Retro revival: Why nostalgia is powering a new kind of travel

Australians are choosing to slow things down and bring the joy back to holidaying.

There’s a reason your dream holiday suddenly looks like a pastel motel, a vinyl bar or a road trip your parents took in the ’80s. Travel is in the middle of a full-blown retro revival, and nostalgia has become one of the most powerful forces shaping where and how we go on holiday.

Somewhere between the burnout, the endless scrolling and the pressure to see and do everything, Australian travellers have started craving something different. Not newer. Not faster. Just… simpler.

Welcome to retro revival travel, where the goal is not chasing the next big thing but reconnecting with places and experiences that feel familiar, comforting and timeless. From retro motels and old school road trips to heritage hotels, vinyl bars and analogue experiences, Australians are embracing nostalgia as a powerful way to travel.

It is not about novelty or dressing up for the sake of it. This is travel rooted in memory, emotion and a desire to slow down. And it is shaping where Australians are going and how they want to experience it.

Why nostalgia travel is resonating with Australians

More Australians are embarking on nostalgic road trips. (Image: Jordan McArthur, Mattea Carson)

Australian travellers are exhausted. Rising costs, packed itineraries, and an always-on digital life have changed how we think about holidays. More than ever, people want trips that feel grounding rather than overwhelming.

Nostalgia delivers that. Psychologists call it rosy retrospection. When life feels uncertain, we look back to moments that felt safe, joyful and uncomplicated. Travel is becoming a way to recreate that feeling, whether it is revisiting childhood holiday towns or choosing stays that feel like they belong to another era.

Millennials are driving much of the trend, fuelled by memories of caravan parks, coastal motels and long summer drives. Gen Z is following close behind, discovering retro aesthetics through film, fashion and social media and then seeking them out in real life. The result is a collective shift away from high-stress travel and toward experiences that feel slower and more personal.

The many ways retro revival travel shows up

Retro revival is not one thing. It is a collection of travel styles that share the same emotional core.

The great Australian road trip comeback

Nothing beats a trip to the Great Ocean Road. (Image: We Are Explorers)

Few experiences tap into nostalgia like an Australian road trip. Long coastal drives, inland highways and regional loops are back in favour, not as fast point-to-point journeys, but as the holiday itself.

Travellers are seeking out classic routes dotted with country bakeries, servo stops, roadside attractions, Big Things and pubs that look much the same as they did decades ago. Think the Great Ocean Road done slowly, the South Coast of NSW with motel stops, or a Queensland coastal drive punctuated by old school holiday towns.

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Australia’s retro motel renaissance

retro hotel — Retro-themed motels combine nostalgia with modern comfort. (Image: Kyneton Springs Motel)

Once dismissed as tired, motels are now one of the most exciting accommodation categories in Australia. Across NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, mid-century motels are being thoughtfully revived rather than replaced.

These stays celebrate their original bones. Curved brickwork, pastel tiles, neon signage and poolside rooms are paired with modern comforts and local food and drink. They feel nostalgic without being kitsch.

Motels like these are particularly appealing because they feel approachable. They remind Australians of childhood holidays while still offering a stylish, grown-up experience.

Heritage hotels and old school stays

Hyatt Canberra Hotel is one of the heritage hotels known for its Art Deco style.

Alongside motels, heritage hotels are seeing renewed interest, especially those that lean into their history. From grand country pubs to art deco city hotels and coastal guesthouses, Australians are choosing accommodation that feels lived in.

These stays offer something many modern hotels do not. A sense of place. Original details. Stories embedded in the walls. For travellers seeking nostalgia, it is not about luxury in the traditional sense. It is about atmosphere.

Vintage food, drink and nightlife

Birdsville Hotel at sunset — Classic pubs always stay relevant. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Retro revival extends well beyond where Australians sleep. It shapes where they eat and drink, too.

Old school milk bars, classic pubs, Italian-style cafes, vinyl listening bars and throwback cocktail lounges are becoming destination experiences in their own right. These venues feel familiar, unpretentious and rooted in community.

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Analogue experiences and slower travel

analog photography — Analogue photography is loved for its slower, more intentional experience. (Image: Getty Images/Maria Casinos)

One of the strongest signals of nostalgic travel is the return to analogue moments. Travellers are deliberately unplugging and choosing experiences that encourage presence.

Scenic rail journeys, heritage trams, ferry rides and historic walking trails are all seeing renewed interest. So too are hobbies that slow things down. Film photography, journaling, record shopping and sending postcards.

“I left my smartwatch at home," says Brisbane traveller Laura Finch after a recent trip through Tasmania. “I didn’t want to track steps or time. I just wanted to be there."

Why retro revival is not going anywhere

Retro revival travel is more than an aesthetic trend. It reflects a deeper shift in how Australians value holidays.

As travel becomes more accessible and more commercial, meaning has become the new luxury. Travellers want experiences that feel human, personal and emotionally resonant.

Nostalgia travel offers exactly that. A sense of belonging. A reminder of who we were. And a slower, gentler way to explore Australia.

In a world that keeps speeding up, travelling back in time might just be the most modern choice of all.

A 25-minute drive from Perth is all you need to be amongst generations of grape growers.

You might not know Swan Valley, but the vines here twist through almost 200 years of history. Today, plump grapes are still plucked, pressed by juice-stained hands and fermented into wine – a journey led by the same families who will pour it into your glass. And with that first taste, you’ve unknowingly become part of a generations-old tradition.

