DO something you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life.
Mike Drew seems to have lived by that motto, travelling all over the world and making a living out of it for the past 15 years.
Starting out in the travel industry in 2005, working at Jetstar Reservations in Melbourne, Mr Drew almost quit his job before his career had even begun.
"I remember my first day and learning the phonetic alphabet," Mr Drew said.
"I thought, there is no way I will remember all of this and nearly walked out."
Luckily he didn't, as he has gone on to have an incredible career in travel, winning numerous awards, including being named as one of the nation's top five travel consultants in this year's National Travel Industry Awards.
"Travel is my passion, so it meant a lot to be nominated, let alone reach the top five in the country," Mr Drew said.
Born in Lilydale, Melbourne, he lived in the city's suburbs until he was 20.
In 2004, a few months after spending a weekend in Darwin and loving the place, he drove to Darwin and lived there for a year.
Working at a souvenir shop Mr Drew met travelling folk from all over the world, including US Navy officers whose ships would stop by on their way to Iraq.
On the weekends, he would make the most of the great outdoors, camping and exploring the beautiful Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks in the Northern Territory.
After one year he returned to Melbourne, but soon realised the experience had changed him, and the place he used to call home wasn't a right fit for him anymore.
"I'd gotten used to the laid back style of Darwin and the beautiful warm weather, so after a few years back in Melbourne, I booked a one way ticket to Perth and never looked back," Mr Drew said.
Now based in the northern suburbs of Perth, he feels right at home in Western Australia and its country towns.
"I'd never been to WA before and quickly fell in love with Perth and the coastline," Mr Drew said.
"In the past 11 years living here I have seen so much of this beautiful State, I cannot imagine living anywhere else."
Having worked at and managed travel agencies in Melbourne and Perth, including the multi-award winning Bicton Travel, Mr Drew felt a desire to create a more personable service for his clients and wanted the freedom to visit those living in the country.
Backed by 15 years experience and a great reputation, he took the plunge and became a mobile travel agent in April this year.
"Being a mobile travel agent, I get to share my passion for travel with a much wider clientele and create a more personal face to face service," he said.
"Clients in country areas may not be serviced by a travel agent and have to travel far to see one, but I can come to you."
Mr Drew currently has clients in the eastern and central Wheatbelt, Denmark, Albany, Dunsborough, Geraldton as well as interstate.
With his partner, the owner of a 3116 hectare wheat and sheep farm 80 kilometres north of Merredin, the couple has a strong passion for WA's agricultural industry.
When staying at the property every two to three weeks to ensure its upkeep, the couple also visits clients and friends in the area.
"My country clients are so warm and welcoming, it's like seeing a family member, and we have a chat about our travel experiences over a coffee or beer."
As well as offering his services on wheels, Mr Drew's other point of difference is that he creates personally escorted tours and packages.
Last year he escorted 16 guests to the Cocos Keeling and Christmas Islands on an unforgettable trip.
"Christmas Island is a truly special place that I have fallen in love with," Mr Drew said.
"It has the best snorkelling I have ever experienced and the creatures we saw scuba diving were truly magnificent.
"Guests saw a giant trevally, spinner dolphins and whale sharks."
In the personalised itinerary based around Christmas Island's famous red crab migration, the group spent three nights on Cocos Keeling Islands which included a motorised canoe tour to some of Cocos's barely touched outer islands, where they learnt about the island's flora and World War I history.
With West Island's airport runway through the middle of a golf course, guests also had the option of playing a round of golf.
The group visited the picturesque Home Island, one of only two of the 26 islands that are inhabited, to learn about the rich history and culture of the Malay people and spent a day on Direction Island swimming, snorkelling and exploring its walking trails.
They then spent seven nights on what some refer to as the 'Galapagos of the Indian Ocean', Christmas Island, snorkelling in its clear waters and admiring the island's waterfalls and blowholes.
With millions of red crabs heading to the water each year to spawn over a two month period, guests were lucky enough to witness the famous migration.
Mr Drew said the island was also a bird watchers' paradise, with Frigate, Booby, Silver and Golden Bosun birds always flying overhead, as well as other species endemic to the island.
"In addition to the epic scenery and wildlife, guests also learnt the incredible and long history of the island, which includes the British, Chinese, Malay, Arabic and Australians," he said.
In December 2020, he is looking forward to escorting the same tour of Christmas and Cocos Keeling Islands and will also be organising escorted tours to Taiwan, East Africa, North Korea, The 5 Stans, Croatia sailing , Egypt and Jordan in 2020 and 2021.