@ratpack_travel
Hey, I'm Sammy

Owner and Operator

Age: 32

Where's home?

You can never EVER forget where your from – In my case Manchester, UK. BUTtttttttt for now and for the foreseeable future my Home is Byron Bay Babbbbbbbbby.

Languages spoken:

English & je parle petit pe francis (only after a few Bevies – DEL BOi Style ahahah)

Time spent in Australia and NZ:

Since Nov 2011!

A little about me:

The standard end of Uni – I don’t know what to DO with my life story resulted in me shopping around for flights and hitting the Open Road with Big Ryan (my college buddy & absolute Banter Man)… what was a few month adventures has become a lifestyle that I didn’t think even existed.

I get just as much a Buzz Creating Epic adventures for travellers than I do going on them myself. I’m still partial to a good old roadie and cruise in the van from Byron on surf trips – in search of waves, sunsets and open beaches!

Why is Aussie / NZ so special...

To start with Aussie Land is MASSIVE – not many peeps have been around the full circuit (and I myself wasn’t at all planning on) but the Roadie can become addictive and it certainly did for me!

I hit the road and travelled 25,913 Km’s the diversity between the tropical beach towns on the East Coast to the West Coast which feels like the end of the world got me hooked straight away. The people I met along the way – live by the chilled & relaxed lifestyle that takes you a while to get used to – but now have become totally accustomed too.

Rambling on so much I almost forgot about the little sibling AKA NZ – I planned to go there for 2 months well I ended up staying 2 years. Everything is accessible and not too far away – get ya self out of Auckland and there is literally not a person in site! There are too many moments to mention but Free Camping for a week with my Bruv-Ski {AKA Jakey Boi} next to a snow capped mountain, clear blue ocean and dolphins has to be up there. NZ has it ALL.

Favourite spot in Australia/NZ:

BYRON BAY Babbbbbbbbby (to live and stay for an extended time) however – if it’s just a visit then Uluru is MAJESTICAL {had to use the spell checker on that one}. Not gona lie after the 6 full days it took me to drive to the centre of Oz and see the red centre – I almost shed a tear.

NZ – Raglan is the ONE… perfect & laid back vibes it’s just UNREAL alsooooo – Big up Tim & Suz – they’ve made ‘Raglan BackPackers’ their own. In 6 and a bit years of travelling you can imagine how many hostels I’ve stayed at. This one is in a league of its own. The town itself is amazing but the hostel makes it.

Backpacker tips:

Put down the phone – chat to the person next to you – don’t take every moment for granted and be as open as possible – you just don’t know what the next person will bring into your life – Special Mention to Mollie Bylett – The Blog on how we met is COMING!

Funny travel story/or best moment in Australia:

Location NZ: A rainy night in a camp kitchen kick started a game of Rock Paper Scissors – the winner got the last Biscuit. The game after that we ran out of choccy biccies so we proceeded to bet on who would cut one anothers hair with a dodgy pair of clippers >>> safe to say I lost!

Type of traveller:

Chilled out & cruising along. Happy go Lucky. More Happy than Lucky ; )

Our Top Picks
  • Fraser Island

    K’Gari (Fraser Island)

    Book online
    Read more
  • Whitsundays

    The Whitsundays, Airlie Beach

    Book online
    Read more
  • Great Barrier Reef

    Great Barrier Reef

    Book online
    Read more
Not the tour you're looking for?
OUR TEAM

Meet the Ratpackers

  • Sammy

    British

    Owner and Operator

    You can never EVER forget where your from – In my case Manchester, UK. But for now and for...

    Read more
  • Jules

    German

    Travel Guru

    Home is where my passport is… My roots lie in East Germany but I’ve spent most of my life on the...

    Read more
  • Tyla

    Aussie

    Travel Guru

    Originally born in Zimbabwe, I moved to The Land of Oz when I was super young...

    Read more
  • Mikey

    British

    Travel Guru

    I spent my time at home being king of the BBQ at Nandos flipping chicken before I decided that...

    Read more
  • Holly

    British

    Social Media & Marketing

    About 2 years ago now, I headed off to Australia on my gap yahhh (really not a fan of that term...

