Erika is one of those people who works from home as a travel agent. I first met Erika when her and her husband were midway through their home renovations. From there we got chatting about the nitty gritty of our jobs, finding interest in each others stories.

Erika is great to chat with about travel. Every time we get together, she talks about different destinations from small towns in Eastern Europe to festivals in the USA and Canada in such a way that you almost feel like you’re there with her.

Cottage Country | Canada

Rundale Palace | Latvia

Seattle | USA

Dubai | UAE

Say hi to Erika

Before you decided to work from home, what made you choose Mayfield as the place to ‘call home’?

My husband and I moved up to Newcastle six years ago from Sydney. We chose Mayfield because of the proximity to shops, the CBD, beaches and the Hunter Valley. We love the fact that we can walk anywhere we want to go to, or we have the option to choose from the many buses that pass us by. Plus the train takes us into Newcastle Interchange. Our favourite thing about living in Mayfield is how easy it is to hop on to our bikes and get around easily. It was a lifestyle choice to move here.

Where else have you lived other than Mayfield?

I have lived in Canada (I’m originally from Toronto, Ontario), South Carolina and San Francisco in the United States. I studied for a year in the Netherlands and lived in Latvia. I also spent seven months living in Auckland, New Zealand as part of my Master’s degree where I did an internship. I have also lived in Melbourne and Sydney.

 What makes your travel business so unique? 

I am a home-based travel consultant. What’s important is to focus on my client’s needs and to build an interesting itinerary around my client’s interests. Other times I am there to offer advice. I really like to take the time to meet with my client to get to know them. Some clients know exactly what they want and I book that for them. Other times, my guests need guidance and suggestions.

Everyone is unique and I want to make sure that I take the time to listen to my clients to ensure they have the holiday they have always dreamt of. One of the big things that I bring to my business is my extensive knowledge of North America and Europe. I’ve lived in various places and take advantage of that, plus I still have contacts overseas that I can tap into. What I am most passionate about is ensuring that my clients have the best possible time overseas. I want to provide the best possible experience to my clients.

Holidays are great, but planning can be stressful and confusing. How can using a travel agent help with make the planning easier? 

I’m there to take the stress and confusion out of the planning. Using a travel agent is a great way to weed through all the information to get to the best options for my guests. There is so much information out there that it can be overwhelming. By using a travel agent, or rather, I like to say Travel Specialist, we have the tools to get to the best options for our client. We also have the skills and tools to build simple or complex itineraries. Lastly, planning a holiday is supposed to be fun and a time to get really excited about the upcoming adventures. I believe that it’s really important to have an idea about what it is you want to see and do and where you want to go, but one also needs to be open to the unexpected. I find most of the time it’s the unexpected that makes the holiday most memorable.

Favourite place to holiday? 

I love heading back to Canada to visit family and friends in Toronto, but my ultimate favourite destination is cottage country two hours north of Toronto. There’s nothing better than falling asleep to the sounds of loons calling and hearing the waves lap against the rocks along the shore. Better yet, it’s sitting on the dock at night looking at the stars. Plus, it’s always nice to sit on the dock during the day either enjoying my morning coffee, or a locally crafted beer from one of the new craft breweries that have opened up in the area. The other favourite places I love to visit are Seattle, Washington and Latvia, the land of my ancestry.

Bucket List destination to experience?

This is a really tough question to answer!  I really want to visit Antarctica for the vastness and isolation. Other destinations, I’ve really been learning more about are Japan and Alaska. But really, I want to see as much as I can of this amazing world!

Favourite spot to chill in Mayfield?

Hard question to answer. I love Portafilter or Locomotive for their delicious coffee, The Stag & Hunter for live music. I also love Barrio for their tapas and Pork Ewe Deli for their prosciutto and cheeses. Lastly, I have a weakness for second-hand goods and like to head to the Coliseum. Too many options!

What music do you listen to when it’s a busy day in the office?

Another tough question! It depends on my mood really. If I listen to the radio, I either listen to Triple J or ABC Classic FM. If I’m listening to my own music collection, I listen to indie musicians. One of my favourite albums right now is “Whiteout Conditions” by a Canadian band.

Get in touch

Erika

Well Connected Travel

0400 849 361  |  erika@wctravel.com.au  |  Mayfield NSW

Mayflowers Vintage Florist is one of those true hidden gems.

