E  M  P  L  O  Y  M  E  N  T

Freelance Journalist
1998 – Present

Specialising in Travel Writing and lifestyle pieces. Articles have been published in The Australian, The Sunday Mail, The Herald-Sun,The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Business Asia Traveller, Links Life Magazine, The Age (Melbourne) Magazine, Tiger Airways inflight Magazine, Unwind Magazine (Holiday Inn), Sundowner Magazine (Abercrombie & Kent), Ralph Magazine, Beer and Brewer Magazine, Vietnam Golf Magazine, Great Walk Magazine, Talk Magazine, Crikey (online), Rough News Magazine, Farrago Newspaper and Yellow at Home (online).

Web Writer
2004 - Present

Writing content for webpages, concentrating on small businesses in the hospitality sector. Rates and portfolio can be given when contacted.

Travel Writer / Author
The Rough Guide to Vietnam (published August 2006)
The Rough Guide to Australia (published September 2007)

As co-author (contributor) of one of the world’s best known travel guide book titles I spent five months independently travelling and researching destinations, attractions, hotels, restaurants, general listings and nightlife in Vietnam (Chapters 5 & 8) and Australia (Melbourne, Victoria and Western Australia chapters).

Researching destinations (hotels, restaurants, nightlife & attractions)
Extensive independent travel

Director / Editor
www.thehappiesthour.com
April 2004 – Present

This site has achieved cult status with almost a million visitors and numerous media attention. It searches for the best happy hours in Australian states, including honest venue reviews and competitions.

Providing content, design, marketing and promotion
Writing weekly newsletter
Writing blog www.thehappiesthour.wordpress.com

Lecturer / Tutor (Intro to Media Studies/ Communications/ Newsroom Practice and Theory)
Monash University (Melbourne, Australia)
2004, 2007, Current

Media Studies: This subject deals with the way media interacts with society. By looking at the history of media studies and the way a critical political economy approach affects the ‘self’ and our daily lives. Communications: This subject deals with audiences, the effects of communications and the technology involved within it. Newroom: Focusing on the skills needed to write hard news copy and understand the role journalists play in society.

Editor / Online Moderator
www.thebladder.com.au  (Melbourne, Australia)
August 2006 – February 2007

Thebladder.com.au is well known in Australia for taking “the piss out of sport”. A weekly column also features in the Age.

Organising editorial content
Completing articles
Writing weekly newsletter

Editor-in-Chief
Vietnam Pathfinder Magazine, (Hanoi, Vietnam) www.pathfinder.com.vn
November 2004 – June 2006

This 80 page monthly magazine is targeted at ex-pats and tourists of all budgets in Vietnam. It consists of destination articles; hotel, restaurant & pub reviews, comedic ‘life in Vietnam’ articles and a detailed travel guide of the country.

Organising and commissioning editorial content
Completing stories
Assisting in Distribution, Advertising and PR
Assisting in Magazine Design
Designing and moderating website

Contributing English Editor
Golf Vietnam Magazine (Hanoi, Vietnam)
April 2005 – August 2005.

This 70 page bi-monthly magazine (half English/Vietnamese) is targeted at luxury and business travellers. It includes golf course, restaurant and hotel reviews, as well as interviews, history and tips relating to the game. I helped set-up the magazine and its original first two issues.

Assist in direction and editorial content
Write articles and photography
Assist in design and marketing

Sub editor / Content Writer
Vietnam Panorama (Hanoi, Vietnam) (www.vietpan.com)
November 2004 – Jan 2005.

Assist in direction and editorial content
Proofreading and editing the Global Online media news service

Lecturer / Tutor (Travel Writing and New Technologies)
Monash University (Melbourne, Australia)
Semester 1, 2003; Semester 1, 2004.

This subject looks at the history of travel writing in relation to contemporary travel writing. It also offers the students a practical study of how to be an effective travel writer, as well as designing their own website in order to benefit their future employment prospects. 

Designing course structure and content
Communicating to large audiences
Mediating tutorial sessions
Grading and editing papers

Journalist / Editor
Estonian Tourism Board (Tallinn, Estonia)
Sep 2003-Dec 2003, June 2004 – October 2004

Estonia is a country relatively untouched by modern tourism, yet has some of the most stunning attractions in all of Europe. Despite this, the country is quite poor and has not developed any major tourism infrastructure. My job was to give the Estonian Tourism Board direction in terms of Tourism Publications and Backpacker Tourism.

Writing articles, brochures and travel guides
Proofreading copy
Consulting on backpacker tourism

Assistant Editor / Travel Writer
Internet Travellers Information Services, (Kyoto, Japan)                 
Oct 1998 - Dec 2001

While starting from humble beginnings, ITIS become one of Asia’s most popular travel websites. Targeting the backpacker market, the continuos travelling and reporting gave me confidence in my writing ability and myself.

Completed over 80 city guides & articles in 20 countries
Extensive solo travel

Researcher
Scotsman Publications, (Edinburgh, Scotland)
April 1999 - Sep 1999

Involved in a scanning/monitoring assignment for the Scotsman Newspaper (one of the worlds oldest newspapers).

Scanning and monitoring of newspapers online database

E  D  U  C  A  T  I  O  N

Masters in Tourism
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
2002-2004

This course focuses on the management of the tourism industry and centres on Marketing, Product Development, Cultural Tourism, New Media Communications and Contemporary Issues in Tourism. My focus was on the Tourism Publishing/Journalism Market and the Backpacker Market. A number of reports were written for this course including:

“A preliminary study on Estonia’s Tourism Industry and the need for online guidebooks” (January 2004)
“A study into Baltic transportation and tourism for Australian university students” (June 2004)
“The Wayward Bus Company – A Marketing Plan for Backpackers”  (June 2003)
“Mutawinji National Park – Investigating Aboriginal Tourism” (June 2003)
“The Working Holiday Maker – The need for Working Holiday Hostels” (October 2002)
“The cultural importance of the MCG” (October 2002)
“The new travel writer – Travel writing on the Internet”  (November 2002)

Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing
University of Melbourne, Victoria.                 
2001                                                   

This course offered a practical study on the genres of creative writing.  Styles such as Writing Fiction, Non-Fiction, Scripts and Poetry were completed. Achievements were

Wrote the play “Couch” which was played at the WIP Theatre (Fitzroy). It is now part of the curriculum for the Writing Scripts Subject.
Achieved a H1 (A) average.

Bachelor of Arts (Media Studies)
La Trobe University, Victoria.
1996-1998

A basic understanding of the role the media plays in society. Special attention was paid to Journalism and Popular culture.

VCE Certificate
Parade College, Bundoora, Victoria.
1994

S K I L L S  &  A C H I E V E M E N T S

Computer Courses
‘Microsoft Computer Applications’ - March 1995
‘Document Preparation for the Web’ - August 2001
‘Dreamweaver Applications’ - September 2001
‘Working with Powerpoint‘ - September 2001
‘Introduction to Photoshop - September 2001

Speaking     
Guest Speaker (Benefits of Travelling) for the Victorian Association of Teachers of English
Guest Speaker (Travel Writing) for Masters in Communications (Monash University)
Guest Speaker (Australian studies) at the Estonian Business School
Guest Speaker (Online Media) at Deakin UniversityGuest Speaker (New Media Communications ) at Monash University

Sporting      
80 games with Montmorency Football Club (DVFL)
4 games (2 years worth) with the Hanoi Swans Football Club
Golf Handicap of 14            
Former Tennis Coach

Travel
Well travelled through over 70 countries

 

REFEREES CAN BE GIVEN ON REQUEST