Travel Writers Radio

As travellers, we are always keen to experience something new in a hotel really appreciate the huge variety of brands now on offer from major hotels such as Accor or Marriott. So it was great for Graeme Kemlo to sit down for this one- on-one with Adrian Williams COO of Accor Pacific at Accor’s first Australian Lifestyle Hotel – Hyde Melbourne Place, which is making a real splash. Photo: Hyde Melbo...

When she's not co-hosting Travel Writers Radio, Helen Hayes produces magazines such as Ski & Snowboard, which is out now. She chats to Graeme Kemlo about what's in this issue, which appeals to skiers and snowboarders of all ages. skisnowboard.com.au

Going skiing or snowboarding in ill-fitting gear is not ideal. Enter Maria Baker, a woman who fell in love with snowboarding, but not with the available women’s skiwear that just didn't fit right. Maria did some extensive research and discovered that she was not alone, and that many women, of all shapes and sizes, wanted better-fitting gear. So she did something about it and long story short, Nobo...

Ever since Nagano hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics, the renowned Japanese ski region north-west of Tokyo has been popular with Australian enthusiasts, attracting record numbers each northern winter. Such is the appeal of the region’s powder snow, affordability and uniqueness, Australia ranks number one among the international visitors, a position skiers and snowboarders intend to maintain. However,...

Keeley Warren, our award-winning sustainability reporter, speaks with Sonia Teruel from The Regen Lab for Travel about reimagining tourism in light of issues including over-tourism in well-known destinations including Barcelona. Keeley and Sonia met up in Spain, in some ways the epicenter of moves to reform these tourism issues. The discussion explores how facilitated dialogues between locals and...

Fiona Harper is undertaking a phenomena that is peculiarly a Queensland invention. I heard a whisper that she was moving house, which is not so unusual, but she’s moving it lock stock and barrel, about 100 kilometres away. We’ll get the full story when it takes place but the Queenslander is a highly protected species in Qld and you can’t just knock one down and build new bricks and mortar residenc...

Melbourne travel writer Emily McAuliffe interviews Spencer Patrick, chef and founder of Tropical North Qyeensland's popular wine and food festival, Taste Port Douglas, about this year's event. Tickets have just gone on sale for the August 7-10 festival at tasteportdouglas.com. Image: Spencer and Reina Patrick

In our #Worth1000Words segment this image from Helen Hayes certainly grabs your attention...especially when the armed, unsmiling Solomon Islands warriors step out of the jungle to challenge resort guests before he checks with the village chief on whether to let you in. Helen explains.

The country came to the city to showcase their events wares on a wintery evening in Melbourne where the local 'uniform', the dark grey down-filled puffer jacket has replaced the summer suit coat. Despite the chill of single digits more than 200 people turned up to see what Victoria’s regions have to offer those who want to stage meetings and events outside Melbourne’s busy CBD. There were supplier...

What has just dropped at Travel Writers Radio this week? It is a jam-packed show where we take you to Japan, Spain, Port Douglas , and the Solomon Islands as well as local stories from our team in Melbourne. We thank you for listening and welcome your feedback to: info@travelwritersradio.com.

Our resident wine expert Tyson Stelzer has been reporting on the wine scene for us for about 10 years and we appreciate not only his broad knowledge of gthe industry and its products, but he’s a multi-winner of the Wine Communicator of the Year award. So we love how he can make it palatable to all of us. Tyson discusses with Graeme Kemlo the state of the industry globally and at home. Could Englan...

Uncovering My Son's Legacy Located 55 kilometres in the misty mountains outside of Hoi An lies My Son. Pronounced “mee-sun”, these ruins in Central Vietnam date back to the 4th century. They were inhabited for hundreds of years by the Cham people, known for maritime skills and commanding local trade routes. The site stands as a reminder of the historically-rich Vietnamese landscape, bearing scars...

Carolyne Jasinski loves cruises not only as a guest, but an enrichment speaker But when she embarked yet again to sail the seven seas. In this case you flew to Singapore and took an Oceania cruise around Asia. There’s a lot to love about the sip, the level of service, food, and accommodation. Unfortunately the ship cannot control everything and yshe found one shore excursion quite perplexing. Mayb...

