Josh’s approach to travel has been shaped by a life spent experiencing places from the inside. After 17 years living in Italy and years working across the international travel industry, he has built an extraordinary network of relationships and local knowledge around the world.
As founder of WEKA, that experience shapes how we design travel today – through people, perspective and a belief that truly knowing a place goes far beyond simply visiting it.

WHY I TRAVEL
“Years ago, when I was working as a guide in Rome, I was sitting on an old temple pillar with a coffee, waiting to begin a tour of the Colosseum. I started talking to an older gentleman beside me, a professor travelling with his students from Canada. They had no guide and weren’t quite sure what to do, so I helped them out.
I knew from my own travels what a difference it made to have someone local show you a place from their perspective. In that moment, I realised I could be that person for someone else.

Sandy brings experience, warmth and a steady hand to the day-to-day world of WEKA. As General Manager, she works across the business and alongside our team to ensure the same care and thought that goes into designing our journeys carries through to every part of the WEKA experience.
Her own approach to travel is grounded in local knowledge and genuine connection – seeking out the people who can open up a destination in ways you simply couldn’t discover on your own.
Sandy brings extensive travel industry and corporate experience to her role as General Manager of WEKA. Her career includes senior leadership positions with Air New Zealand and Carlson Wagonlit Travel, giving her an exceptional depth of knowledge across sales, account management and global travel programmes.

WHY I TRAVEL
“Some of my favourite travel memories have come from local knowledge — like a private driver in Bali taking us to remote waterfalls on the way to Ubud, or travelling north to snorkel at Menjangan Island. For me, it’s those local connections and unexpected experiences that make exploring somewhere new so memorable.”

Cristina brings experience, curiosity and a deep respect for culture to her role as Lead Travel Designer. She is drawn to journeys that allow travellers to move beyond observing a destination and experience something of the traditions, beliefs and everyday life that shape it.
Christina brings extensive international events experience, having worked across New Zealand, Italy, Australia and China. Her career includes managing complex event projects for HLD, combining a global perspective with exceptional organisation and attention to detail.

WHY I TRAVEL
“Travelling through India was unforgettable. I spent three days at a local homestay in Varanasi, sharing meals, praying together and connecting with the people around me. At dawn, I took a boat across the Ganga River and witnessed the sacred rituals along its banks and the eternal fires of the burning ghats. It was an experience that brought me incredibly close to the culture and spirituality of a place – and reminded me why I travel.”

Manon brings together travel design and partnerships at WEKA, combining her understanding of destinations with the relationships that can turn a great itinerary into something much more personal. She loves creating journeys that balance the places worth seeing with the local experiences, people and unexpected moments that give a destination its character.
With a background in travel and wine marketing, Manon has lived in both Switzerland and the Netherlands and knows Europe inside out. A passionate surfer, she brings an adventurous spirit and a genuine curiosity for place.

WHY I TRAVEL
“While wandering the streets of Salvador da Bahia in Brazil, a local invited us to watch Olodum rehearsing for Carnival. It wasn’t something we had planned or could have found in a guidebook. We spent the day dancing, laughing and talking with people who welcomed us as though we’d known them for years. It reminded me that some of the best travel memories come simply from saying yes to the unexpected.”

Jennifer brings experience, curiosity and an adventurous spirit to her role as Lead Travel Designer. She understands that exceptional journeys need both thoughtful design and room for discovery, drawing on her own extensive travels to create experiences that feel personal, considered and connected to the places being explored.
Jennifer has worked for House of Travel, has skill in operations and travel planning across Europe, Japan and off the beaten track destinations.

WHY I TRAVEL
“Last year I was bikepacking through the mountains of Norway. I hadn’t seen another person for two days, it was bitterly cold and the wind had already blown me off my bike twice when I came across a remote mountain hut offering shelter and hot coffee.
Inside were the best warm waffles I think I’ve ever eaten. We got talking to our hosts and discovered that their favourite place in the world was New Zealand. We spent the rest of the afternoon laughing about the fact that we were so excited to be in Norway, while they thought our home was the best place on earth.
That’s what I love about travel – you can be in the middle of nowhere and suddenly find warmth, conversation and connection in the most unexpected place.”

