many South Africans lived and really opened my eyes to the social challenges outside of Australia. During this trip I also travelled to Robben Island and stood in Nelson Mandela’s cell where he was imprisoned for 18 years whilst he was president of the country. Such a remarkable experience!

I came back a different person – travel tends to do that; gives you greater perspective in life, affirms your identity as a member of the human race and makes you grateful to come home.

Dwayne: Business class or economy? And who is your favourite airline to travel with?

Mayrah: With help from friends and family I get the odd business class upgrade….love that! Virgin is great internationally as they have a cool stand up bar and Qantas is my preferred domestic carrier.

Dwayne: What are some of your most interesting travel habits or routines?

I’m an aisle seat kinda girlFor morning flights I arrive extra early to enjoy the Qantas Club bircher museli…and I like to sneak an Iced Vovo into my bag for my flight…..I enjoy watching documentaries in flight

Dwayne: As a regular traveller what are your three “must do” travel tips?

Take your laptop out of your bag out before you get to the security line, helps the line move fasterDrink plenty of water on your travels to stay hydrated and apply creamTake your own earphonesTake a shawl to keep comfy on the flightAnd lastly and most importantly, stay away from Airport Shopping…AAAARRRHHHHHH!

Dwayne: Thank you for your time Mayrah!

To view InTravel Yarn click the News tab on www.intravelgroup.com.au

Photo by Amanda James

In this months "InTravel Yarn", Dwayne Good talks all things travel with Dr Anita Heiss, well know Aboriginal author and proud member of the Wiradjuri nation of central NSW. Dr Heiss is the author of non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women's fiction, poetry, social commentary and travel articles.

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2015 is another mammoth year for me. For starters I have two children’s novels coming out with Scholastic in the second half of the year. Harry’s Secret is set in Cowra and is about a young fella who is afraid to tell his mates how much he loves to draw. Matty’s Comeback is about a Koori kid in Sydney who is mad about the South Sydney Rabbitohs and weeks out of his own grand final breaks his arm and can’t play.

I’m also working on an historical novel called Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms (Simon & Schuster, 2016) about the Cowra Breakout and the impact the #12 POW compound had on the town and the Aboriginal community. That means I’ll be travelling back to Cowra and over to Japan for research.

On top of those projects I will be running writing workshops in Ravello, Dublin, New York and Honolulu this years so there is a lot of traveling for me.

When I am on home soil I hope to continue my work in schools running creative writing workshops with students and conducting professional development days with staff

Dwayne: What is your favourite international holiday destination and why?

For round-the-clock excitement, theatre, shopping and feeling totally alive, then hands down it’s Manhattan. I’d go every year if I could. For relaxation, shopping and the perfect Mai Tai well of course it has to be Hawaii!

Dwayne: What is your favourite domestic holiday destination and why?

Anita: There are many beautiful places in Australia that I love, but one of my favourite holiday destinations has to be the Gold Coast because it has everything I need for a quick weekend escape with a good friend or just a book. Coolangatta Airport is only an hours flight from Sydney, there’s miles of beach for me to run / walk on and swim in, and with the introduction the Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill (in the Hilton) and Seaduction (in the hotel Sea Temple) there’s also world class dining as well. I love the Gold Coast so much I blogged https://anitaheiss.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/travel-gourmet-gold-coast/ about it!

Dwayne: What international travel destination really resonated with you as an Aboriginal person?

Many of the places I have been that have resonated with me as an Aboriginal woman have not been tourist destinations. The one place that has a sense of cultural tourism that I appreciate and have been to more than once is Noumea with its Kanak history, culture and presence. The Tjibaou Cultural Centre is always a must do experience.

Dwayne: What Australian destination or experience makes you the most proud to be Aboriginal?

Anita: It sounds biased, but when I drive back to Cowra and see the ‘Welcome to Wiradjuri Country” sign heading into town, I smile with pride. There’s one heading into Mudgee as well. I’d like to see these signs of acknowledgement as we enter different traditional lands around the country.

Dwayne: Australia is a popular travel destination for international travellers, what do you believe our country can do better to represent our Indigenous culture?

Anita: This country is rich in Aboriginal history, culture and stories, and yet you will not see much of it mentioned in the mainstream tourism industry. Particularly at our most treasure tourist sites. Signage at significance events and places are needed, renaming or at least double naming in the local language and English is also a way to recognise the ongoing connection we have to place.

Our major festivals which are also tourist attractions need to embrace and integrate Aboriginal voices into their programs. Sydney Festival has been doing this for years and it’s a great way to showcase what a city’s First Nations peoples have to offer in terms of arts and culture.

Dwayne: What has been your most fascinating travel experience and why?

Anita: I travelled to Kahnawake Mohawk Territory (Quebec) for the first time in 1995. The small community sits on the banks of the St Laurence River about 15 minutes drive from downtown Montreal. The reservation is fully self-sufficient with schools including a Mohawk Immersion School, hospital, radio station, bars and restaurants. One can canoe in the river, be part of the summer pow wow, play lacrosse and then head into the city for serious shopping, partying and French everything. I’ve been back about five times since then, and local community members have come to visit me in Australia. I have some very special friends in Kahnawake and that’s why it will always be special to me.

Dwayne: Business class or economy? and who is your favorite airline to travel with?

Anita: Business Class because it’s usually work related and I need to sleep on the flight. Favourite airline is QANTAS, although recent experience on Emirates really raised the bar in terms of service, food and comfort.

Dwayne: What are some of your most interesting travel habits or routines?

Anita: I don’t know that I have travel habits and routines other than I always arrive at the airport super early. The anxiety of any trip decreases dramatically as soon as I have checked in and passed through customs.

Dwayne: As a regular traveller what are your three “must do” travel tips?

Anita:

1. Give yourself plenty of time at the airport. Arrive before allocated check in time to save any last minute dramas and queues.

2. Always take a change of clothes in your carryon in case your luggage is lost or delayed. I do this so I won’t be caught out, especially if I have a speaking engagement the day I arrive somewhere.

3. Drink plenty of water, in the air and on the ground. There’s nothing worse than walking the streets of Paris (or anywhere) feeling awful, only to learn you hadn’t drunk enough water that day!