100 Greatest Holidays of Australia: The Panel

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We gathered 20 of the most in-the-know, well-travelled people in the country to bring you the ‘100 Greatest Holidays of Australia‘.

Jen Pinkerton

Specialties: NT, indigenous culture, wilderness, eco-travel
Darwin-based journalist Jen Pinkerton has worked in the features department for Prevention, was a reporter for The Canberra Times and won an Australian Food Media Award in 2010. A regular contributor for Australian Traveller, Jen lectures in writing at Charles Darwin University and runs workshops at the Northern Territory Writers’ Centre. Any travel that involves the Top End and indigenous culture has her heart.

Max Anderson

Specialties: Luxury, gourmet travel, SA
Max Anderson is the editor of Adelaide Hills Magazine and writes for publications including Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Guardian. He is the former editor of Ansett’s in-flight magazine, Panorama, and deputy editor of the travel section of The Sunday Times. He has won a number of awards including AITO British Travel Journalist of the Year and two North American Travel Journalist Awards.

Sue Gough Henly

Specialties: Gourmet travel, indigenous culture, luxury, adventure
Award-winning travel writer and photographer for more than 25 years, Victorian Sue Gough Henly has written for The New York Times, Travel & Leisure, The Guardian and many major Australian publications, including Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She is the author of Australia’s Best Places travel app, and has been a book editor in New York and Seattle.

Georgia Rickard

Specialties: The outback, long weekends, city stays, adventure
Author, producer and Australian Traveller editor was a lifestyle journalist prior to joining the team two years ago. Before living and breathing Australian travel, she contributed to Cosmopolitan UK, GQ, Sunday magazine, Sydney Morning Herald, and the Sunday Telegraph. Her work has been syndicated globally and she is a radio regular. You can see her speaking about Australian travel on SKY News.

Inger Vandyke

Specialties: Islands, marine, wildlife, beaches
Photojournalist and eco tourism pioneer Inger Vandyke has contributed her images and stories to over 20 publications including Australian Geographic and National Geographic. Growing up on the Great Barrier Reef, her passion lies in island and marine conservation. She has led photography and natural history trips in Australia and has been involved in the establishment of Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands as destinations.

Andrew Bain

Specialties: Cycling, hiking, Tassie
An expert on all things adventure and outdoors, Hobart-based travel writer Andrew Bain is the author of Lonely Planet guidebooks Walking in Australia and Cycling Australia and was awarded the Australian Society of Travel Writers’ Best Australian Story in 2010 and 2013. He has cycled from Cairns to Cape York, hiked the Larapinta Trail, the Overland Track, and traversed the Cape to Cape Track many times.

Catriona Rowntree

Specialties: Where do we begin?
With more than 18 years as a travel reporter for Channel Nine’s Getaway, Catriona Rowntree is an authority on all things travel. Previous to that, she worked as a researcher for BRW, in various newspapers, on radio and other TV programs such as Wonder World!. Now based in rural Victoria, she has penned two books including Catriona’s Australia: 100 of My Favourite Aussie Locations, and blogs on her website.

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Tom Neal Tacker

Specialties: Gourmet travel, eco travel, Victoria
Tom Neal Tacker serves on the Advisory Board of the Australian Festival of Travel Writing and is a frequent guest speaker for Australia’s Travel Writing Festival and Melbourne’s International Writer’s Festival. He has edited and contributed to several books including Gourmet Touring Around Australia and Red Dust & Wanderlust and is editor of online magazine nakedhungrytraveller.com.au, which is all about ‘honestly naked’ travel writing.

Louise Goldsbury

Specialties: Cruising, luxury, hotels
Named Best Travel Writer at the 2013 National Travel Industry Awards, Sydney-based Louise Goldsbury has been a journalist for 20 years. Louise is the editor of Travel Daily Cruise Update, a regular contributor to Sydney’s Sun Herald as well as Australian Traveller and International Traveller. This cruise aficionado takes around 10 cruises a year and writes about it on her website cruiseylife.com.

Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt

Specialties: Camping, beaches, adventure
Host of travel television program The Great Australian Doorstep, Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt is probably best known for his 16 years on the footy field, but his new gig sees him travelling the country by 4WD, caravan, tent and motorhome. He is based on the Gold Coast, hosting the morning breakfast show on Gold FM, is the face of Coleman Australia’s Bigfoot camping range and launched fishing e-magazine XXXX Anglers in 2013.

Christine Salins

Specialties: Gourmet travel, ACT
Editor of the Food and Wine section in The Canberra Times for eight years, Christine Salins is a highly respected restaurant reviewer and judge, regular wine columnist and travel writer and has been a journalist for over 30 years. She runs her website foodwinetravel.com.au, where she shares her food and travel stories and recipes. During her participation in this panel, she also relocated to Queensland – busy!

