Australians have earned quite a reputation for their welcoming demeanor and easy-going attitude. Indeed, just this summer Sydney was named the “Friendliest City in the World” in a global online survey. Although I haven’t yet had the pleasure of exploring Australia, I have heard wonderful things about the country from one of its native sons: Simon Kay, Grand Circle’s Regional General Manager for the South Pacific. A Melburnian by birth, Simon now lives in Sydney, where he works hard to ensure that Grand Circle travelers enjoy every moment of their experience “Down Under.” And if Simon’s warmth and wonderful sense of humor are any indication, Sydney residents are absolutely among the friendliest people in the world …
Shining the Spotlight on Simon Kay
Born and raised in Melbourne, the second-largest city in Australia, Simon describes his childhood as one “filled with family, beaches, and sport.” This last bit comes as no surprise, given that Melbourne is home to the world’s largest cricket stadium … is the birthplace of Australian Rules Football … and was last year named “The World’s Ultimate Sports City.” In fact, Simon says, he’s reminded of home whenever he encounters similarly passionate sports followers during his travels.
After attending a local primary school and, later, a private, all-boys academy, Simon says he “started university in a half-hearted manner” due to his all-consuming passion for sport: He was rowing competitively at the time, and “ended up dropping out of uni after being selected to go on a trip to race in Copenhagen, Denmark and Brandenburg, East Germany—with a stop in Malaysia on the way.” The experience, he says, was eye-opening: “It was 1985 and I was amazed that the East Germans thought even less of the Russians than we Aussies did.”
The following year, Simon resumed his studies, eventually earning a Bachelor of Business degree in accounting. Soon after graduating, he found a job as a trainee accountant in a travel company, where “The first thing I learned in that job was that I fancied the girl in Accounts Payable. The second thing I learned was that I didn’t want to be an accountant for too long. The third thing I learned was to forget about the girl in Accounts Payable.”
Relationships notwithstanding, it “was all for the best,” Simon says, as the position led to a long-term career in the travel industry. He spent the next 15 years working in travel operations—and living in sunny locales like Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro, as well as the Australian Outback. (“Ayers Rock is an amazing place to live,” he says. “It’s huge, remote, hot, red and steeped in indigenous culture and history. It’s a perfect place for all the senses to experience.”)
Although he makes his home today in Sydney, Simon admits that Rio will always have a special place in his heart. “Brazil has become something of a passion,” he explains. “It is a fabulous country and incredibly misunderstood.” His next vacation, he says, will take him back to Brazil “to visit friends, sharpen up my Portuguese, and see some more of the country.” Time permitting, he’d also love to explore Chile’s Atacama Desert before heading home.
But Brazil isn’t the only country Simon finds fascinating; he’s similarly entranced by Australia’s neighbor, New Zealand. “I’ve been there maybe 20 times and can’t get enough. Complementing the diverse natural beauty, New Zealanders are the most friendly and hospitable people I’ve ever experienced.” Well, after Australians, of course.