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Nov

Belinda Jackson wins Travel Writer of the Year 2025-26

I am so pleased to announce that I’m the Australian Society of Travel Writers’ new Travel Writer of the Year!

The awards were announced at a gala celebration hosted by the City of Greater Bendigo, and I couldn’t be more proud. It is the second time I’ve won this prestigious award, the last time was two years ago.

The three stories in my portfolio were drawn from Saudi Arabia, Oman and southern Spain, places I love equally, and were published in the Traveller section of the The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and in Luxury Escapes‘ glossy Dream magazine.

Traveller: AlUla, Saudi Arabia with The Royal Commission for AlUla Read the story here
Traveller: Southern Spain train odyssey with InnTravel Read the story here
Luxury Escapes: Heaven Scent in Oman, with Emirates, Anantara Hotels & Resorts and Shangri-La Group

The very generous prize is two business class tickets on Virgin Australia‘s domestic and short-haul international network – I reckon they’ll be easy to use!

Thank you to the Australian Society of Travel Writers, to the editors including Paul Chai, Craig Platt, Anthony Dennis, Jane Reddy and Trudi Jenkins, and to the tourism companies that continue to help travel journalists and writers produce detailed, quality (fact-checked) features, and to the public relations professionals who support and back us, even as budgets tighten and soundbites shorten. Huge thanks to Barking Owl Communications, Julia Spence PR, Lara McCabe at Burson, Nick Flynn, Zoe Shurgold and of course the sponsors, Virgin Australia

And a shout out to the team at Niyama Private Islands Maldives where I’m currently working on my next story (yep, it’s as tough as it sounds), who baked me the most beautiful cake when they heard the news.

Nov

Winner: ASTW Travel Writer of the Year!

I am so very, very, very pleased to tell you that I have been named Travel Writer of the Year 2023 by the Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW)!

The ASTW made the announcement at its awards ceremony in Sydney this weekend, a glittering occasion (not least because I decided to emulate a human mirrorball for the evening). It was one of three awards I received:

Best accommodation story; for my review of The Benev spa hotel in Beechworth, in Victoria’s High Country
The Jack Butters Award for outstanding contribution to the ASTW; and, of course,
Travel Writer of the Year 2023.

The Travel Writer of the Year entry requires submission of three features; I took a turn off the beaten path to include my solo travel in Saudi Arabia for Traveller.com.au, another women-only travel in Islamic countries, for the Sydney Morning Herald/The Age and a third story on journeying through the Malaysian state of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, for Gourmet Traveller magazine.

The Jack Butters Award is named after the first president of the ASTW, and recognises outstanding service to the ASTW. It’s a tricky one to talk about without sounding boastful – I organise the Victorian events for the ASTW, and in the past have managed its social media, encourage networking and connection within the industry and generally get my hands mucky on the job. I am very proud of this award, as it requires nomination from fellow members. So, thank you to those who thought of me at this time.

I send thanks to my editors, particularly Craig Platt for going out on a limb and running my women-in-Saudi piece on traveller.com.au, and for Anthony Dennis for seeing the need for a cover story on women-only travel in Islamic countries in the Sydney Morning Herald. Neither can be described mainstream topics. And sending thanks to Sarah Maguire, editor of the Explore section of Aust Community Media/Canberra Times/ Newcastle Herald, for indulging my love of raw linen and bush fragrances of The Benev in Beechworth.

I’m equally thankful for the sponsors who make such travel, especially Experience AlUla in Saudi Arabia, North East Tourism here in Victoria, Tourism Malaysia and the countless people who have helped and guided me on my years of travels in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Thanks also to the sponsors for each award – Virgin Australia who sponsors the Travel Writer of the Year award, and the lovely Victorian company Lancemore Hotels, who sponsored of the accommodation award, and finally, the ASTW itself and in particular, its board and awards committee. Without the ASTW, I would not have the friendships, the connections, the support and encouragement of the many, many talented people in its ranks.

