Intrepid Travel Heads Outback and Down Under in Australia

    /24-7PressRelease/ - BOULDER, CO, August 31, 2008 - Intrepid Travel's Australian adventures are inspired by the company's history. While Intrepid is a global company its roots are firmly in Australia.

Intrepid's newest offerings in their 2009 Australia and The Pacific brochure come from their Australian team's own experience out and about in their homeland. Intrepid CEO and Co-founder Darrell Wade says "We're not just experts, we're locals."

None more so than Australian Operations Manager Jeff Barnard. It seems almost fate that the man in charge of the Australian magic has travelled, lived and explored the length and breadth of the country.

Jeff says "My childhood growing up near Sydney was full of as many days as possible spent going bush around New South Wales, usually hiking in the Blue Mountains or heading to the coast surfing and exploring the rugged coastline. A chance meeting at 21 led me to the start of an amazing adventure in the deserts of Australia. I joined a group of hardy trekkers to attempt a crossing of the Simpson Desert by foot. We set off from near Oodnadatta with 12 people and around 20 camels carrying our supplies, headed for Birdsville. We walked through some of the toughest but most beautiful terrain in Australia. From this point on I fell in love with the Red Centre. This set me up for a lifetime of travel and exploration.

I returned home but soon quit my job and headed back to the Red Centre to work with a camel safari operator doing trips up to 2 weeks into the ranges and deserts East of Alice Springs. Soon after this operator ceased running trips I took the decision to stay on and start a small company along with a friend. I stayed for 9 years exploring the deserts and ranges of Central Australia with clients from all over the world. I also became involved in taking horse treks and 4WD safaris across the Northern Territory into places rarely visited by white men save a few prospectors and cattlemen.

I eventually left Australia for the UK and then Africa, but soon realised that my heart truly belonged among the diverse landscapes of Australia. It was perfect timing. Intrepid offered me a position as Operations Manager of their Australia trips and I found myself travelling the length and breadth of the country once again - including northern New South Wales, Queensland, the Kimberleys and Pilbara in Western Australia, Tasmania and Kangaroo Island. It has really made me appreciate what I fell in love with originally about Australia - its unique landscapes and wildlife, the peace and solitude of the deserts, the endless beaches, blue skies and clean air. It really is incomparable."

Intrepid's 2009 program covers every corner of Australia. From the tropical far north to the rugged Kimberley, the popular east coast and the wild centre. And Barnard's top pick of Intrepid Australia trips? "I still have to say those secluded gorges and rocky mountain ranges of Central Australia have never left my heart. Every time I return there I feel like I am at home, though it still takes my breath away every time I see it."

For more information about Intrepid's Australian Adventures and Intrepid Travel visit:
www.intrepidtravel.com/USPR

About Intrepid Travel

With over 19 years of experience, Intrepid Travel is one of the world's leading small group adventure tour operators. Intrepid offers over 450 itineraries in more than 90 destinations worldwide. Intrepid trips are designed to go off the beaten track, meet the locals and travel in an unconventional way, joining locals on their transport, in their markets and even in their homes.

For USA Media inquiries, please contact Ashley Montblanc at LDPR Communications, 212-696-0660. For media inquiries outside of the USA, please contact Eliza Anderson, Global PR Manager, [email protected]

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