We've been doing this since before Google Maps existed.
Lowkey, that's not even an exaggeration.
BackpackerWorld.com, 2001
Backpackers World started as a scrappy little internet forum where travellers could swap tips, find a bed, and post on a noticeboard hoping to find that random person they met in Koh Samui. No algorithms. No sponsored posts. Just real people helping real people get around.
And, well. It grew.
Getting serious, 2006
By the mid-2000s, Backpackers World had evolved into a full-service booking engine. Tours, accommodation, flights, road trips - the lot. If you were a backpacker planning to explore Australia or New Zealand, this was your first stop.
Peak era, 2018
At its biggest, Backpackers World had hundreds of staff across physical stores right around Australia and New Zealand. A proper household name in the backpacker travel world.
The Store Managers, 2016
We held crocodiles. Normal team outing. 2017
So what happened?
The industry changed. So did we.
Online booking took over. The big shopfront model stopped making sense. And like a lot of beloved travel brands, Backpackers World went through a period of change.
But the story wasn't done.
In 2024, Emma Manning and Rachel Farrow - the team behind Joining Journeys Collective - acquired Backpackers World and brought it back.
Backed by Joining Journeys Collective
This wasn't a cold business acquisition.
For Emma, it was literally coming home.
She started at Backpackers World as a travel consultant in the early days. Worked her way up to General Manager over 15 years. Helped build the brand into what it became at its peak. Then stepped away to co-found Joining Journeys with Rachel - and when the chance came to bring BWT back to life, she was not letting that go.
Rachel brings 10 years of travel industry experience and together they've grown Joining Journeys into a trusted travel agency group across New Zealand. They know the industry. They know the product. They know what travellers actually need (because they've been booking it for years, not just talking about it).
What Backpackers World looks like today.
Leaner. Smarter. Online only.
No shopfront overhead means the focus goes entirely on what matters - expert advice, hand-picked product, and service from people who actually care.
You're not getting a call centre. You're not getting someone reading from a script. You're getting 25+ years of brand history, backed by a team who genuinely love what they do.
Some travel companies were built by algorithm. We were built by travellers, for travellers.
Still are.
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