The Pod Well Travelled

Earlier this month, Old Customs House in Fremantle was transformed into a vibrant gallery for Stephen Scourfield’s Jackets Of The World exhibition, which featured an impressive collection of hand-sewn denim jackets that Stephen stitched together with fabrics, tapestries and other bits and bobs he’s collected from his travels. As part of the two-day event, The Pod Well Travelled hosts Penny Thomas...

In a new episode of The Pod Well Travelled, hosts Penny Thomas and Megan French chime into the airport hotel conversation. Penny shares her experience staying at the Novotel & ibis Styles Melbourne Airport hotel — Victoria’s most significant hotel development being the first new-build internationally branded hotel to open at Melbourne Airport in two decades. The duo also discuss what factors m...

Packing too much. Packing too little. Forgetting to label your case. Toiletries exploding. Leaving it to the last minute. Using the wrong bag. These are packing mistakes we’re all guilty of at some point, no matter how experienced a traveller we are. But sometimes you just have to learn the hard way. Tune into the latest episode of The Pod Well Travelled’s Packing Series with co-hosts Penny Thomas...

The Pod Well Travelled team Penny Thomas, Stephen Scourfield and Megan French tackle the great outdoors in a new episode of their Packing Series. Penny seeks packing tips ahead of her trip to Japan to hike one of the world’s premier spiritual roads — the Kumano Kodō, ancient pilgrimage routes which crisscross the Kii Peninsula. Outdoors-man travel editor Stephen and fashion writer Megan present a...

On this week’s episode of The Pod Well Travelled, the team reveal their must-have devices for staying connected, entertained and organised when travelling. Join Penny Thomas, Stephen Scourfield and Megan French as they discuss everything from compact power banks and travel adaptors to smart luggage, e-readers and more. Whether you’re gearing up for a weekend getaway or a long-haul adventure, this...

This week on our dedicated travel podcast, hosts Penny Thomas and Megan French are joined by The West’s TV editor and columnist Clare Rigden, who recently returned from a big European adventure. As a self-confessed bargain hunter, Clare tells us about the cheap travel accessories she bought from a popular online store that is renowned for selling almost every product imaginable for dramatically lo...

Fresh from exploring Australia’s Coral Coast on a four-day road trip, travel writer Penny Thomas chats with fashion writer and stylist Megan French about her trip and the basic travel essentials she took with her. They also discuss their favourite things to listen to during a long drive, why you should always double-check you have everything before you head off on an adventure, the importance of h...

This week The Pod Well Travelled sets off on a journey to explore two trends taking flight in the travel industry. Expert photographer Mogens Johansen and travel editor Stephen Scourfield chat to host Megan French about the concepts of “second city” travel and destination dupes — from prioritising a “more authentic” experience to stretching your wallet even further abroad and building genuine conn...

The West’s travel editor Stephen Scourfield and our expert photographer Mogens Johansen return to the studio for the latest episode in our new Packing Series about photography gear. Joined by hosts Penny Thomas and Megan French, the team share their favourite camera brands and models, the type of equipment they use when on assignment, and they reveal the tips and tricks they’ve picked up over the...

This week on our dedicated travel podcast, the travel team launch an exciting new Packing Series to help you pack smarter, travel lighter and say goodbye to any luggage-related woes you might come up against when packing. For the first episode of the new series, Stephen Scourfield, Penny Thomas and Megan French discuss their packing essentials for long-haul flights, and the practical tips they've...

On this week’s episode, host Stephen Scourfield chats to Penny Thomas and Mogens Johansen about one of their favourite places in South-East Asia: Cambodia. Join the team as they share personal stories from their travels around Cambodia, highlighting the country’s rich culture, history and cuisine. Penny tells us about a seven-day food tour she recently did with Intrepid Travel that involved sampli...

On this week's episode, Megan French and Penny Thomas discuss the top art galleries and museums they’ve visited, and the ones they plan to visit in the future. They also reflect on how art galleries and museums can enrich travel experiences, especially if you are someone who likes to seek out a deeper connection with the destination you're visiting. Subscribe to The Pod Well Travelled where you ge...