Veteran reporter Mike Smith who has done a lot of overseas travel throughout his career so he knows a thing or two about staying safe and well. Tonight he has a report on travel insurance and some of the incredible claims paid out - think serious six figure sums - that would have forced people to sell their homes to pay medical bills had they not taken out a policy before departure.

Fiona Harper is a true lover of all things watery, and she has reported on diving into tropical lagoons, freezing arctic plunges, sailing where the breeze takes her and more. This week she tells us she has been gathering human interest stories and images in the Solomon Islands, home to some of the best diving on the planet. She met some marvelous people, enjoyed a variety of fresh local produce. F...

It was the title of the book that captured Graeme Kemlo’s interest – Mature Flaneur in New Zealand – a French word that equates to strolling somewhat aimlessly around the streets of Paris. Graeme had once done just that - deliberately got lost in Paris - and now he had a name for it. So he arranged to speak with the author, Tim Ward, whose latest of 12 books he’s written covers a three month slow...

Melbourne, which is a city highly regarded for its culinary and coffee scene and its international sporting eventsd, has gone Full Fondue. The arrival ov 18 French Alpine chalets dispensing fondue on our chilly autumn evenings is the latest innovation. It has also seen the arrival of two tonnes of French cheese into which guests will fondoodle. Graeme Kemlo and Carolyne Jasinski remember the 1970s...

Here's the latest from the Travel Writers Radio and Podcast first heard on J-Air 88FM in Melbourne, online and also streamed. Listen to hear about our stories about food, wine, lifestyle and travel. We're independent of major media. we are transparent, we're not inflluencers just professional broadcasters and journalists telling interesting stories over the past 11 years and 435 episodes. And we s...

The Les Miserables Arena Spectacular opened recently in Sydney and is now playing in Melbourne, then Brisbane. It features some of the best songs created for musicaak theatre, based on a novel by Victor Hugo set in 19th century France. if you did not get to see the original stage musical, could you just go along to this arena show and appreciate the piece? Our co-host Helen Hayes says, "don''t wal...

Vietnam wasn’t on Karin Avila’s list of must-see destinations. But a 12-day journey exploring the water puppet theatres of Hanoi to the manicured gardens of Tra Que—a 400-year-old seaside “vegetable village”—left her captivated. Once scarred by war, Vietnam has risen to become one of the world’s most sought-after destinations. The food is fresh and plentiful, the coffee bold and sumptuous, and the...

Phil Brown in New York looks at Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office and his impact not only on the rest of the world, but how did New York react to everything that went on. Phil reports on the local reaction to the Trump administration

Here's the .latest in food, wine, lifestyle and travel from Travel Writers Radio, produced and presented by PALAT - the Professional Association of Lifestyle and Travel Writers. we;re proud to have been ranked in the Top 10 Travel Podcasts in the World this year. So thank you for listening. We welcome your feedback or suggestions vie email: info@travelwritersradio.com Our show is first broadcast o...

So why are we seeing lless cruise ships in Port Phillip Bay and at Station Pier in Port Melbourne, a great location for access to the city by public transport. The truth is that Donald Trump is not the opnly government leader who uses the tariff to generage revenue, In December 2023 the Victorian state Government levied with little notice a 15% tariff on cruise ships in a move they said was to hel...

Last week Alistair Smith explained perfectly why he chose to go the long way around, rather than speed the main highway from Melbourne to the Gold Coast. And giving himself four weeks on the road instead of a couple of days proved fruitful as he was free to explore interesting stops along the way. He continues his story tonight – a story you really could use to do your own round about adventure wh...

Kristin Henning continues her deep dive into the culture and food of Valencia Spain. Kris identifies the best places to eat and explains why Valencia is also a design center and a European Green City. After our chat, you'll find a link to her detailed post about Valencia on Travel Past 50. https://travelpast50.com/find-top-things-see-and-do-valencia-spain/