Meet Our Team

Kirk Demeter, President

Hometown: Kirkland, WA
Favorite South Pacific Destination: The Kimberley region of Western Australia, Queenstown New Zealand, and the Whitsundays.
Favorite Food: Mexican and Vietnamese.  In New Zealand, nothing beats the lamb!
Favorite Wine: Red:  Grant Burge “Meshach” Shiraz.  White:  Leeuwin Estates “Art Series” Chardonnay.
Favorite Music: Ryan Adams, Brandi Carlile, Vampire Weekend, Kathleen Edwards, Neil Finn.
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: The Eyre Peninsula of South Australia, the western side of Tasmania, and the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island (where I’ll be spending my Christmas break).
Travel Tip: Premium Economy is similar to what you’d experience in a First Class seat on flights in the USA – only better.  That extra comfort and upgraded food and beverage service really makes traveling to the South Pacific that much better, and it is surprisingly affordable.  Air New Zealand and Qantas all have truly excellent Premium Economy cabins. 

Kim Faucette, Reservations & Operations Manager

Hometown: San Diego
Favorite South Pacific Destination: My two favorite destinations are Fiji & Darwin/Top End. I think Fiji is the most romantic place on earth and the people are so incredibly hospitable and nice, it makes me smile whenever I think of them. I fell in love with Darwin and the National Parks because the landscape is so diverse and the wildlife is plentiful.
Favorite Food: King crab legs most definitely. Dipped in some browned butter, they just melt in your mouth! I also love chocolate and definitely prefer the treats from Australia & New Zealand.
Favorite Wine: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Favorite Music: R&B, Pop, Top 40, Rock, Jazz, Motown
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: Wolgan Valley, it may be a trek to get there but it’s absolutely stunning and worth staying a few nights. Iron Bar in Port Douglas, a great hangout with the locals.
Travel Tip: Try to fit in something you wouldn’t normally do. It’ll make your trip that much more special & memorable.

Allison Hogan, Destination Specialist

Hometown: Alstonville, Nr Ballina/Byron Bay, Northern NSW, Australia.
Favorite South Pacific Destination:  The Great Barrier Reef is really one of the most beautiful places in the world and is probably my favorite destination. I did my PADI Dive Course on Heron Island in 1980 and I have scuba dived in the Fiji Islands as well as the Cook Islands. I have been to Tahiti many times, and I have been to Samoa. They are all different and equally wonderful. The majority of the itineraries that I create are for people traveling to New Zealand and Australia. I always encourage them to think about an island stopover.
Favorite Food: While in Australia: King Prawns fresh off the Ballina trawler boats with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
While in New Zealand: Roast Lamb with all the trimmings with a NZ Hawkes Bay red wine.
While in Tahiti and Fiji: Fresh fish with home grown vegetables and salads.
Favorite Wine: NZ Sauvignon blanc.
Favorite Music:  Anything from the 1970s and 1980s – bands like The Rolling Stones, The Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, The Eurythmics.
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: You don’t have to tip unless the service is extraordinary.
Travel Tip: When in Australia, end words with an e or an o and you will sound like a local. Examples: Breakfast – Brekkie, Afternoon – Avo, Postal Employee – Posty, Football – Footy, Service Station – servo.
In all seriousness, make sure you know your airline luggage limits and pack sparingly. Take half of what you think you need and have fun !

Emma Leon, Destination Specialist

Hometown: Born in Launceston, Tasmania but consider Adelaide, South Australia my hometown.
Favorite South Pacific Destination: Tasmania is unforgettable.  Untouched wilderness, wildlife, wineries and friendly locals.
Favorite Food: Cheese, Cadbury’s chocolate and Sausage rolls
Favorite Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, particularly from New Zealand.
Favorite Music: Top 40, 80’s, anything I can sing my heart out to – when I’m alone of course!
Best Kept South Pacific Secret:  Adelaide is such a vibrant city with a great culture of the arts.  There is usually a festival happening, offers great food, has fabulous wine regions close by and Kangaroo Island just a short hop away.
Travel Tip: Don’t fear the travel time to get to Australia, once you’re there you’ll not regret it!    

