The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your wanderlust

The incoming Lunar New Year brings in the Year of the Wood Dragon – a year of opportunity and renewal, career work and success. Australian-Chinese artist Chris Chun talks us through the origins of the Chinese zodiac and how best to celebrate the Lunar New Year.  Take Chris’ recommendation and visit Melbourne’s Chinatown to see the Lunar New Year parade, followed by yum cha, chinatownmelbourne.com....

Should you wash elephants in Thailand? Adventure World's head Neil Rodgers talks about travelling ethically to ensure travel remains possible for our kids, including why you should avoid local tour operators who don’t protect wildlife, adventureworld.com.au Belle's just back from undertaking one of the great hikes in northern Victoria - the crossing between Falls Creek and Hotham, with A...

Antarctica and the Arctic are two of the last frontiers on the planet, and the focus of this week’s feature with veteran journalist Andrew Conway. He puts the case for travel to these two incredibly fragile, vulnerable places, and how we travellers can be involved in their conservation. We’re also talking the world's most powerful passports, according to the annual Henley Passport Index, base...

We’re still in the thick of Australian summer holidays, so it’s time for the great Victorian playground play-off!  We ask the hard questions – who did it better these summer holidays, Mornington Peninsula (Belle) or Phillip Island (Kirstie)? Also this episode, we cover off the top tourism spots that Australians love to hate… and the hard-loved Gold Coast gets repeat mentions, thanks to research by...

This week, we bring you two of the biggest names to join us here at The World Awaits – travel commentator Bruce Poon Tip and design innovator Bill Bensley. Social entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author andowner of adventure travel company G Adventure Bruce Poon Tip talks to Kirstie from Toronto about the importance of community tourism, and what you can do as a traveller to genuinely mak...

We love Spain, and our two guests love it even more! This week's episode brings two of our favourite interviewees in to talk about their big love of all things Spanish.  Meet Ben Groundwater - travel journalist occasional tour guide and lover of San Sebastian's food scene. He talks to Belle about how to eat like a Spaniard, breakfast beers and the best restaurant in this foodie heaven, b...

Vomiting comedians, being shot at in Honduras and running through a game reserve. We share some of the best responses we've received from our guests about their most bizarre travel moments.  Thanks to @brenthillfiji @lisapagotto_ and @sheryltakayama for sharing stories of their escapades on the road. And hold the shame! Kirstie and I share our own fashion travel faux pas – all born from hard...

Welcome to our Summer Series! We're bringing you some of our favourite interviews, kicking off with the Italian episode, featuring Rome and Florence. First up, the cuisine of Rome is carbonara, artichokes and lamb, says Italian-Australian author and journalist Maria Pasquale , who writes about Roman cuisine in her book, The Eternal City. “But if I had to describe Rome in one word, it would be...

Ever think about quitting your corporate job and following a life-long dream? Laura Waters did, and she’s now an award-winning author, travel writer and speaker. Laura talks about hiking the length of New Zealand in a life-changing experience that led to her to write her travel memoir, Bewildered, see soultrekkers.com.au  Belle teams up with and entertainment and travel writer Alaisdair Leith to s...

“We go to a place where there are 70 cows this guy milks and the milk goes straight into the dairy where he makes the cheese, and then we sit in the farmhouse and eat the food … these families are getting more and more revered for what they are doing because they kept the old traditions alive…  you feel the history through the food.” Lyndey Milan OAM, author, celebrity chef, culinary tour host, ly...

Have you ever wanted to pack everything up and do the Big Lap around Australia?  Kirianna Poole did, and so along with her husband, they bought a vintage camper, refitted it, and with a toddler in tow, circumnavigated Australia. They’ve now also covered the length of New Zealand and have Japan in their sights. Kiri talks to Kirstie about her book, The Slow Road Cookbook, her remarkable journey (an...

 Fancy taking broomstick riding classes, or discovering thePeaky effect in the British Midlands? Maria Sykes of Visit Britain encourages you to load your watchlist with the best new Brit flix, including the new Bridgerton and The Crown series, and Welcome to Wrexham for some Welsh football action. Add Wonka to the mix, then go explore the destinations, including Oxford, Bath and Lime Regis. For mo...

