Owner and Operator
Age: 32
Where's home?
You can never EVER forget where your from – In my case Manchester, UK. BUTtttttttt for now and for the foreseeable future my Home is Byron Bay Babbbbbbbbby.
Languages spoken:
English & je parle petit pe francis (only after a few Bevies – DEL BOi Style ahahah)
Time spent in Australia and NZ:
Since Nov 2011!
A little about me:
The standard end of Uni – I don’t know what to DO with my life story resulted in me shopping around for flights and hitting the Open Road with Big Ryan (my college buddy & absolute Banter Man)… what was a few month adventures has become a lifestyle that I didn’t think even existed.
I get just as much a Buzz Creating Epic adventures for travellers than I do going on them myself. I’m still partial to a good old roadie and cruise in the van from Byron on surf trips – in search of waves, sunsets and open beaches!
Why is Aussie / NZ so special...
To start with Aussie Land is MASSIVE – not many peeps have been around the full circuit (and I myself wasn’t at all planning on) but the Roadie can become addictive and it certainly did for me!
I hit the road and travelled 25,913 Km’s the diversity between the tropical beach towns on the East Coast to the West Coast which feels like the end of the world got me hooked straight away. The people I met along the way – live by the chilled & relaxed lifestyle that takes you a while to get used to – but now have become totally accustomed too.
Rambling on so much I almost forgot about the little sibling AKA NZ – I planned to go there for 2 months well I ended up staying 2 years. Everything is accessible and not too far away – get ya self out of Auckland and there is literally not a person in site! There are too many moments to mention but Free Camping for a week with my Bruv-Ski {AKA Jakey Boi} next to a snow capped mountain, clear blue ocean and dolphins has to be up there. NZ has it ALL.
Favourite spot in Australia/NZ:
BYRON BAY Babbbbbbbbby (to live and stay for an extended time) however – if it’s just a visit then Uluru is MAJESTICAL {had to use the spell checker on that one}. Not gona lie after the 6 full days it took me to drive to the centre of Oz and see the red centre – I almost shed a tear.
NZ – Raglan is the ONE… perfect & laid back vibes it’s just UNREAL alsooooo – Big up Tim & Suz – they’ve made ‘Raglan BackPackers’ their own. In 6 and a bit years of travelling you can imagine how many hostels I’ve stayed at. This one is in a league of its own. The town itself is amazing but the hostel makes it.
Backpacker tips:
Put down the phone – chat to the person next to you – don’t take every moment for granted and be as open as possible – you just don’t know what the next person will bring into your life – Special Mention to Mollie Bylett – The Blog on how we met is COMING!
Funny travel story/or best moment in Australia:
Location NZ: A rainy night in a camp kitchen kick started a game of Rock Paper Scissors – the winner got the last Biscuit. The game after that we ran out of choccy biccies so we proceeded to bet on who would cut one anothers hair with a dodgy pair of clippers >>> safe to say I lost!
Type of traveller:
Chilled out & cruising along. Happy go Lucky. More Happy than Lucky ; )
From our RatPackers
Absolutely recommended to anyone wanting to take the stress out of booking a camper van! Ben made the process for me so smooth and he genuinely cared for what my trip entailed and catered right to it! Blown away with his kindness and couldn’t be more happy with the price and deal we go for our van!
10/10 service! So helpful and friendly! Looking forward to heading on the trip already 😊
Jenna & Ryan are very professionals and helpful. Wish them the best
This shout out is for James! He took all of our worries,stress and anxiety about our up coming snow road trip and chucked them out the window. In under 30 minutes he had us booked with a better deal,upgraded vehicle and many laughs. Just for his service alone we will be back for every holiday! Thanks heaps James we look forward to our holiday because of you, now I can drive to Sydney today with a clear mind and no worries of having to sleep on my bike in the middle of the snow ⛄️ I have to mention his concern for safety was top notch with not wanting myself or my partner to have a bed fall on our heads again 😂
Jenna and Ryan were very helpful from the beginning to the end of the booking process. They shared all the details needed for our trip and in good time. Once our trip had been confirmed Ryan supported us through the phone call explaining next steps, payment and the process. We are very happy with the service we received! Thank you again and we look forward to our trip!
Ben made our camper van booking experience a breeze, very professional and easy process, would be happy to recommend to anyone!
Mikey was very efficient and easy to deal with, we booked a camper and the whole process took around 1 hour from him getting us prices, speaking to different dealerships and us paying our deposit. He was happy to answer any questions we had and shared lots of information regarding routes, campsites and the day to day travel in a camper. We would definitely recommend!
They were super helpful in finding me a motor home at the last minute—-received great assistance from James
Ben from Ratpack Travel was absolutely amazing in helping find the perfect van & best deal for our dream WA holiday. Best customer service ever! They know their products inside out & I would use them again & again!
George was awesome to deal with! Really knowledgeable and very helpful. Highly recommend!
The service at RatPack-Travel is absolutely great! Ryan took a lot of time to answer all my questions and always clarified everything very quickly. The telephone consultations were easy to understand and everything was clearly explained. Even when my plans changed and I had to adjust my booking, he clarified everything directly with the car rental company and I was able to adjust my booking very quickly and without any problems. I always received an answer within minutes. I am extremely satisfied, thank you Ryan from RatPack-Travel!
James Help us in all the proces and was an absolute Legend! He found the best deal posible for what we wanted to do and withing the buddget. Also provided us with some helpfull information for sugesting itinerarys on things to do and see, as well of apps for finding campsites and campervan sites. 1000% recomended! what a grat custumer service And if this wasnt enought all the service was free!
Thank you Lucas for making it easy to book mum and my camping holiday. You were patient and a joy to deal with. You were able to get a great rate of payment and your help was much appreciated.
Anna was so helpful and kind, she helped me book a van for my friend and I. She was on top of all my questions and was so lovely to work with 😁
Just booked a van for NZ for 2 weeks. Ben made the booking so easy and hassle free, will definitely be recommending RatPack in the future