So, sit back and take a sip of a crisp white under that sun-speckled pergola and listen to the warbling of magpies – here’s what makes the Swan Valley so special.

Western Australia’s oldest wine region

Mandoon Estate bathed in the warm glow of sunset. — Sip your way through Swan Valley’s rich wine heritage. (Image: Tourism WA)

In 1829, the very year Europeans settled in Perth, the first vines were planted in the Swan Valley. Later, Croatian and Italian migrants blended their southern European winemaking traditions into the local viticulture, a combination that works so well in the Mediterranean climate here.

The result today is crisp, tropical Verdelho, dark, fruity Shiraz and plenty of Chenin Blanc – a third of the country’s Chenin Blanc is crushed here.

So where to start uncorking? Mandoon Estate has an Aboriginal art gallery and a sculpture trail, where you can taste an Indigenous food platter of smoked crocodile and emu sausages.

For a taste of the valley’s Italian heritage, head to Pinelli Estate Winery. Or, for something indulgent – and a little unusual, considering the inland location – RiverBank Estate Winery serves lobster straight from tanks, paired with that Chenin Blanc.

If you prefer something stronger in your glass, Talijancich Wines knows a thing or two about fortified drops: try its aged tawny, Muscat and liqueur Verdelho.

Sensational dining

A beautifully presented dish paired with champagne. — Pair great food with a scenic winery setting. (Image: Tourism Caversham)

The Swan Valley follows that great Australian wine-country tradition, with everything from unfussily fantastic pub meals and beer gardens to unexpected fine dining at cellar doors.

Start at Edgecombe Winery, which does brunch as well as drops. Their brioche French toast with raspberry and rhubarb coulis, poached pear and roasted pistachios will taste best when you’re perched at a table outside. Don’t forget to explore their orchard and wetland afterwards.

Pick up a box of freshly baked macarons from Maison Saint-Honoré (bien sûr) before heading to Valley Social for a North American barbecue-inspired feed. Chow down on beef brisket burnt ends and wash them down with a hemp-infused craft beer.

Baskerville Tavern is brewing beer again in the former Feral Brewpub. Order their Monday special – a classic chicken parmi – and try Slumdog Brewing’s regular range, including a tart blueberry sour made with fresh and freeze-dried berries. In winter, it’s time for their seasonal seven-malt stout, with notes of dark chocolate, coffee and caramel.

An unbeatable visitor’s centre

In Guildford is the Swan Valley Visitor Centre in a restored 1866 courthouse. Its award-winning staff know everything about anything happening in the Swan Valley. Pick their brains (and pick up a free map) before setting off. But, check out the centre’s Welcome to Country mural by local Whadjuk artist Chloe Caylon first.

Scenic drives

Use that handy Visitor Centre map to get a bit of everything on the Swan Valley’s 32-kilometre scenic loop, which connects over 150 attractions. Think roadside produce stalls, art galleries and historic buildings. Just remember to organise that designated driver if you’re extra keen on the vineyard stops.

Other drops

If the thought of wine makes your temples pulse, there are plenty of other tipples to tickle your fancy. Txoko Brewing in Baskerville takes its name from a Basque gathering place for cooking, drinking and socialising. Work through its rotating beers and plates of Spanish croquettes and sardines, then settle on the grass while the kids let off steam in the playground.

AmberChes Spirits Distillery uses locally sourced botanicals and fruit to make saltbush gin, lemon myrtle gin and Gincello, a twist on limoncello. Try its award-winning sloe gin, which was named Australia’s best at the 2025 Gin Guide Awards. Better yet, have a go at making your own in a hands-on gin-blending and distilling class among the vines.

Historic architecture and an arts scene

Traditional art celebrating First Nations culture. — Explore the stories behind the Swan Valley. (Image: Tourism WA)

Next: Guildford. It is one of WA’s earliest colonial settlements – but the history here goes back much further. The Whadjuk Noongar people are the land’s Traditional Custodians, whose Dreaming tells of the Wagyl serpent creating the gum tree-lined Swan River. Today, Guildford’s original town layout remains largely unchanged. Follow one of four heritage walks past 19th-century buildings, galleries and James Street’s antique shops.

Take home pantry staples

The display counter at Margaret River Chocolate Company. — Treat yourself to a chocolate-filled detour. (Image: Tourism WA)

Sometimes the little stops are just as good as the big hitters. Pull over at Margaret River Chocolate Company for free tastings of white, milk and dark chocolate. Then stop by Harvey Cheese Swan Valley for Lemon Myrtle Ash Brie or St Duke’s Red. End at The House of Honey, where you can sample local honey and get buzzy on honey ice cream pancakes.

Nature and wildlife

A close-up of a koala in its natural habitat. — Add a little wildlife adventure. (Image: Tourism WA)

If the kids have had enough of winery lawns, save the bottles for later and head to Caversham Wildlife Park. Here, you can hand-feed kangaroos and meet koalas and wombats. Catch working sheepdogs and sheep-shearing demonstrations at the Farm Show. Elsewhere in Whiteman Park, hop aboard a vintage train or tram, or cool off in the splash pool.

Finish at Bells Rapids, where fuchsia grevillea, crimson bottlebrush and yellow wattles bloom each spring.

Start planning your culinary escape at swanvalley.com.au.

Retro revival: Why nostalgia is powering a new kind of travel

Australians are choosing to slow things down and bring the joy back to holidaying.

Why nostalgia travel is resonating with Australians