Kelly Taylor, Destination Specialist

Hometown: Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Favorite South Pacific Destination: Western Australia.  An amazing part of Australia that so many people miss out on seeing.  Sensational snorkeling and the beaches are to die for!
Favorite Food: Seafood, Southern home cooking, BBQ and anything from Australia and New Zealand.
Favorite Wine: Shiraz, especially from Barossa Valley in South Australia.
Favorite Music: a mix of everything – pop, r&b, old school, rock
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: Kangaroo Island, Australia – its like visiting a zoo without fences.  You experience seeing kangaroos and koalas in their natural habitat.  Cook Islands – an amazing tropical region with friendly people, untouched beaches and great snorkeling and diving.
Travel Tip: Embrace the destination in full – have a beer with a local at a pub, enjoy the local cuisine, go to a sporting event to experience the comradery and atmosphere. The South Pacific is a very friendly place so never be afraid to ask questions or to start up a conversation.

Jerry Renner, Destination Specialist

Hometown: Southern Indiana, USA

Favorite South Pacific Destination: Cook Islands
Favorite Food: Seafood
Favorite Wine: Prosecco and Moscato
Favorite Music: 70s, 80s, and 90s
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: Cook Islands
Travel Tip: Go! Always! Everywhere!

Nora Gregorian, Destination Specialist

Hometown: Glendale, CA
Favorite South Pacific Destination: Australia and Fiji 
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Wine: Malbec
Favorite Music: Jazz and Classical 
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: Tasmania
Travel Tip: “Travel like Ghandi, with simple clothes, open eyes and an uncluttered mind.” - Rick Steves

Audra Hazners, Destination Specialist

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Favorite South Pacific Destination: I have to pick one? I love it all and seem to always find a new favorite! But after 12 years of living in Australia (and becoming an Aussie!), I still love everything that Sydney has to offer.

Favorite Food: Cheese!

Favorite Wine: Central Otago Pinot Noir

Favorite Music: Contemporary folk and bluegrass

Best Kept South Pacific Secret:  Margaret River, WA. White, powdery beaches, sea cliffs, beautiful landscapes, the Indian Ocean, and some of the most amazing food and wine in Australia. Head out to a local Farmer’s Market and meet with the locals, and this will be one of the highlights of your trip.

Travel Tip: Always pack an extra outfit including shoes (and 2 pairs of underwear!) in your carryon bag – just in case that the suitcase goes missing!

Priscilla Simpkins, Destination Specialist

Hometown:  Originally from Ndola Zambia a country known by World because of Victoria falls one of the seven wonders of the world, but now I have been a New Yorker for over 20 years.

Favorite South Pacific Destination:  Moorea and Ayers Rock (Uluru)

Favorite Food: Indian cuisine and western African food

Favorite Wine: Do not drink

Favorite Music: Country music, 80s, 90s, some Gospel depending on the mood and Afro beats

Best Kept South Pacific Secret:  Aborigines are amazing and extremely welcoming.

Travel Tip: Learn a few foreign words. Laugh at yourself sometimes. Break out of your comfort zone. Slow down to enjoy your trip. Challenge yourself to try things that normally give you anxiety.

Marissa Ellis, Groups Specialist

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Favorite South Pacific Destination: Bora Bora
Favorite Food: Lasagna
Favorite Wine: Moscato
Favorite Music: Jazz
Best Kept South Pacific Secret:  Samoa 
Travel Tip: Pack as light as possible to avoid checking luggage

Linda Furber, Director Product and Marketing (DUA)

Hometown: Toowoomba - and then all over the place after that!
Favorite South Pacific Destination: The Cook Islands - the people are friendly, the beaches are great and the lagoon is breathtaking.
Favorite Food:  My mums’ Roast Pork and Vegies, Lambs Fry & Bacon and Red Rooster
Favorite Wine: Malbec for winter, Sauvignon Blanc for summer - and Jim Beam year round!
Favorite Music: Anything from the 80’s, Nickelback, some Country, Classic Rock
Travel Tip: Always have some local currency on you when you land in a new country; we can never guarantee warm sunny days - so be prepared for anything and unlock your cell phone so when you travel to other countries, you can buy a local pre-paid simcard - saves a lot of time and money!