I first came across Melanie’s shop by accident. At the time, I had just sold a home for two sisters – it was their mum’s home who had sadly passed away. For settlement day, I wanted to give them something special as it was an emotional chapter in their life. This is when Mayflower Vintage Florist suddenly flashed up on my Instagram. Photos don’t do this little studio any justice. Walking into Melanie’s world is like seeing ‘wow’ in a physical form. Rainbows of colour. Smells that take you away. Vintage porcelain in every corner. It’s beyond cool.

After chatting with Melanie about how to create something special for my clients, she recommended a beautiful arrangement of roses in a vintage tea cup, her signature Vintage Teacup Posie. Melanie looked after every detail from here onwards, even delivery. The gift was perfect.

It’s nice when you come across something special. Something that is unique. Something that is created from the heart. Whether it’s for a gift, to celebrate a special moment, or to enjoy something beautiful in your home be sure to visit Melanie and her world at Mayflowers Vintage Florist.

A bit more with Melanie

Why did you pick Mayfield to base your awesome business?
Mayfield has my heart. I adore the history, the architecture, the people and the proximity to town and beaches. We moved into the area 17 years ago with the plan of renovating and selling……we ended up staying because we loved it so much.

What makes Mayflowers Vintage Florist so unique?
We are a little different to your average florist. Our fresh flowers are arranged into vintage teacup sets. Bespoke seasonal bunches are wrapped in vintage style newspaper. You’re welcome to bring in your own teacup sets so that we can do a flower arrangement or you can choose from our range of teacups. We also do floral arrangements in unique vessels such as old trophies, vases and flea market finds. We also offer a wedding service and I am always happy to sit down and discuss your special day.

How long have you working in Mayfield?
I have worked in Mayfield for 5 years now!

What’s it like to work around flowers all day?
Working with flowers is a privilege. My hands are my tool box and flowers are my medium. Painting a picture with flowers makes me smile.

Favourite flower?
Delphiniums, followed closely behind with sweet smelling garden violets.

Favourite spot to chill in Mayfield?
It would have to be The Coliseum Antique Centre. Packed to the brim with treasures and things from the past.

What music do you listen to when it’s a busy day in the office?
Oh gosh, 80’s music definitely!

Get in touch

Mayflowers Vintage Florist
0439 673 056  |  www.mayflowers.com.au  |  melanie@mayflowers.com.au  |  Mayfield NSW

Every month I’ll be trekking around Mayfield to discover what our vibrant village has to offer. My first stop Pork Ewe Deli

Growing up in a family that was a mix of Spanish, Native American, American and Central American, our food was always different. I often remember the trips with my mother on the bus every Saturday to collect our food for the weekend from the local delicatessen. It was a mix of marinated vegetables, weird spices and herbs, handcrafted cured meats and wheels and wheels of cheese. It was like a secret society.

All the mothers were dressed up with handmade shopping bags in hand. All were taste testing the latest cheese import from Europe with an espresso in hand. All in the hardworking blue collar suburb of St Marys in Western Sydney. It was a weird experience and it always amazed me. All you could hear were all the mums chattering away while the kids huddled in the corner with our colour-in sheets (they were always of a butcher holding a string of sausages).  After an hour of chatting (and gossiping), my mum would grab my hand and wait for my dad to pick us up in his semitrailer (he was a truck driver).

For me, visiting Pork Ewe Deli brings back all those family memories. It is a great stop for collecting a small selection of cheese to enjoy on a Sunday afternoon with friends. The marinated figs are amazing. If you like cured meats then this place will satisfy your charcuterie dreams. If you love your olive oils, well look no further – they’re fresh and amazing.

For something different, I strongly recommend their cooking classes. I recently did a Lebanese Street Food class with Rita from My Fathers Table at Pork Ewe Deli. What a great night! We laughed. We cooked. We mingled with interesting people. And we left with full bellies. It was a really fun night and we even had leftovers to enjoy the following day for lunch.

Pork Ewe Deli is something exciting. It’s a place to experiment with your food (and your vocabulary). It’s also a place to try some luxury if you want to really pamper your taste buds. Do yourself a favour and visit this great little store…we’re lucky to have it in our village.

Pork Ewe Deli

144 Maitland Rd
Mayfield 2304

(02) 4906 8774