Nick - Founder and Administrator

Nick started Aussie House Swap in 2004 when he wanted to house swap in Australia and couldn’t find any domestic house swapping websites. He started the site on a home computer, with an idea, some determination and many hours of online research. Since then he’s been running the Aussie House Swap team based on the Northern Rivers, NSW. He’s always looking for new ways to improve the site, and searching for the next great travel opportunity. He’s also a dad to two cool kids and husband to Kylie.

Favourite travel destination - “I honestly can’t choose a favourite destination. If I selected one over the other I feel like I’d be cheating. I love mountains and rivers and these can be found on every continent. I’ve had some amazing holidays in Nepal, Asia, Peru, North America, New Zealand, Europe and Australia.”

Favourite type of holiday - “I love a trip that involves adventure hiking. Walking into camp after a 6 - 8 hour a day of rugged and beautiful terrain is hard to beat. Being in the heat of the desert is pretty inviting as well. I recently did a walk in the Grand Canyon in the middle of summer and it was amazing.”

Bucket list - “Antarctica, Canada, Spain, North Africa to name a few. Is it greedy to say I want a ‘round the world’ air ticket with 12 months to explore?” 

Kylie Fuad - Public Relations manager

Kylie has been involved since the beginning of Aussie House Swap. Being married to Nick, she has been the sounding board for many big decisions along the way. After spending 6 years living in the Northern Territory, she developed a love for the red dirt, the open road and a sense of adventure. She also loves her two kids, three cats and her five acres of paradise in the Northern Rivers. How’s the serenity!

Favourite travel destination - “At the moment my favourite travel destination is Italy, especially the Tuscan region around Florence, Lucca, and the Cinque Terre. After going there last year for my 40th, I totally fell in love with the country, its culture, it’s food and wine, and vibrant people. I adored it so much that I returned in June to explore new places and catch up with Italian friends I’d made. I’ve been home less than a month but I’m already dreaming of my next visit.”

Favourite type of holiday - “I love traveling overseas with my sister or a close friend, but I’ve also really enjoyed the family travels I’ve done with my kids. Our family spent a term travelling around Australia in a camper trailer and it was three of the best months we’ve had as a family. After living in remote Northern Territory for 6 years, I grab any chance I can get to pack us all in the car and hit the open road to the red centre and top end NT.”

Bucket list - “The Greek Islands is on the top of my list, both for the ancient history and scenic beauty. Hopefully this will be ticked off in 2018, fingers crossed! My exciting 5 year bucket list travel plan is to pack the camper, drive to Uluru and then head west from there to WA to explore Broome, the Kimberley and beyond….kid free! The countdown has already begun…” 

Elyse - Administration Manager

Elyse joined the Aussie House Swap in 2016 to whip the day to day office operations into shape. After thirteen years in the University sector she is now leading the Aussie House Swap team deeper into the exciting world of spreadsheets and strategic planning! She has a lovely family of five humans and two crazy cats.

Favourite travel destination - “I went to Italy in 2016 for the first time and loved it so much I went back this year to delve deeper into some of the same places and discover new ones. Venice and Florence are two favourites. I would also love to rent a place in the gorgeous town of Lucca for a while and explore more of Tuscany.”

Favourite type of holiday - “Somewhere to walk, something to climb, things to look at, followed by good food and wine. The perfect mix of exercise and indulgence. I love to take in a beautiful view, walking by day, then sitting with a cool drink in the early evening watching the day turn into night.”

Bucket list - “As a mad theatre lover, I dream of heading to New York and taking in a Broadway show, or six! I’d also love to head to the U.K. and visit Cardiff, home of Torchwood and Dr Who.” 

Gabby - Administrator & Social Media Manager

Out of the Aussie House Swap team, Gabby is the most travel mad of all (and that’s saying a lot for a travel company). Gabby joined Aussie House Swap in 2014 and has been a valued team member ever since. Married to a wonderful human & FIFO worker Chris, 2 lovely kids, 2 cats, 6 chooks and a resident bush turkey.

Favourite travel destination - “Africa. I’ve travelled to many countries alone but travelling solo through Africa was the grandest adventure I’ve been on and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is my travel highlight.”

Favourite type of holiday - “Travelling is my obsession which is why I love helping people explore their opportunities for seeing Australia and the world. I’m happy to go anywhere. I've visited every state in Australia and over 30 different countries. I love driving so road tripping, family holidays and adventure travel are my favourites. If I won the lottery I’d spend my life travelling and photographing the world. My favourite type of holiday is adventure travel. Climbing mountains, sailing in fiord lands, scootering around South East Asia or exploring the Scottish highlands is my idea of heaven.”

Bucket list - “Iceland is top of the list for its dramatic landscapes, beautiful sense of isolation and the photographic opportunities. A road trip across the US and exploring the Patagonia region of Chile is a definite. Actually the list is endless. It’s an ever evolving work in progress.” 

We hope you love travel as much as we do. We're always dreaming of our next adventure. Having a house swap holiday means you can enjoy a travel adventure and save money at the same time. It doesn't even have to be an exotic, overseas location either. There's plenty of Australia to explore!