Suzanne Medway AM

Specialties: Eco tourism, wilderness
President of the Wildlife Preservation Society, Suzanne Medway has been given the remarkable honour of Member of the Order of Australia in 2013. She is also editor of the society’s quarterly magazine, and three books Conserving Australia’s Wildlife, Conservation Victories and Battles Yet to Win and 100 Years of Saving Australia’s Wildlife, as well as having previously worked for the Observer in London.

Keith Austin

Specialties: Gourmet travel, weekends, luxury
Sydney-based Keith Austin has been a journalist for more than 35 years working as the travel editor, features writer, chief sub, reviewer and columnist for Sydney Morning Herald. He was editor of four editions of Good Food’s Pub Food Guide for NSW, has worked for many other publications including The Sunday Times, Readers’ Digest, Good Weekend and The Guardian, and written two young adult books and edited two cookbooks.

Fiona Harper

Specialties: Adventure, boating, luxury, Queensland
Fiona Harper is a freelance travel writer and photographer whose articles have been published in many magazines, newspapers and websites globally, including Foxtel Travel Channel, CNN Travel and REX’s in-flight magazine. This Cairns-based girl is widely travelled – she’s travelled Queensland by mountain bike, motor bike, foot, air, road and sea, and also has her own blog, travelboatinglifestyle.com.

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Craig Tansley

Specialties: Adventure, luxury, remote travel
For the past 17 years, Melbourne-based travel journalist Craig Tansley has written for many prestigious titles including Sydney Morning Herald, Financial Review and the Sunday Times in London, not to mention been a regular contributor to Australian Traveller and International Traveller. Spending about six months on the road every year, this travel buff’s speciality is high-end adventure and remote travel.

Fleur Bainger

Specialties: WA, wilderness (especially the Kimberley), gourmet travel
Feature and food writer for the Sunday Times Magazine, Fleur Bainger has also worked on travel podcasts for Lonely Planet and has written for Outback Magazine, OUTthere Magazine, The Australian’s Travel and Indulgence, Cruise Passenger, Qantas’ Travel Insider and Australian Traveller. She has been a presenter and reporter on numerous radio programs on the ABC and a news journalist at Nova.

Lee Atkinson

Specialties: Road trips, wilderness, NSW, the outback
Lee Atkinson has been writing about travel for 23 years as former editor of magazine The Open Road, author of several books such as Australia’s Best National Parks, On the Road: 40 great driving holidays in Australia and Frommers guidebook Sydney Free & Dirt Cheap. She is a life member and past president of the Australian Society of Travel Writers and contributes to many publications including The Sun Herald.

Brent Wallace

Specialties: Luxe travel, hotels, resorts
If you ever need some advice on how to travel in style, Brent Wallace is the man to talk to. He is the director of multiple Australian travel companies including travel agency Fairlights and the co-founder and General Manager of Riche Hotels & Resorts, a luxury travel tour operator collaborating with the most spectacular and stylish hotels and resorts across the world. He also writes his own travel blog, wheresbrentbeen.com.

Daniel Scott

Specialties: Road trips, family travel, spas
Award-winning travel writer Daniel Scott won the accolade of Australian Travel Writer of the Year 2011 and was listed as a finalist in 2013 for the Kennedy Journalism Awards for Outstanding Travel Writing. He is currently a regular contributor to Wall Street Journal, Fairfax Media, Telegraph Media Group, CEO Magazine and Australian Traveller. He is also the creator and tutor of a travel journalism course at the British College of Journalism and Morris Media.

Kerry Heaney

Specialties: Gourmet travel, Qld, camping
Kerry Heaney is president of the Australian Travel Writer’s Association and writes regularly for Escape Travel, Jetstar Magazine, Where Magazine, Get Up & Go, Selector Food Wine Travel and Tiger Tales. She edited Go Camping Australia magazine for more than 10 years and is ranked number seven in the Top 100 Australian Food Social Media Influencers. Her blog chronicles her food and travel experiences: eatdrinkandbekerry.blogspot.com.au.

 

MORE: See the full ‘100 Greatest Holidays of Australia‘ list

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8 incredible hikes just outside of Melbourne

    Australian Traveller Australian Traveller
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    Just over an hour from Melbourne, spectacular walking and hiking trails encompass ancient landscapes, forested ridgelines and volcanic peaks.

    Just a short drive from the city, the urban sprawl gives way to rolling hills, mineral springs, and lush forests that will have you feeling like you’re in the bucolic countryside of France. Encompassing Daylesford, the Macedon Ranges, Castlemaine and the Central Goldfields, this pocket of Victoria is a region where nature, art, and wellness intertwine. Heritage towns hum with creativity, good food and wine, and welcoming locals. While Daylesford hikes, and those nearby, offer the chance to take a pause and reconnect with nature.

