Travelling as a single needn’t be daunting anymore with the launch of an Australian travel companion website, www.tripmates.com.au. It is the first website of its kind in Australia and specialises in bringing together people looking for travel companions.www.tripmates.com.au

was created when co-owner Jessica Getty wanted to join a Great White Shark diving trip off South Australia, but couldn’t find anyone to accompany her.

“None of my friends or family had the time or budget to go with me, let alone the desire to look a Great White Shark in the eye. After talking to other singles, I realised I wasn’t the only one who needed a travel partner,” Ms Getty said.

“I know so many people who have put off their dream holiday - or not taken it at all - because there was no one to go with them. There’s no need to put anything on hold now – just log on to www.tripmates.com.au to find your ideal travel companion and start planning your holiday.”

“Much of the fun is in discussing the trip - working out where to stay, what sites to see and even attending package holiday information nights together. The site is designed for singles, but we also have women whose husbands are too busy to get away for any travel. We also have people who love independent travel, backpackers, grey nomads, youth travellers and people who have tried package holidays such as Contiki,” she said.

www.tripmates.com.au has many features, including the Journey Board where package holiday travellers who have already booked their package holiday, can chat with each other before leaving.

“The Journey Board gives travellers, particularly singles, a complete travel connection experience. It’s daunting arriving alone on a package holiday trip without knowing anyone. The Journey Board enables travellers to get to know each other before they arrive. Tour leaders work hard to ensure group cohesiveness on the trip – meeting beforehand on www.tripmates.com.au means the tour leader can concentrate on providing great travel,” Ms Getty said.

“Before now many tourism providers were missing out on the singles market because singles tend not to travel independently to boutique guesthouses, twin share accommodation or non-tourist destinations, but www.tripmates.com.au can help providers capture that market.”

The Welcome Board is for people who would like to leave their name as a contact for travellers to their city.

“So many tourists come to Australia and all they meet are other tourists!” Ms Getty said. “This is a nice way for overseas travellers to meet locals, and for locals to touch up their foreign language skills or just meet people from another culture.”

Other features include the Companion Board, where members load their profile and photo, the Community Board, where members can win prizes and participate in polls, and the Holiday Board with listings of tours, stays, package holidays, and products and services, especially for singles.

Membership and use of www.tripmates.com.au is free, supported by online advertising. Members can submit their photo and a profile and send online postcards to contact each other.

For more information go to www.tripmates.com.au, phone on 1300 365 113 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .