Derek Townsend

Name: Derek Townsend of Karajoz Famous for: The genius behind the flat white and the inventor of the ‘fluffy’ – Derek continues to create the most delicious Karajoz coffee blends! How old were you when you got your first passport, and where did you travel to in order to “break it in”? I had my first passport when I was 18 and travelled first to Sydney to break it in.

How many countries have you travelled to? I’ve travelled

to at least 30 countries.

My favourite offshore destination is: Italy. I particularly love the south - nature, food, sun, beach, history and culture.

My favourite local destination is: Russell in the Bay of Islands - sun (sometimes), beach, history, culture and nature.

My favourite dining experience is: Simple food unique to the local culture; for example, simple charcoal grilled vegetables in a Sicilian mountain village.

My favourite kind of holiday is … Discovering new places, tramping in the hills ending up beside a semi-deserted beach.

What’s the one thing you can’t/won’t travel without? My

Visa card!

What’s your best packing tip? Travel light! Be adventurous, but safe. Get off the beaten track. Do you dress comfortably or stylishly for long haul trips? Comfortable and casual. If WE were paying, tell us about your perfect holiday: Absolutely exquisite hotel, overlooking the beach, in an old interesting town with plenty of walks in the surrounding hills - Positano on the Amalfi coast maybe! What’s your best travel memory? Too many to choose

one. Anything hilarious ever happened to you while travelling? Not that I can remember (or not that I’m telling!)

Where to next? Melbourne this week, the month of October in Europe, trade shows in Cologne and Milan, and maybe a tramping holiday in Crete in between (I’ve been invited to stay at one of the oldest orthodox monasteries, I’m looking at importing olive oil produced by priests.) Ed’s Note: check out the Giveaway section to win some Karajoz coffee kindly provided by Derek!