Chris works across operations and strategy at WEKA, bringing a broader business perspective to the team and helping turn ideas into clear direction, strong systems and sustainable growth. His role spans the business, supporting how WEKA operates today while helping shape where it goes next.
Chris brings extensive experience as a strategic programme manager and advisor, having worked with leading organisations including Air New Zealand, Westpac and the University of Central Florida.

WHY I TRAVEL
“Over the past few years travelling through the USA, we’ve made a point of getting off the Interstates and taking the slower roads through small towns along the way. It’s there that we’ve found the places we remember most – a tiny shop, an owner-operated restaurant, or a conversation with a local who shares their story. It’s those unexpected discoveries that surprise and delight us, and become the memories we talk about for years.”

Kate brings curiosity and an openness to discovery to the way she designs travel. She understands the value of a beautifully considered journey, while always leaving space for the spontaneous experiences that can become the stories you remember long after you return home.
Kate brings more than 20 years of experience as a specialist food and culinary guide in Italy, alongside extensive tour-leading expertise across Europe. Her deep knowledge of Italian cuisine and culture allows her to connect travellers with the people, traditions and flavours that bring each destination to life.

WHY I TRAVEL
“One of my favourite travel memories is stumbling across a street food festival in Chiang Mai. I ate the best pork I’ve ever tasted and ended up singing and dancing alongside locals to a Thai rock band. Nothing about it was planned, which made it even better. It reminded me that some of the most memorable travel moments are completely unintentional and unexpected.”

Ashleigh combines travel design with specialist knowledge of air travel, helping bring together the practical details and bigger experiences that make a journey work seamlessly. She brings an adventurous spirit to the way she travels herself and an understanding that sometimes the experiences we remember most are the ones we almost didn’t say yes to.
Ashleigh brings extensive international experience gained throughout a career with travel companies around the world. Passionate and highly attentive to detail, she has a natural talent for creating thoughtful journeys that become lasting memories.

WHY I TRAVEL
“Canyoning through the red rock canyons of Zion National Park pushed me completely outside my comfort zone. I climbed, scrambled, abseiled and squeezed through narrow passages I never imagined I’d have the confidence to tackle. It reminded me that travel isn’t just about seeing incredible places — sometimes it shows you that you’re capable of far more than you thought. Cheesy? Maybe. But 100% true.”

Well known within the travel industry, Chris brings extensive experience in trade engagement, partnership development and tourism sales. At WEKA, he works closely with travel advisors and industry partners across New Zealand and Australia, building relationships, sharing knowledge and helping advisors understand what WEKA can create for their clients.
For Chris, the best travel experiences often come when you leave a little room for the unexpected.

WHY I TRAVEL
“After a full day exploring Barcelona, we wandered through the back streets on our way to the hotel and stumbled across a small local bar. We stopped for a drink, got talking to the locals and ended up sharing tapas and local wine. It was completely unplanned – and the perfect end to the day. Those simple, unexpected moments are often what I remember most about travelling.”

Elaine brings a love of people and shared experience to her role at WEKA, both designing journeys and guiding travellers through them. She understands that while thoughtful planning matters, some of the most memorable experiences begin with a chance encounter, a little spontaneity and being open to where the day might take you.
Elaine has worked as a tour guide through Italy for over 20yrs, she has deep knowledge of Italy, Canada and the UK.

WHY I TRAVEL
“While visiting the Shetland Islands, a chance encounter with a local couple turned into a boat trip through the northern islands. We had one of those rare, perfectly blue Scottish days, just the four of us in a small motorboat passing island after island inhabited only by sheep and the occasional ruined croft house. It’s moments like that I love most -connecting with locals or fellow travellers, sharing an experience and sometimes coming away with new friends.”

