Would you cycle for more than 210 kilometres in 30+ degree heat around southern Sardinia? For host Kirstie Bedford it was a dream come true.Kirstie just spent a week biking the hills of the Italian island, all in the name of fun. She rode through an abandoned medieval village, biked through a Blue Zone, climbed hills to scour some of the Mediterranean's most beautiful beaches, and drank wine with locals to celebrate what Italians do best – live life to the fullest.Take a listen to learn some ...
“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, lyndeymilan.com In this week’s episode of The World Awaits, food extraordinaire Lyndey Milan t...
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 (and two more pregnancies along the way), some of her favourite spots to stop, and her love of c...
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 more inspo, see visitbritain.com"People are exhausted… we see a lot of people burning out, so guest...
“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 recovery, sailtrilogy.com Did you know there are only 45 foreigners living in the tiny kingdom of Bh...
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 can see more about Nina’s work, including her latest book, The Mindful Traveller, at ninakarnikowski.com...
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 philanthropy and his next big project, bensley.comAlso, Lonely Planet has released its new Best in T...
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, Ultimate Skiing and Snowboarding (Hardie Grant). We also cover off heli-ski in Greenland, why Italy...
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 of West Arnhem Land, visit njamed.com Also, nutritionist Sheryl Takayama shares some great tips ...
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 drinking) now. Keep listening to the end to hear his hot tip of the next big grape varietal… See melb...
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 can best support the North African nation. We also talk to By Prior Arrangement’s lead g...
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 research from @july unveils some rather…er… interesting things we’re packing on holiday. We urge you...
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 finally - comfort seeker or mindful traveller? The latest research from booking.com says we’re one of...
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 powerful impact of seeing wildlife in their domain. She shares hair-raising tiger encounters, talks of he...
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 Andrew Grune have just released their newest book, Day Trip Melbourne (Thames & Hudsons) C...
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 founder of Inkwazi Adventures, and he shares how you can make a genuine difference to the communities...
We pick some of the most scenic movies now showing at the Melbourne International Film Festival, and find out what it’s like to walk the Camino de Santiago 35 times. We’ll also reveal the world’s most powerful passport and ask which is cheaper; a hotel or Airbnb?Welcome back to our entertainment reporter Alaisdair Leith, who’s picked movies from Ireland, Germany’s Baltic coast and the Sami lands of Norway for their incredible landscapes. He chats with Belinda Jackson about the movies – Afire,...
We're taking you to India, to the Victorian ski fields and to Italy. Life coach and tour leader Jo Langhorne of Soulful Escapes talks about how truly transformational travel can be, and why India tops her list for travel destinations that will change you, www.soulfulescapes.com.auAlso, as the Australia ski season kicks off this weekend, we catch up with Vail International Resort’s Emily Smith from her base at Hotham ski resort in northern Victoria to hear what’s happening on and off the ...
Welcome to the very first podcast of The World Awaits, with travel journalists Kirstie Bedford and Belinda Jackson. This week, we take you to Rome, Tasmania and Champagne. This episode, actress Alicia Gardiner talks about the filming locations you can visit in Tasmania where her newest series, Deadloch, was filmed. To see more, visit instagram.com/aliciagardiner__And Australian-Italian author Maria Pasquale tells us how to eat like a Roman. The author of The Eter...
Let's take you completely off the beaten track and to the ends of the Earth.Jenny Gray is the force behind Intrepid Travel’s women-only expeditions, which it runs in seven countries including Saudi Arabia. Jenny chats about travelling as a woman in the kingdom, exploring its deserts and meeting its people, merging two of the hottest trends in tourism at the moment - women-only travel and Saudi Arabia, intrepid.comAnd Antarctica and the Arctic are two of the last frontiers on the planet. Veter...