    1. Hanging Rock Summit Walk

    Hanging Rock Summit Walk
    Take in views across the Macedon Ranges.

    Etched into folklore, few places in Australia carry as much mystique as Hanging Rock. Rising dramatically from the plains near Woodend, this volcanic mamelon offers a beautiful nature walk. The walk begins at a gentle pace, weaving through shaded woodland before it gets a little steeper as the path starts to climb and twist to the summit. From here, you’ll have views that stretch across the Macedon Ranges. The walk is roughly 1.8 kilometres return, but the real reward lies in standing among the weathered boulders, feeling the age and energy of the earth beneath your feet.

    2. Macedon Ranges Walking Trail

    Macedon Ranges Walking Trail camel's hump lookout
    Walk to Camel’s Hump. (Image: Clair Derwort)

    The Macedon Ranges Walking Trail traverses around 19 kilometres of forest and mountain landscapes. The full trail is a six-hour circuit, with most of the walk being a grade three; however, you don’t have to tackle it all at once. There are shorter walks that will take you through the tall mountain ash forests, to tranquil picnic areas, and sweeping views from Camels Hump and the Memorial Cross. The best times of year to head out are autumn, when the mountain turns into a tapestry of crimson and gold, and spring, when wildflowers brighten the trail.

    3. Mount Alexander Traverse

    Mount Alexander Traverse
    Take in the serenity.

    Towering above the goldfields near Castlemaine, Mount Alexander is a granite giant that offers some great bushwalking trails. The Mount Alexander Traverse winds along the mountain’s rocky spine through dry eucalypt forest that opens up in sections to reveal beautiful panoramas across Loddon Valley and all the way to the distant Grampians. Once a site of ancient volcanic activity (and later a gathering place for the Dja Dja Wurrung people), the mountain’s granite tors are now quiet and create a beautiful, serene atmosphere for a moment of reflection while walking.

    4. Murmuring Walk

    Murmuring Walk daylesford hikes
    Circle the picturesque Sanatorium Lake.

    Located an easy drive from Daylesford, Murmuring Walk offers something a little different. Circling Sanatorium Lake, this free audio-guided walk aims to immerse you in the rhythms of Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country by blending the sounds of nature with a multi-layered soundtrack. There are two routes to explore while you listen: a shorter loop around the lake itself and a longer circuit that extends deeper into the woodland.

    5. La Gerche Forest Walk

    La Gerche Forest Walk
    Walk into history on the La Gerche Forest trail.

    Located in Creswick, the La Gerche Forest Walk honours the legacy of John La Gerche, a 19th-century forester who championed the regeneration of the then gold-rush-ravaged land. Today, over 100 years later, his replanting efforts have grown into a living cathedral of towering pines, oaks, and native gums. As you meander along the 2.2-kilometre circuit, you’ll find interpretive panels along the way that help tell the story of La Gerche’s vision, so you can learn as you wander.

    6. Sailors Falls Loop

    Sailors Falls Loop
    See these spectacular falls. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Just outside Daylesford, Sailors Falls tumbles through a fern-lined gorge, fed by mineral springs. Thought to be named after the sailors who jumped ship to seek gold in the area during the 1850s gold rush, the loop walk begins at the car park and descends through a cool, shaded gully to the base of the falls. From here, you’ll make the climb back via the mineral springs. It’s a short but enchanting walk – about 1.5 kilometres in total, so make a day of it by packing a picnic to sit by the springs; you’ll feel worlds away from the city.

    7. Paddys Ranges Loop Walk

    Further north, the Paddys Ranges State Park loop reveals a different side of Victoria’s Heartland – dry forest, golden light and hints of a gold-rush past. This protected reserve is a stronghold of box-ironbark woodland, providing vital refuge for endangered species. In spring, the forest floor is awash with the colour of over 230 species of wildflowers, so a springtime walk is a must-do. As you walk the 4.5-kilometre loop trail, keep an eye out for remnants of old mine shafts and rusted relics from the prospectors who once sought their fortunes here.

    8. Mount Franklin Summit Walk

    Mount Franklin Summit Walk
    Take in forests and waterfalls along the way to the top of Mount Franklin.

    An extinct volcano turned picnic ground, Mount Franklin (known as Lalgambook to the Dja Dja Wurrung people) is one of the region’s quiet marvels. The summit walk follows a narrow, winding path through native forest to the crater’s rim, where you’ll get glimpses of farmland and forest below. It’s a moderate climb – just over an hour return, so it can easily be done if you’re camping in the surrounding reserve for a weekend nature retreat.

    The trails of Victoria’s Heartland offer a chance to reconnect with the landscape, local history and yourself. Start planning your next adventure at daylesfordmacedonlife.com.au.