Kaja brings warmth, curiosity and a genuine interest in people to the way she designs travel. She is drawn to the experiences that allow you to become part of local life, even briefly — the traditions, celebrations and everyday moments that create a much deeper connection to a place.
With a background in travel management across Europe, Kaja brings exceptional attention to detail and specialist knowledge spanning Scandinavia to Greece.

WHY I TRAVEL
“In a little Greek village, the church courtyard had turned into a local festival. Children were running between the tables, families were sharing baked goat and local wine, and the band had started to play. Soon everyone was dancing under the stars, young and old holding hands in one huge circle. I remember the energy and joy of everyone sharing that moment together. That feeling of connection – to people and to a place – will always remind me why I love to travel.”

Jurga combines travel design with specialist knowledge of air travel, bringing both creativity and practical expertise to the journeys she creates. Naturally curious about people, culture and the natural world, she approaches destinations with a desire to understand them beyond the surface and brings that same curiosity to designing travel for her clients.
Jurga brings more than 20 years of travel industry experience and a deep understanding of international air travel. Her career includes working as a flight consultant with Flight Centre New Zealand and in roles with several airlines in Germany.

WHY I TRAVEL
“I’ve always been curious about different cultures, people and nature. For me, travel isn’t simply about going somewhere new – I want to understand how people live, what they do and what matters to them. I love getting to know people and, even for a short time, being invited into their world.”

With more than 15 years of experience as a Canada-based travel advisor, Natascha brings a wealth of international knowledge and an exceptional ability to manage every detail. Fluent in Italian, French and Spanish, she has particular expertise in France, alongside first-hand experience of the wine industry in Chile.

Natascha has designed and led wellness and yoga journeys around the world and is highly skilled at managing large groups. Warm, energetic and unflappable, she combines a naturally fun personality with the confidence and operational expertise to handle any situation.

Nekane brings a thoughtful, highly personal approach to travel design, taking the time to understand her clients and what will make a journey genuinely meaningful to them. Her own path into the travel industry began while travelling in Argentina, where an encounter with a local travel agent showed her just how much genuine care, local knowledge and attention to detail can shape an experience.
Nekane brings extensive experience across travel design, operations and tour coordination. Her career includes working as a senior tour consultant in the UK with Insight Vacations and Trafalgar, followed by travel advisory and operational roles in New Zealand.

WHY I TRAVEL
“While travelling in Argentina, I met a local travel agent whose passion, care and attention to detail completely changed the way I thought about travel. We shared so many wonderful experiences that, over the years, our professional relationship became a lifelong friendship. It showed me how important it is to truly understand people and what makes a journey special to them – and ultimately inspired me to make travel my career.”

Michelle keeps the financial side of WEKA running smoothly, bringing organisation and attention to detail to the team behind the journeys. But her own relationship with travel stretches back decades – from travelling solo around the United States at 20 and three summers with Camp America, to living in London and spending a memorable summer working as a tourist representative in Crete.

WHY I TRAVEL
“Some of my fondest memories are from a summer in Crete, riding a moped along the coast in my red blazer, checking on guests and somehow making Greek-sense with local proprietors over raki and oily olives. I remember sitting with one owner, overlooking the island of Spinalonga, drinking raki from a dusty glass and thinking – this is travel. The people, the stories and the completely unexpected moments you could never plan.”

Ali brings a creative perspective to WEKA, shaped by a background in design and food, and a life spent travelling independently. She has worked in places as far afield as Antarctica and has always preferred to experience somewhere slowly – spending time in one place, understanding local life and looking beyond the places everyone already knows.
At WEKA, she brings that curiosity to the brand, translating the people, places and experiences behind our journeys into how we tell our story.

Ali brings travel to life through storytelling, design and a natural instinct for what inspires people to connect with a place. Through thoughtful research and a deep understanding of the experiences that make a journey truly meaningful, she shapes how WEKA’s stories are shared and is the creative heart behind our Hosted Journeys.