Kevin Mattaboni

Western Australian born and bred, I have lived and loved throughout the state and traveled extensively both within Western Australia, Australia and abroad. Being brought up in Augusta, a hamlet on the most south-westerly tip of mainland Australia, the "bush" has always appealed to me and, to this day, there is nothing more enjoyable to me than leaving the city limits behind and getting back to nature. My passion for travel was formed in my teenage years when my family would go on vacations to Southeast Asia each year, introducing me to different cultures, religions, foods, and customs. Then, during a gap year after finishing my education, I volunteered to assist in rebuilding a community that had been decimated by a cyclone a few months prior on the island of Niue in the South Pacific. This experience cemented my love of travel and 3 months after returning to Australia, I began my journey as a travel agent dealing exclusively with domestic, Australian travel. After working with Hostelling International and the Traveller’s Club (one of the first domestic travel agencies in Western Australia) I opened Travel Forever, my own agency geared to servicing independent travelers, students, backpackers and groups from around the world.

My main passion is for Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania...the "Outback States" of Australia where the landscapes are pristine, remote and unique. Although I arrange travel throughout Australia, the Outback is still my forte and the contacts I have made in the travel industry throughout these regions ensure that I can organize almost anything. I also specialize in private charters for any quantity of people within Western Australia...travel arrangements for groups of all ages, nationalities, and interests from 2 to 200+ guests. I have hosted/planned for sporting groups such as Gymnastics Western Australia, corporate functions and company incentive holidays for many groups including Metalor Singapore, Rheem, and American Express Travel to name a few. Other trips I have planned include shore excursions for clients from Canada, the United States of America and many groups from Continental Europe, and 5-star luxury travel throughout Australia.

Several years ago, my partner and I decided to "go bush" and take a 4-wheel-drive camper on an adventure to Darwin. Travelling 6,999 kilometres from Perth and traversing many different climates and landscapes was spectacular. One experience I will never forget is swimming with whale sharks on the Ningaloo Reef off the coast of Exmouth. Jumping into the open ocean a couple of kilometres offshore, not knowing what was below was challenge enough but, as soon as I saw the behemoth swimming gracefully by, I was hooked. Towards the end of the day, when the other charter boats had headed back to shore, our skipper held off a little longer and we were rewarded with a monster 8-meter-long whale shark that swam to the surface, in front of our vessel, for 45 minutes. A small group of us swam next to this gentle giant for about 20 minutes before reboarding our vessel and watching it from above. A memory I will remember for a lifetime!

I have 26 years of experience in the local travel industry. The knowledge of travel throughout Australia that I have gained is immeasurable, along with the contacts and friends made throughout the industry. During this time I have seen many tour operators, transport companies and travel agencies come and go. Throughout the good and the bad times, the companies I have worked for and my current company, Travel Forever, have survived and flourished through hard work and perseverance. No request is too small or large and I look forward to planning your holiday with you.