I'm Charlie Shea — Canadian-born, Sydney-based, and passionate about helping independent travellers discover Canada the way it deserves to be experienced.
Why Canada?
Canada and Australia have more in common than most people realise. Both are vast, sparsely populated countries spanning two oceans. Both have rich histories of English and First Nations culture, vibrant multicultural cities, and spectacular natural landscapes that most visitors never reach. And right now, Canada offers something increasingly rare in international travel: world-class destinations without the overtourism crowding Europe, the US, and parts of Asia.
The Australian dollar also goes considerably further in Canada than it does in Europe; a practical advantage worth noting when you're planning a significant trip.
Charlie's Story
I grew up and was educated across Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, and St. John's, and spent much of my early life skiing and travelling in British Columbia and Alberta. In the mid-1970s I worked as a guide on 3-to-5-week European tours, before returning to Toronto to join Goway Travel; one of Australia's premier operators of tailor-made international travel.
I settled in Sydney in the late 1970s, raised a family, and built a career in corporate life, but I never stopped designing Canadian travel experiences for friends and colleagues. In 2019 I organised a six-week Canada and Alaska itinerary for a group of ten, which reminded me how much I love this work. Having recently retired from corporate life, I'm making it official.
Our Approach
My clients are independent travellers — people who have travelled before, who know what they like, and who want an experience designed around them rather than around a coach schedule. I start every engagement with a conversation: where do you want to go, what do you want to feel, what have you loved on past trips? From there I draft a few bespoke itinerary options for discussion before we settle on the right one.
Our itineraries prioritise freedom, immersion, and pacing. Slightly fewer stops, more time in each place, more opportunity for the kind of unplanned moments that make a trip memorable.
Local Guides
In larger cities, we work with local guides who can go beyond the standard highlights; into the history, the culture, and the specifics that make each destination genuinely interesting. Our itineraries allocate free time deliberately, so you can follow what catches your eye rather than being moved along by a schedule.
How It Works
As an independent travel adviser, I work closely with Bespoke Journeys; a fully registered and accredited travel agency on the Gold Coast. All client invoicing and payments go through Bespoke Journeys directly, so your booking is protected. I can also source arrangements through Goway Travel in Toronto where appropriate.
My fee model is simple: a small set fee to begin designing your itinerary, after which I organise all bookings through Bespoke Journeys, who receive industry commissions from airlines, hotels, car rental companies, and insurers. My goal is to optimise the value you receive; a memorable trip at a cost you can favourably compare against any mainstream operator.