Jeff Adam, Director of Sales

Hometown: Adelaide, South Australia
Favorite South Pacific Destination: I honestly can’t answer that! Each South Pacific destination has its own intrinsic allure and all need to be enjoyed in one’s lifetime.
Favorite Food: You can’t go past an Aussie seafood platter with dripping with tiger prawns that are like shrimp on steroids and a mountain of Moreton Bay Bugs that just melt in your mouth, washed down with a Hunter Valley Chardonnay at the Restaurants of the Rock on Sydney Harbor.
Favorite Wine: OK my absolute all-time favorite is a Grange Hermitage and as Australia’s best red wine for the last 50 years it comes at a price, but it’s worth every cent. 
Favorite Music: I have a wide array of favorites but the artist that made a major impact in my formative years was Jimmy Barnes and Cold Chisel.
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: Il de Pins or Isle of Pines in New Caledonia. 
Travel Tip: Don’t rush your vacation in the South Pacific, take your time, listen to the locals and learn from them, mix and mingle as much as you can and immerse yourself in the culture. 

Jane Moore, Sales Coordinator

Hometown: Adelaide, Australia
Favorite South Pacific Destination: Sydney! Love everything it has to offer, so cosmopolitan. What a welcome you get just flying in to Australia with the most beautiful harbour. (When I fly in, I know I’m Home!)
Favorite Food: Pavlova (Dessert)
Favorite Wine: Elderton Estate Wines (Barossa Valley, South Australia) - Shiraz
Favorite Music: Motown
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: Try and select your vacation down under when the festivals are happening! There is always something going on somewhere. It is fun to mix with the locals and a great way to meet new friends and immerse yourself in their culture! The weather is usually pretty good at these times too! (Need help finding out when festival are happening? Contact us we’ll help you)
Travel Tip: Always pack a hat! In the winter, a knit hat will keep your head warm and takes no room, and in summer, a brimmed hat can help save you from the sun on your face. In either case, it will save you when your curling iron doesn’t work and you’re having a bad hair day, your good to go!

John Gunning, Sales Manager

Hometown: Bathurst, NSW Australia
Favorite South Pacific Destination: The Kimberley region in Western Australia for its rugged beauty and landscape that you will see nowhere else in the world. And of course Melbourne (VIC) this city has it all.
Favorite Food: Lasagne
Favorite Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, but my preference is always a cold beer
Favorite Music: Pearl Jam, Counting Crows & Johnny Cash
Best Kept South Pacific Secret:  It has to be Wilsons Promontory National Park just outside of Melbourne, for its beaches and abundance of wildlife.
Travel Tip: Always scan a copy of your passport, credit card and travel documents and send it to your email account just in case of emergency. Listen and talk to the locals as that is where the real memories are made.

Anita Lan, Ticketing Manager

Hometown:  Taiwan
Favorite South Pacific Destination: New Zealand
Favorite Food: Taiwanese snacks - pancakes, spring rolls & Dan-Bin
Favorite Wine: Taiwanese Beer formerly Takasago Beer
Favorite Music: Alternative & Taiwanese
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: The food and the friendly people!
Travel Tip: Book early so you have a choice of airfares and seats on the plane!

Elicia Edwards, Product Coordinator

Hometown: Duvall, Washington
Favorite South Pacific Destination: My favorite destination is New Zealand. It has some of the most incredible scenery that I have ever seen.
Favorite Food: I love food and enjoy trying new things! My favorite would probably be Italian.
Favorite Wine: There are not many wines that I do not enjoy! But my favorite is a red blend from the lake Chelan area.
Favorite Music: I like a lot of different types of music but I mostly listen to Country.
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: I found Freycinet to be stunning with the white sand, red colored rocks and turquoise water!

