In mid-1972, Tony and Maureen Wheeler set out on a yearlong trip around the world, with the intention of getting the travel bug out of their systems. After following the 'hippie trail' from England across Asia to Australia, they recognised the need for a new sort of travel guide to suit the new breed of laid-back, independent travellers. More than thirty years later, they are the owners of one of the world's largest, most successful and best-loved independent travel publishing companies. Lonely Planet Publications has offices on three continents, with 400 employees, 250 writers, more than 600 titles in print and annual sales of over six million books. Tony and Maureen Wheeler live in Melbourne.
