Our Team

Matt’s thirst for adventure developed from an early age as his family holidays progressed from camping trips within Australia to backpacking holidays in South East Asia. After completing his studies, his desire for new adventures took him to both North America and Europe where he has lived and travelled extensively before Latin America and Africa became his passions.

Matt has since undertaken many adventures in the region covering most destinations between Mexico and Cuba to as far south as Argentina and even Antarctica. Within Africa he has covered South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe with plans for further exploration later this year.

His extensive knowledge of Latin America and Africa have further been enhanced through over 20 years now professional experience in organising travel to the region for Australian and British specialist travel companies. This knowledge, passion and attention to detail means nothing is ever left to chance when organising your dream journeys.

Having worked for a number of years in financial markets, Tim came to the realisation that there was more to life than numbers and spreadsheets. So he joined the travel industry to combine his passion for travel and adventure with helping others achieve their travel dreams.

Having travelled to all 7 continents and lived in Australia, Brazil and the UK, different landscapes, cultures, tastes and rhythms of the world are what life is all about to Tim. The key to organising your perfect journey is specialist travel knowledge, and Tim’s got it in spades. So when you combine Tim’s vast experience with his desire to share some of the world’s most spectacular destinations with you, you can be sure you’re in good hands.

Hilary’s journey in the travel world began as an Africa travel specialist. She has travelled extensively throughout the African continent and has visited all of the popular highlights you’ve heard of, and many of the more remote and off-the-beaten-track places you may not have heard of. While she can’t choose a single favourite destination, Botswana holds a special place in her heart after she spent a year living there. Some of Hilary’s favourite memories include hanging out with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, spotting the elusive pangolin in Hwange National Park, watching the sunrise from the top of Dune 45 in Sossusvlei, and running in the Safaricom Half Marathon in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

Hilary’s passion for Africa shines through her in-depth product and destination knowledge. She loves to share her experiences with others, and her meticulous organisational skills ensure that all her clients enjoy seamless and unforgettable trips. Today, Hilary is our Sales & Marketing Director, and she’s steering Eclipse Travel towards new horizons with fresh ideas and innovative travel experiences.

Mauricio spent 4 years in our Sales Team helping folks explore their dream destinations worldwide – something he describes as “incredibly rewarding.” After a few years break, he now re-joins us as our Product Manager.

During his mid-20s, Mauricio worked in the hospitality industry in some of South America’s best hotels and lived in different places like Peru, USA and Patagonia. Once bitten by the travel bug, so he decided to turn his love for travel into a lifestyle. Patagonia and Antarctica are his current obsessions but has a hefty bucket list that includes the Arctic, southern Africa and more, more and more of South America.

Blake’s love of the natural world has taken him to all 7 continents. He has worked in the travel industry since 2010, taking time off only to work as a scuba diving instructor and of course to travel more. He has lived on the coast of Mexico and the Red Sea in Egypt (among other places) and has had the chance to explore many regions in depth – both on land and underwater.

Among Blake’s favourite destinations are Atacama and Torres del Paine in Chile, the Galapagos Islands, Iguazu Falls and pretty much anything in Brazil! Some adventures worth a mention have been travelling overland from Santiago to Cartagena, the Route of Emotions in North East Brazil, a fly-cruise to Antarctica and the month-long Camino de Santiago which started Blake’s passion for travel back in 2009.

Where to next? The list continues to grow. He is always happy to have a chat about travel and help you plan your next adventure!

Shae is a true travel expert having completed in depth trips to the regions we specialise in. It was Shae’s 12 month visit to Central and South America where her love for travel was born. Since she has worked with Eclipse she has further enhanced her expertise with an expedition to Antarctica, Falkland Islands and South Georgia, a deluxe cruise in the Amazon and a few weeks exploring South Africa’s most impressive game reserves.

Shae has extensive knowledge of Latin America and Africa and enjoys inspiring people by sharing her first-hand experiences. Her thorough knowledge of these regions can also be attributed to having worked for over 13 years in the travel industry. With a particular passion for Polar regions, Patagonia and the Galapagos Islands, you can be sure that you will always be looked after when planning your dream holiday with Shae.

Lara’s first time leaving her hometown Christchurch was when she was 21 years old to visit Sao Paulo Brazil, and from then she had the wanderlust. Having travelled to all 7 continents, Latin America and Africa many times, Lara’s 10 years experience working in the travel industry and specialist knowledge is at your disposal when planning the adventure of your lifetime!

Lara says she tries to get away to a new exotic destination at least twice a year. Countries that she has travelled extensively through include, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Cuba, Uganda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Antarctica! Her biggest highlight out of everywhere she has travelled is Antarctica. While she has a preference for hot and tropical destinations, if you ask her she will tell you that no travel experience can match visiting such an awe inspiring place as Antarctica! Some of her other highlights are gorilla trekking in Uganda and camping in the Okavango Delta. The next places on her ever growing list are Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania.

Luke has lived, worked and travelled extensively throughout the world and these experiences give him the perfect opportunity to use his expert knowledge for the benefit of his clients.

Luke began his career in the travel industry back in 2004 with a ski company in London. After several years of travelling in Europe and North Africa, he spent some time backpacking through South East Asia before moving to Canada.

From there a one-way ticket to Mexico gave him his first taste of Latin America which left a lasting impression. This trip also took him through Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Bolivia and Chile, before ending in Argentina some 7 months later. He has since returned to spend more time in Peru and Argentina as well as Ecuador and Colombia.

In recent times, since joining the team at Eclipse Travel, Luke has ventured to Botswana and Zimbabwe to get a taste of life on safari, as well as the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. Both Southern Africa and Antarctica now rank as some of his favourite travel destinations, alongside previous favourites such as Guatemala, Colombia & Ecuador.

Next up, Luke would love to get back to Africa to explore more of this amazing continent, or go on another snowboarding adventure in the Andes!

Tiffany joined the Eclipse team during a “mid-life crisis”. She had heard rumours that there were actually people out there that enjoyed their jobs and wanted to be one of those people. So after having worked in the banking industry for a number of years, she decided to put her real passion of travelling and planning holidays to good use. Now with over 7 years’ experience in the travel industry she hasn’t looked back and takes great care and pride in ensuring your travel dreams also come true.

Tiffany first fell in love with Latin America during her 4 year stint living in Chile and her extensive knowledge of the area stems from travelling throughout South and Central America in that period. Highlights include the Galapagos Islands, hiking the Inca Trail and Patagonia. Since joining the team at Eclipse she has also been lucky enough to extend her travel experience with unforgettable trips to the Antarctic Peninsula, Cuba, Columbia and Costa Rica and return trips to Patagonia, the Atacama Desert and Brazil. With her latest trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls) she ticked off her 7th continent and can’t wait to add more of Africa to her repertoire. Tanzania is next on the horizon, but she also can’t wait to explore the pockets of Latin America not yet visited.

Originally from Germany, Meike was introduced to the wonders of travel through family European adventures in an orange VW Kombi before relocating to Australia at age 19. In 2001 Meike embarked on a life changing year long journey through Latin America from the Yucatan, Mexico to Rio, Brazil, touring virtually all countries in between. This in-depth travel experience qualifies Meike as one of the most knowledgeable travel designers in the Latin America travel sector.

After these adventures, Meike relocated to London, playing a vital role in establishing Flight Centre as a force in the UK, opening and managing numerous offices across the country. In 2008, Meike joined forces with the founder of Imagine Africa, building Imagine Latin America as Director and co-owner. This collaboration alongside specialists in Africa led to remarkable opportunities to expand her knowledge of another continent, while on safaris, or running half marathons amongst zebras and giraffes at Lewa National Park in Kenya.

Still enchanted by nature, Meike now lives by the beach with her husband and two daughters in Freshwater, Sydney. Her girls are becoming two little jetsetters — just like their parents. Meike’s enthusiasm and drive combined with her incredible destination & airfare expertise, guarantee that clients are in the best possible hands when she is crafting the holiday of their dreams.

Lyndal first got the travel bug after a trip through Europe at just 19 years old and then decided to embrace that passion by joining the travel industry. She has since visited 6 continents over the years, but it was Africa that most captured her soul. Having travelled through 26 African countries she if often asked which is her favourite, and that’s a hard one, but the open plains of the Serengeti holds a special magic.

From camping to luxury lodges, overlanding to fly-in safaris, trekking gorillas to hot air ballooning, she has been fortunate to enjoy a number of varied activities across her numerous visits. She’d love to help create special memories on the perfect Africa trip for you too.