Denise Schmiedeknecht, Product Manager - Tahiti

Hometown: Irvine, California
Favorite South Pacific Destination: Taha’a. It is lush, mountainous, and fragrant with scent of the ocean and vanilla. It feels untouched and raw, yet there is a quiet refinement to it. (But I also love Rangiroa. And Bora Bora. Then there’s Moorea. And I also love Huahine and the far-flung Marquesas Islands! Too difficult to have one favorite.)
Favorite Food: Pasta
Favorite Wine:It depends on the season – a big, bold red wine in cooler weather, a light crisp Sauvignon Blanc in warmer weather, and champagne is good at any time!
Favorite Music: I enjoy all genre of music, except country music.
Best Kept South Pacific Secret: Papeno’o Valley on the island of Tahiti. This 4x4 tour is a powerful and exciting way to start a French Polynesian vacation – a soft adventure drive into the heart of Tahiti, with a touch of tradition and history shared by the local guide. You are immediately immersed into French Polynesian culture before setting off to the clear blue waters and the toes-in-the-sand experience of the other islands.
 

Mark Peters, Product and Database Coordinator

Hometown: Sydney, Australia
Favorite South Pacific Destination: Fiji
Favorite Food: Meat Pies
Favorite Wine: Do not drink
Favorite Music: 50’s and 60’s
Best Kept South Pacific Secret:  Vanuatu
Travel Tip: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tahiti there is a lot to see and do. Do not rush your vacation.

Melodie Webster, Reservations Support

Hometown:  Monmouth, Oregon
Favorite South Pacific Destination: Sydney, best city I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to a lot!
Favorite Food: Mexican
Favorite Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon
Favorite Music:  Almost everything
Best Kept South Pacific Secret:  I can’t tell you…I’m good at keeping secrets!

Mickey McDevitt, Document Support

Hometown: My story begins in Anaheim, CA (insert joke here about my name being Mickey), but I’ve lived all over the US since. My current home is Belfast, Maine.
Favorite South Pacific Destination: So far, I’d have to say the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Lush tropical plants, vibrant culture, pristine coastline…
Favorite Food: Ethiopian, Thai, Indian… But I LOVE a good Fish & Chip platter as well!
Favorite Wine: Beer! Just kidding (sorta)… My husband is a wine, beer, and cider maker and buyer, so we always have access to some amazing varietals. But honestly, give me a cool, blush,  rosé any day and I am a happy girl.
Favorite Music: This one truly does run the gamut. Depends on my mood quite honestly.Kraut Rock, Stereolab if I need to get work around the house done or if I’m cooking, I like some classic Post Punk, New Wave and Dark Wave - some favorites would be Talking Heads, INXS, DEVO, Joy Division, The Cure, Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Duran Duran, 
Best Kept South Pacific Secret:  The FOOD! Try everything, everywhere you go! The cheese! The Wine! The seafood! You name it! The best soup I ever had actually came from a trip leader’s thermos on the Dart River in New Zealand.
Travel Tip: Venture outside of your comfort zone! Try something new – it doesn’t have to be scary, but it will always be inspiring!

Whitney Palmer, Accounting Manager

Hometown: Issaquah WA
Favorite South Pacific Destination: Cradle Mountain, Tasmania
Favorite Food:  Italian food
Favorite Wine:  Malbec
Favorite Music: Latin
Best Kept South Pacific Secret:  Looking forward to discovering the cultures and traditions of the South Pacific Islands.
Travel Tip: Always be prepared for bad weather!

Michelle Pionk, Administrative Assistant

Hometown: Warrnambool
Favorite Food: Korean food
Favorite Wine: Pinot Grigio
Favorite Music: 70s & 80s
Best kept South Pacific secret: Firstly, it is worth every minute of that long travel time. And going to a sporting event is a wonderful way to have a true local experience.
Travel Tip: Please don’t let having young children deter you from traveling! I have traveled an enormous amount with my children. You’ll all experience new, amazing and unique things. And remember…the likelihood is that you’ll never see the people who are on a plane with you again – and honestly, children are rarely the most badly behaved people on flights!