In my series of interviews with travel blogger, I look for travel bloggers and influencers with interesting lives who can share some inspiring stories and useful advice from their experience. This week we have Anthony Jury from Fair Dinkum Traveller travel blog.
Table of Contents
An Interview with Anthony Jury from Fair Dinkum
Tell us a bit about yourself
G’day, I am Anthony Jury, a travel blogger at Fair Dinkum Traveller, so you don’t need any second guessing at working out I’m Australian. A little about me, I am a family man that has been married for over 12-years and I am the father of two growing boys, and yes. we love to travel, especially into the continent of Asia, where most of our adventures take place.
While I aim to be a full-time travel blogger someday and things are progressing well at present, it’s not quite the case yet, I am employed in a coal mine in the state of Western Australia and working hard to achieve my ultimate goals in life.Working in the pits of the mine, is what inspired me to get into travel blogging, a dull job that wasn’t challenging me at all, in fact it was frustrating me. Therefore, in the early parts of 2016 when working out to do with my life to bring more excitement into it, I decided that the blogging path was right for me and Fair Dinkum Traveller was created.
I haven’t looked back since and it’s one of the best things I have done in life to this day.
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What’s your biggest achievement as a Travel Blogger?
The biggest achievement as a travel blogger, beside the starting one, is the time I was able to begin monetizing my site and began to earn regular income, while it’s not enough to quit my day job at present, these little achievements helps you realise that all this work is not for nothing.
You have an unlimited travel budget for 24 hours. Give me your itinerary?
Living so far from Europe, that would be the continent I would first tackle with a 24-hour unlimited travel budget. No doubt Italy would be the target country, visiting as much cities as possible like Rome, Santorini, Florence, San Marino to mention a few. In the process I would drink as much coffee as possible (to keep me awake) and indulge in as much Italian food that my stomach can handle. Sightseeing amazing attractions on the fly would be happening during my whirlwind 24-hour period in Italy.
How do you fund your travel?
Most of my travel is funded by what I earn from the travel blog, albeit if it is a large family adventure and we wish to splurge a little more, that trip is obviously funded by the income I earn from my full-time job.
What is the single most effective strategy that a blogger can use to bring traffic to a blog?
SEO, no doubt. Study great SEO techniques inside and out and get to know it as well your own name. Make sure you’re optimizing your blog post correctly, get it right from the outset instead of catching up later. In doing those things, no doubt, good traffic will be coming to your blog.
What tools do you use to monetize your blog? Which works best for you?
At present, I work with affiliates to monetize my blog using tour and hotel affiliates such as Get Your Guide, Klook, TripAdvisor through CJ and Booking.com as the main source of affiliate income.
Sponsored post is another winner to monetize my blog with companies reaching out over time to work with Fair Dinkum Traveller.
What is the first trip you remember taking and how old were you?
My first trip is an interesting one and believe it or not, I didn’t require a passport to enter this particular country. It came at the tender age of 21 (quite late for travel I know), when I was in the Australian Army and I was deployed to go on peacekeeping duties to East Timor. The 3-month trip with the defence force was certainly an eye-opener, as the country was in troubled times at that point and the infrastructure was limited, with what can be described as pathetic road conditions.
However, while the journey was one of difficulty for me personally, I will never forget how friendly the locals were while being stationed in the mountains of Bobonaro, and while, I have never been back since, I’m sure they are seeing better times today.
Have you been anywhere which turned out to be totally different to how you imagined? If so, how?
I can’t say I have been anywhere that was totally different to how I imagined, mainly because my research leading into any trip is always thorough by reading books or watching videos, and most times, I kind of understand what I am heading into before the trip.
If I was going to mention one destination, it would be the Capital of Laos, Vientiane. Unlike most other Southeast Asian countries, where it’s over populated and the streets are crazy, Vientiane brings a different vibe altogether. The streets are organised and not even close to chaotic, you can cross the road without dodging bikes and the whole city is really laid-back and that includes the locals, who are not annoying you constantly while the tourists are browsing the city streets.
Have you had any bad experiences whilst travelling?
A bad experience? Probably more embarrassing to be honest.
It happened in 2005 during my first trip to South Korea, where I was going to meet my future mother in law for the first, and how she still became my mother in law a couple of years after this experience is a puzzler.
Anyway, it happened at my girlfriend (at that time) sister’s engagement party, because I was the odd one out and I could only speak to one person at the party, there was only one other way to communicate, through Soju. And, how I underestimated the drink Soju, which has a huge volume of alcohol was to be my first mistake. One drink turned into, well I lost count, because every guy at the party was wanting to drink with stranger of the night.
Soon enough, I had lost all control over my body as you do when you get drunk, I fell asleep on my future sister in law bed and remembered getting whacked to wake up because I had passed out by my girlfriend’s mother. Great first impression hey.
To make this long story short, I had alcohol poisoning, I was sick for four days with constant vomiting and practically wasted my first trip to South Korea. It all ended well with the girl though, still married to this day.
Where is your favourite place in the world?
A sentimental favourite, I know, being the home country of wife, but South Korea is a country I love to always get back to, specifically Seoul. The capital of Korea is a city that brings everything together, such as culture, amazing food, epic shopping experiences, historic buildings and Palaces, and awesome attractions that are always an instant hit with the visiting tourist.
Do you have a bucket list? If so, what is on it?
Do I have a bucket list? Well of course I do, I am a travel enthusiast Afterall.
What is on my bucket list? Ever since I was a kid, I have wanted to see the Great wall of China, and while I have been to China, the Wall has been missed so far. I would love to get to Europe and visit Italy, the Scandinavia countries, of course Iceland and even tour Great Britain to watch a Manchester United Match in the process.
Because the other love in my life is sport, and sports and travel can easily mix, I would love to hop on over Phoenix, Arizona and watch my childhood team in the Phoenix Suns play in the NBA, someday I would also love go to a Football World Cup (hopefully Qatar 2022) and last but not least, watch the Australian Cricket Team tour the West Indies, a place where paradise and sport come together.
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If you were not travelling what would you be doing instead?
Since I have no endeavour of spending my working life in a coal mine and my three passions are travel, sport and writing, I would undoubtedly be doing my upmost breaking into the writing industry, either by writing a novel or attempting to get into sports print journalism. Luckily, I am travelling, so right now, that is something I don’t have to worry about.
What has travel taught you?
Travel has taught me that world is different, and that cultures, laws, religious beliefs and customary habits needs to be respected at all times, even if it is against your own values and beliefs. It’s important when you do travel to a foreign land that you remember that we are a guest in their country, and what we do and believe in is unusual to them.
Who, in your opinion, is the most successful travel blogger? Why do you think that is?
For me, it is so hard to define who is the most successful travel blogger out there, because there are so many who are successful and are the envy of many bloggers out there.
If I had to choose one, and it’s no disrespect to the others out there, I would choose Jyotsna Ramani at Wander with Jo! Not only are her adventures plentiful with many amazing destinations around the world, but she gives out great travel advice, is active on social media and always lends a hand to fellow travel bloggers who are trying to build their product.
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