All Australian Journeys (Northern Highland Travel Pty Ltd) - Thornton

This is a historic listing of vehicles owned and operated by All Australian Journeys (Northern Highland Travel Pty Ltd) - Thornton.

All Australian Journeys can be traced back to the small New England town of Walcha in 1988, when Bruce and Elaine Aitchison purchased the 16-unit Walcha Motel. In conjunction with the Walcha Tourist Association, the Aitchisons soon began guided tours using their own car or borrowing local school buses. In 1989 a Toyota Coaster was purchased to operate package tours in conjunction with the motel. An arrangement was operated with Macphersons Coaches, Walcha for a period.

The Toyota Coaster was replaced with a brand new 29-seat, Nambucca-bodied Mitsubishi FK417 mini-coach in mid-1992. Concurrent with the coach purchase in 1992 was the addition of the Embers Restaurant and 3 more 3.5 star motel rooms to supplement the original 16 units. Bruce and Elaine’s son, Robert, joined the business at this point in charge of the restaurant. In 1994, the Aitchisons established Northern Highland Travel as a licensed travel agency and as the trading name for the tour business. More staff were employed to service a by now thriving business.

In 1999, the Walcha Motel was sold and the Northern Highland Travel operation was relocated to 5 Spotted Gum Grove, Thornton to focus on the coach and tour package side of the business. As part of the company’s new direction, the retail travel agency Thornton Travel was opened around the same time. The business has since gone on to win a number of tourism and business awards between 2003 and 2008.

Bruce and Elaine Aitchison retired in 2008, leaving the business in hands of their son Robert and and daughter-in-law Jennifer. The coach and travel agency operations were relocated to 3 Woodford Place, Thornton in 2010.

In April 2014, the company’s regional-focused trading name was changed to All Australian Journeys, reflecting the company’s transition into an Australia-wide touring company offering a range of transport modes, not just coaches. Concurrent with the change of name was Thornton Travel becoming a helloworld franchise, with name altered to helloworld Thornton. The renaming of the company’s two main entities was officially launched on 28 June 2014.

Robert and Jennifer Aitchison sold All Australian Journeys to Queensland-based coach company Cross Country Tours Pty Ltd as of 16 November 2016.