About Us

Judy Tanner

Director

Judy has been a travel agent for more than 30 years. During this time she has developed an enormous knowledge, first hand experience and valuable contacts in all facets of travel.

She particularly enjoys planning complex itineraries (especially for families) or seeking out the best possible airfare solutions to meet a client's requirements.

Judy has lived and worked in the UK and Europe and counts among some of her most memorable travel experiences -
• Cruising up the Hudson River past the Statue of Liberty to Manhattan on the bridge of the QE II at sunrise.
• Supersonic travel on the legendary Concorde from New York to London
• Living in Umbria, Italy and attending at Italian language course.
• Hosting a private cocktail party in her penthouse on Crystal Symphony in Shanghai
• Watching the mist rise over Macchu Picchu
• Seeing the elephants wash their calves at a waterhole in Zimbabwe.
• Snorkling with turtles at Heron Island.
• Sharing a gondola ride with her children in Venice.
• Attending the ballet in St. Petersburg

Michelle Hansen

Travel Specialist

Like many before her Michelle has lived and worked in the UK. Whilst living in the UK and travelling through Europe she developed a love of all things Italian which continues to this day. She has also lived and worked in New Zealand and has travelled extensively through the North Island.

Some of her travel highlights include -
• Watching the midnight sun in Hammerfest, Norway.
• Climbing Mount Sinai to watch the sun rise
• Floating in the Dead Sea, Israel
• Exploring the Valley of the Kings, Egypt
• Experiencing Venice from the Grand Canal for the very first time
• Walking between the five villages of the Cinque Terre, Italy
• Watching the sunset from my villa in Positano, Italy
• Living like an Italian with my family in central and northern Italy for three months in 2008
• Spending Christmas in Kirchberg, Austria
• Riding through the tulip fields in Holland
• Tandem skydive over Lake Taupo, New Zealand

Naantali Marshall

Travel Specialist

Elite athlete Naantali Marshall has travelled the world pursuing her active lifestyle. To this end she has a wealth of knowledge on the latest active, adventure destination and as a mother of two little girls offers valuable first hand knowledge of the latest family destinations. She enjoys designing tailored itineraries for families and individuals looking for an active, immersive travel experience.

Naant also has strong connections to the medical fraternity and is well versed in the corporate and conference travel requirements of this industry.

Her travel highlights include -
• Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro
• Trekking through Torres Del Paine
• Campervanning with the family in Western Canada and California
• Camping in the Sahara Desert
• Kayaking through mangroves in Guatamala
• Swimming and surfing at some of the worlds most iconic spots

Penny Broome

Cruise & Small Group Travel Specialist

We are delighted to have Penny Broome at Aurora Travel. Penny owned Armadale Travel and, for family reasons, she sold the agency and subsequently took a 2 year break. She missed contact with clients and the buzz of the travel industry so she has come back into the industry and is now working with us.

Penny Broome has been a leader in the Australian travel industry for more than 30 years. She is an avid traveler, in recent months completing the Camino Walk in Spain and a European River cruise with a weeks sojourn exploring Romania.

Now semi-retired Penny focuses on small group tours and has a number of tours planned that she will escort in the future including, to name just a couple, walking the Portugese camino and an in depth tour of Japan.

Penny brings a wealth of first hand destination and product knowledge to our team.

Denise Moore

Travel Specialist

Born in Ireland, Denise's interest in Travel started in her early 20's when she spent a summer in France and at the end of her studies, worked and lived in Germany for 7 years, where her work in Travel commenced. Here she met her husband and they moved to London where she worked for a further 7 years.

In 2000, they moved to Melbourne with their two young children and Denise hasn't looked back since. Her work in Travel continued and Denise joined our Team at Aurora Travel in 2015 where she brings a wealth of knowledge on all things European! Denise enjoys creating tailor-made itineraries for her clients and sharing her favourite travel destinations, hotels, restaurants and experiences with her valued clients.

Her travel highlights include:
• Doing the Polar Plunge in Antarctica
• Visiting the Great Wall of China
• Family holidays in Italy, France and Spain exploring hidden villages and towns
• Enjoying dinner in The Rock Restaurant in Zanzibar
• Going on Safaris in South Africa and Botswana
• Exploring Japan by car
• Gibb River Road in WA with a helicopter ride over The Bungle Bungles

Ruby Burke

Travel Specialist

Ruby is an avid traveller who loves adventure with a passion for history, art, and architecture. She loves designing tailored itineraries and organising special and exclusive experiences for her clients.

Her travel highlights include:
• Learning to ski in the French Alps
• Riding a motorcycle through rural Vietnamese villages at twilight
• Cycling through forests and Tulip Fields in the Netherlands
• Eating authentic Spanish Tapas in Madrid
• Seeing a show on Broadway in New York
• Helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam
• Exploring the Palaces, grottos, wells, and caves of Sintra

Ann Gillespie

Travel Specialist

After graduating from Monash University, Melbourne, I followed my dreams onto my chosen professional industry - Travel !!! As an experienced Travel Professional, there is nothing I love more than putting together itineraries that our clients enjoy, ensuring a second to none experience each and every time. My particular interests are - Adventure, Family Travel, Honeymoons, Expedition Cruising, Wellness, River Cruising, Ocean Cruising.

Ann's travel highlights include:
• Climbing Huayna Picchu in Peru
• Being the first visitor for the day to enter the Taj Mahal - spiritually breathtaking
• Witnessing the Northern Lights from Lofoten islands in Norway
• Canalling down Canal du Midi in France and experiencing the local vineyards along the route
• Komodo Dragons on the Star Clipper

Lisa Raftis

Travel Specialist

Living and working in the UK for a couple of years meant I was able to do plenty of travel through Europe. Since then I have also travelled to parts of the USA and Canada. I love the adventure of travel but I have grown more passionate about learning about the local people and their culture and traditions. I also love viewing wildlife in its natural habitat.

Lisa's travel highlights include:
• Christmas in Lapland
• Walking between the towns of the cinque Terre
• Wine tasting in St Emilion, France
• Helicopter over the Grand Canyon
• Dancing with the locals in Cuba
• Travelling the Icefields parkway in Canada
• Having lunch with a traditional Emirati family in Abu Dhabi
• Visiting an orphanage in Vietnam
• Tandem skydive over Lake Taupo, New Zealand
• Sunrise over Uluṟu, Australia