    Read more
  • Reuben

    British

    Travel Guru

    I first came to Oz on a 1-year working holiday and have settled here in Byron Bay... ...

    Read more
  • Mike

    British

    Travel Guru

    I'm Mike (not to be mistaken for Mikey), like Mikey though I'm also from Manchester in the UK......

    Read more
Meet the team
CUSTOMER REVIEWS

From our RatPackers

5.0

1,600+ Google & Facebook reviews

5.0

1,600+ Google & Facebook reviews

Super friendly, and speedy service Anna was lovely- she went above and beyond to help us get the best deal. Definitely recommend!

sara browne
25 April 2024

Jenna was absolutely amazing! Made my booking so easy & was a mind of information about all the booking options, helping guide me & my friends on what camper suited us best for our trip. Could not be more helpful even with additional trip tips! Would highly recommend jenna to anyone who needs info / wants to book a camper! Can't wait for my trip.

Tammy was great with helping us get the best prices and packages that suited us best. We will definitely book again through them. Thanks⭐️⭐️

shane stack
24 April 2024

Jenna & George were a great help in booking our camper-van trip around NZ. They got a fantastic discount compared with going directly to the hire companies. They were very friendly and informative.

Marilyn Noye
24 April 2024

I have just booked a campervan… excellent phone service from Anna. Very clear explanations. Will write another review after our trip😀

Melissa Moffett
24 April 2024

George from Ratpack Travel was really helpful, he talked me through all the different camper options and what would suit me. He sent me links so I could look through the specs myself. Would really recommend ☺️

rachael norton
24 April 2024

Ryan and Jenna were fantastic in assisting to book the right camper for our holiday. Would definitely recommend RatPack Travel.

Sophie Antonello
23 April 2024

Mikey was amazing to deal with. Super helpful and very informative. Came away with an awesome deal. Highly recommend!!

Luisina Giapponi
23 April 2024

Thanks Jenna for your time and help

Ellie Cahill
23 April 2024

Jules was amazing. Very helpful and knowledgeable and made the experience completely stress free! Would definitely recommend and book through her again!

Cindy Baker
23 April 2024

I have had the Absolute pleasure of corresponding with "George" regarding my upcoming holiday 😀 I was Very flustered in not knowing where to even start... Then I seen their post on Facebook, so thought I'd give it a go!!! Thank Goodness I did 👍 George has taken away All my stress and worries and has done all the work for me ~ how good is that 😉 My holiday isn't until September ~ yet I know if I have Any questions, I can give him a call and he will help!!! I Will Definitely be telling Everyone about this company and the Brilliant customer service I have been shown! I Cannot rate them any higher, mainly because there's only 5 stars to pick, but I rate them 100% the Best Company I have Every had the opportunity in dealing with!!! Thankyou George ~ I will Forever be a Valued, Happy Customer 😃 Kind Regards Cindy 🙏

joseph Chan
22 April 2024

Great experience booking with them, Anna asked about my requirements and found the best deals for my upcoming trip. Can't wait.

tilde carlsson
21 April 2024

Ryan did an amazing job and guided me through the alternatives of different campervan rentals and helped me to find what suits me for my trip

Aoife McGovern
20 April 2024

Planning a huge trip is always a daunting experience but George managed to make the whole experience stress free and enjoyable. Everything from start to finish was personal and easy! Booking with RatPack is like being on the phone to a mate. Super informative, really friendly and we got an amazing deal. All you can ask for really. Thank you RatPack!

Jasmine Cleere
19 April 2024

Huge thank you to RatPack Travel! We left it pretty late to book our campervan for Tassie and couldn't find many affordable options ourselves. I spoke to Gregg from RatPack on Whatsapp and within 10 minutes he had found us a great vehicle at an amazing price. We've just landed in Hobart and found out we've been upgraded to an even better van at the same price!! Will definitely be recommending RatPack to everyone I know who is planning to travel and see Australia the proper way! Thank you Gregg! ❤️

See all reviews
Operators

We get the best rates from the best operators in Oz & NZ!