All Black leaps into tourism

Yuliana Desta and Byron Kelleher in Bali Supplied to Spy March 2019

Former All Black Byron Kelleher has led a colourful life all over the world — and he is using some of the many contacts he has made to help create a travel business.

Kelleher and girlfriend Yuliana Desta have joined forces with best friends Novia and her husband Dawson Bliss to form Fly me to Paradise; a tourism start-up offering tours to beautiful places.

The quartet have combined their knowledge of more than 50-years' experience in Indonesia, where they will take tours and travel to places not well-known on the tourist map, more often than not, spectacularly beautiful.

Kelleher — who now splits his time between Bali and New Zealand — tells Spy the first trips to Indonesia will start in June. The team will also be looking at running trips to other countries; including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and New Zealand.

"I am doing my marketing in English and French as I hope to attract customers and contacts in New Zealand as well as in Europe." he says.

The four have been formatting the business over the Kiwi summer and Kelleher says each of their life experiences will hopefully ensure plenty of variety and fun.

"I have developed a vast experience hosting celebrities and entertaining large companies, including Airbus in Europe and The Yak Magazine in Bali, as well as Monaco connections with Prince Albert and Princess Charlene," he says.

"Our team has reached a stage in life where making money is not essential, but enjoying life is. We all have a passion to help others experience what we do when we travel to our favourite pieces of paradise."

During their time home, Kelleher has showed Yuliana his parent's farm in the Bay of Plenty — with the couple spending time in the orchard picking fruit — as well as travelling to the Hawke's Bay for last month's Napier Art Deco Festival.

The couple will soon travel to Europe and South Africa to build their burgeoning travel business before returning to New Zealand ahead of the first tours to Bali.
Watch this space, Kelleher tells Spy.

"I plan on bringing in celebrity guest hosts and they won't just be former sport's stars."
Kelleher isn't the first former All Black star moving into tourism.

Blockbusting wing Inga Tuigamala is running Inga the Winger Tours, offering tours throughout Samoa.

Want to travel with Byron? Visit Fly me to Paradise on Facebook.