“Maui needs visitors, it’s very much open .. and the more people that come to visit and spend money here, the better it is for Maui’s recovery”, says Lianne Driessen from Sail Trilogy , a 50-year-old tourism business integral in helping rebuild Maui . Lianne talks to Kirstie about the fires that devastated Maui, including claiming her own home 12 weeks ago, and what you can do to help in its recov...

Walking slowly in silence in the Nepalese Himalayas is just one of the ways travel writer Nina Karnikowski says we can embrace mindful travel.  Belle talks to Nina about taking the time to travel, and taking in the world around us on a more acute level. “We can travel at a pace so fast, we actually miss all the wonder around us as we tick our boxes and return home exhausted," she says.  You c...

Bill Bensley is world renowned for his unique, inspiring and award-winning hotel designs and eye-catching architecture, bringing to life more than 200 resorts, hotels and palaces in over 30 countries. He is also a concerned conservationist and passionate philanthropist, and a pioneer in helping communities, and preserving conservation and wildlife. He tells Kirstie why he’s so passionate about phi...

Skiing in Japan in 2023/24 is going gangbusters. Europe is having a sweet spot with prices and new snow experiences.  And there’s always Canada – Whistler and the Powder Highway string of resorts. The question is: where should you ski this northern winter? Powder hound and journalist Flip Byrnes has slid on every continent, and answers all your ski questions as she talks about her new book, Ultima...

Bininj man Ben Tyler talks to Belle about growing up in what’s now Kakadu National Park, in the Northern Territory. The creator of the Dird Full Moon Feasts at Cooinda Lodge, Ben talks about foraging for bush tucker, speaking language and the power of Country. To find out more about the Dird dinners and travelling in Kakadu, visit kakadukitchen.com.au To learn more about the Bininj Kunwok language...

Where do you go to step off the beaten track of wine – away from the unholy trinity of chardonnay, shiraz and sauvignon blanc? Author and wine writer Max Allen talks to Belleabout his new book, Alternative Reality: How Australian wine changed course . The book includes the best cellar doors in Australia where you can explore the exciting alternative grape varieties we’re drinking (or should be dri...

Morocco is a country that relies heavily on tourism, and it has a long road ahead to recover from the devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,900 people when it struck the High Atlas Mountain range near Marrakech just weeks ago. Australian David Mannix of Arcadia Expeditions, who lives in Marrakech, talks about his experience “being shot around like a pinball” during the quake and how you c...

It’s the last country to open its doors after the pandemic, but travel to China is finally back, as Wendy Wu , founder of Wendy Wu Tours tells us. Also, what do you do if you meet a bear in the woods? We ask former software developer Marg Leehane, now the owner of the Great Bear Lodge in the wilds of British Columbia. Also, how to claim credits for unused flights from Qantas and Jetstar and new re...

K-Pop, too-cute hanok guesthouses and some of the world’s best street food: travel consultant Lachlan Woodland talks about why you need to get on board the next flight to Korea. Also, Toni Ambler of The Travel Corporation on how you can help keep ancient traditions alive – from weaving to flamenco – by travelling responsibly. We also talk about how you prepare to go on a wellness retreat, and fina...

Have the best wildlife encounter (best for you, best for the wildlife), and is Bali really all it’s cracked up to be? Also, sip your way around the world at these leading wine destinations and find out how you can while away your time (for free!) at the airport. What an episode! Kirstie catches up with award-winning wildlife photographer and journalist Rachelle Mackintosh to chat about the powerfu...

What’s your worst fashion disaster while travelling? Believe us, we’ve made them all – white snow gear, red wildlife safari jackets… Tune in as we spill the beans. We also go on a series of day walks around Melbourne with the authors of a new book, Day Trip Melbourne, and wind down on a slow travel journey through Switzerland with Swiss expert Carolyn Schonafinger.  Walkers and authors Evi O and A...

We’ve hit double digits! We’re talking tourism that changes the lives of children in remote South African communities with Charles Street of Inkwazi Adventures, and caravanning around Australia with the queen of the caravans, author Catherine Best. We're also talking about how to avoid being hacked from an airport selfie and how bucket-list destinations have changed. Charles Street is the fou...

We're in love with a new collation of stylish and sustainable stays, GoKinda , and talk the Australian author of Lost in Florence about off-the-beaten travel spots in this tourist hotspot. We also take you through all the newest Melbourne hotel openings, and do you know when you should book your travel insurance? Alison Greer is the founder of GoKinda, a new hotel booking platform that helps...