Daniel’s love for travel began at a young age, progressing from family trips to backpacking with friends throughout Europe and Southeast Asia. Then, after completing his degree and searching for his why, Daniel booked a one-way flight to Mexico and began his journey of self-discovery, making it to Brazil and visiting almost every country in between. It was here that Daniel found his true passion, as his Latin American adventure was filled with breathtaking experiences and unforgettable memories spanning almost two years.

From witnessing live volcanic eruptions in Guatemala to trekking through the stunning landscapes of Patagonia and northern Peru. He fell in love with the city life of Buenos Aires and the vibrant cultures of Brazil and Colombia, and don’t get him started on all the food! With a wealth of firsthand knowledge and a passion for sharing his experiences, Daniel was thrilled to return to Sydney and join the Eclipse Travel team. He is eager to bring his insights and expertise to plan your next incredible Latin American adventure!

Aya’s first solo trip was the big move from Japan to Australia at the age of 16, carefully planned over a year with a lot of help from her supportive family. Over two decades later, Aya considers Australia her home.

Aya’s curiosity has driven her to see the world as long as she can remember. Once something spikes her curiosity, she finds a way to see and experience it for herself. This has led to many adventures in Africa, Asia, Europe, North & Central America, the Middle East, and the South Pacific Islands.

Her travels were inspired by a love of the ocean and nature, which grew even more while travelling on a 100-day round the world cruise as an interpreter for local guides. Aya then spent some time in South East Asia exploring beneath the sea as an underwater filmmaker, dive guide, and scuba diving instructor, before moving to South Africa for the life changing experience of encountering true wildlife.

Aya takes great pride in her work ensuring Eclipse Travel clients experience a seamless journey from start to finish, so that they can focus on the important things, and make the most of their adventures.”

Leanne has always been passionate about travel, so it was inevitable that she decided at an early age to obtain her Diploma in Travel and Tourism in her hometown of Solihull in the UK. Since then her desire to explore and experience new places and cultures has never diminished and has ultimately led her to settle in Christchurch, New Zealand. Leanne is fortunate enough to have visited all 7 continents but rates her recent visit to the Subantarctic Islands and the Ross Sea region of Antarctica as the most significant. This she says, is mainly due to the wonderful wildlife in the region which she particularly enjoyed observing at close quarters.

Her favourite places in the world (so far) are Argentina and Macquarie Island. Next on her bucket list is Cuba! Leanne’s passion for wild places combined with her keen eye for details will ensure you have a worry free trip on your next Eclipse Travel adventure.

With over five years of experience in customer service, Mary Grace discovered her passion for travel while assisting clients from Australia, New Zealand and North America. In her previous role, she worked closely with travellers helping to highlight stunning destinations across Australia and New Zealand which gave her unique insights into local attractions that sparked her love for these regions’ natural beauty and charm. Though she considers herself a homebody, Mary Grace recently embarked on her first solo travel adventure, exploring heritage sites close to home. This experience has inspired her to explore more destinations, both locally and abroad.

Now, as part of Eclipse Travel, Mary Grace is thrilled to join a team that is dedicated to helping others discover the world’s wonders. Known for her exceptional attention to detail, Mary Grace ensures that every aspect of our clients’ holidays runs seamlessly. She takes pride in making sure that every booking is handled with precision, so our travellers can fully enjoy their experience.

Gim is our dedicated Product Assistant, working diligently behind the scenes to ensure that every traveller’s journey is a seamless and unforgettable experience. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for precision, Gim plays a crucial role in supporting the travel designers by meticulously verifying and fine-tuning itineraries under the direction of the Product Manager. He loves learning about all the captivating destinations that Eclipse Travel offers which fuels a constantly expanding travel bucket list!

Alissa, our clever Accounts Administrator, is a linchpin of the operational side of our business, adeptly managing a myriad of different currencies and facilitating payments to our partners across the globe. Her meticulous approach ensures that financial transactions are executed flawlessly, contributing to the smooth and efficient functioning of Eclipse Travel’s business.

Olivia is our enthusiastic Live Chat Agent with a passion for adventure. As your first point of contact in our online chat department, she is dedicated to providing exceptional service and connecting you with the most appropriate specialist on our team, ensuring your travel plans are in the best hands possible. Outside of work, you’ll find her eagerly planning her next adventure or immersing herself in the diverse cultures and cuisines that inspire her wanderlust.