On this week’s episode, The West’s travel editor Stephen Scourfield reports from France’s Juno Beach in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.  During the show, Stephen reflects on the complex and brazen operation that unfolded on D-Day, the bravery of the soldiers involved in the mission and how it was a turning point in WWII. We also hear about Normandy’s Viking history and William the Conq...

In this week's episode, special guest Will Yeoman from Writing WA returns to The Pod Well Travelled to chat about literary-inspired travel destinations with fashion writer and stylist Megan French and travel editor Stephen Scourfield.  From the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth to Dylan Thomas' writing shed in Wales, join the trio of bookworms as they dive into their favourite literary hotspots. ...

On this week’s episode, Penny Thomas and Megan French chat with Perth businessman Jeff Robson about his new book, The Traveling Trainer. Throughout the show, we hear about Jeff’s passion for rock climbing, how he turned his love for travelling into a career and why he decided to publish a book about it. Jeff also tells us about the far-flung destinations he’s visited because of his career, includi...

On this week’s episode of The Pod Well Travelled, our travel team delves into the best destinations to visit in the latter half of 2024. We kick off the episode by reflecting on the year so far, discussing the most popular hotspots that have been buzzing with travellers. Later on in the program, we share a list of places where prospective travellers can still book trips this year without encounter...

On this week's episode of The Pod Well Travelled, Penny Thomas and Megan French chat to TV Editor Clare Rigden about the concept of set jetting, which is when travellers visit a particular destination because it was featured in a television show or movie. + Subscribe to The Pod Well Travelled where you get your podcasts — and share it to your family and friends. + Follow us on our TikTok @thepodwe...

This week on our dedicated travel podcast, Penny Thomas and Megan French sit down with local astrologer, Stefanie Schroeder, to discuss the ancient art of astrology and its impact on travel.  As the owner of Astrofusion Astrology and the president of the Federation of Australian Astrologers in Western Australia, Stefanie has a gift for making the stars make sense, without all the mumbo jumbo that...

On this week’s episode, Penny Thomas and Stephen Scourfield chat to cruising specialist Michael Ferrante about the latest news in cruising — an industry that was basically on its knees only two years ago. During the show, Michael reveals the latest trends in the cruising sector, plus he tells us what it is like to sail through the Mediterranean on the Sun Princess, a new ship from the team at Prin...

On this week’s episode, travel journalist Penny Thomas and STM deputy editor Jade Jurewicz join fashion writer Megan French to discuss an essential travel companion: shoes! They explore topics like how many pairs to pack for a trip, the best all-terrain styles and why you no longer have to sacrifice style for comfort. Jade also shares her experience of wearing just one pair of shoes during a 10-da...

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Sarah Quinn, the global leader of public relations and communications at Flight Centre Travel Group. During the show, Sarah shares her journey of transforming her passion for travel into a successful career. We also explore the current trends shaping the travel industry. And, we hear about the very first bricks-and-mortar store for Cruiseabout, a new brand...

For our second bonus podcast episode from our reader weekend in New Norcia, Stephen Scourfield and Will Yeoman perform a spoken word piece called Belief in front of a live audience at the Abbey Church.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the back of the New Norcia reader weekend, we're excited to share a couple of bonus podcast episodes that were recorded during the event. In this episode, The Pod Well Travelled and PodStreet (the official Writing WA podcast) collaborated to bring you a conversation between Stephen Scourfield and Will Yeoman. This engaging discussion occurred in front of a live audience at our recent reader wee...

This week on our dedicated travel podcast, we explore Australia’s only monastic town, New Norcia. Founded in 1847 by Spanish Benedictine Monks, the unique settlement — that looks like it’s been plucked from a bygone village in Spain — is located about 130km north-east of Perth in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt. The West’s travel team recently spent a weekend exploring the small picturesque town, as...

This week on our dedicated travel podcast, we reveal the best and worst types of travel companions.  During the show, Penny Thomas and Megan French discuss their own red and green flags when it comes to travel partners, plus they share tips on how to be a better companion when travelling with friends or in a group. Subscribe to The Pod Well Travelled where you get your podcasts — and share it to y...