And to end, here are the links for each piece:

Solo woman’s travel in Saudi Arabia – https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/visiting-saudia-arabia-as-a-woman-i-went-to-the-notoriously-sexist-country-as-a-solo-female-tourist-20220705-h24v9q.html

Women-only travel in Islamic countries – https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/travel-guide-for-women-travellers-in-the-middle-east-tips-and-advice-20220624-h24nad.html

Lore of the jungle: adventuring in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo – https://www.magzter.com/de/stories/travel/Gourmet-Traveller/LORE-OF-THE-JUNGLE

Slow road to a blissful state: The Benev, Beechworth, Australia – https://www.exploretravel.com.au/story/8124768/slow-road-to-a-blissful-state/

Sep

Airline review: Madrid to Cairo with Egyptair

Recently, I completed an epic trek from Cusco, near Macchu Pichu in Peru, to Cairo, Egypt.

Let me tell you, it took some serious, late-night internet hunting! I could have travelled via Sao Paulo, (Brazil) then across to Casablanca (Morocco) and on to Egypt, or from Sao Paulo via a 12-hour layover in Addas Ababa (Ethiopia) and on to Cairo. In the end, the best connections were flying from Lima (Peru) up to Madrid (with three hours cooling my heels in a secondary airport in Ecuador) with LATAM and from Madrid on to Cairo with Egyptair.

This is my review of the Egyptair flight – I’ve flown many times domestically and internationally with the national carrier – on the Madrid-Cairo route, a direct flight of 4 hours 40 minutes.

I’m going to paste my favourite para here, about the food on board:

Chicken or the beef? The beef arrives cubed in a sauce with spiral pasta, and is surprisingly comforting. It’s accompanied by a dried, tired salad, crackers, chocolate cake, a wholemeal dinner role, butter and a triangle of La vache qui rit (The Laughing Cow, incidentally, is the nickname of Egypt’s deposed military dictator, Hosny Mubarak).

Because you needed to know that last fact : )

Published in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age‘s Traveller section, you can read my full review of Egyptair’s service here.

Jul

Are we looking at the death of the EuroSummer? The cruise you need to look at now: Financial Review

Forty degrees in Paris? It’s fair to say the world is not right – in fact, The European Environment Agency says Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating up at twice the global average rate, due to proximity to the Arctic’s melting perimeter. So how does your EuroSummer cruise shape up?

I recently did a deep-dive on cruising trends for the Financial Review newspaper and whether the Med cruise still has its lure, in light of the crazy, crazy temps we’re seeing across Europe. And what I found was new destinations, shoulder-season cruises and even winter cruising, as we try to avoid the heat, the crowds and the unashamed price gouging that are the signatures of the EuroSummer.

“Peak season remains as popular as ever, and for good reason, there’s an incredible energy to Europe in summer that many travellers love,” commented one cruise liner.

“However, what we’re increasingly seeing is that experienced travellers, or those who have already done Europe in the peak season, are discovering the shoulder months of April, May, September and October. The weather is still beautiful, the itineraries are the same, but there is a little more breathing room, fewer crowds at the iconic sites, more flexibility, and often you can find better value. It’s less about one being better than the other, and more about knowing there’s a wonderful alternative that suits different travel styles.”

You can read the story here: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/travel/why-you-should-give-summer-cruises-the-cold-shoulder-20260520-p5zz33

Jun

Six years on the Trans Canada Trail with filmmaker Dianne Whelan | The World Awaits

At 50, filmmaker Dianne Whelan set out to walk and kayak the longest trail in the world, the 24,000km-long Trans Canada Trail.

Divorced, her dog had died, with doomsday in the headlines, she says she needed to make sense of the world.

Her film, 500 days in the Wild, opened recently in Australia and documents her extraordinary six-year journey. She talked to me about the project recently on The World Awaits podcast. The stats are extraordinary: she talks about paddling 8000km of water trails and walking, biking and even snowshowing 16,000km across land on a journey that has defined an entire decade of her life.

Throughout the journey, Dianne carried all her filming equipment to document the journey. I am fascinated about the logistics: how she kept everything charged, downloaded and protected – she spent months at a time in the high Arctic, at the mercy of wild water, snow, wild animals and all the elements.

She tells of not seeing anyone for months at a time, of escaping bears (all while carrying a cup of coffee) and paddling for months across the world’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Superior. In her six-year odyssey, she also found peace, awareness, acceptance and even love.

If you can, see the film – it also has a great soundtrack, opening with First Aid Kit, with Australia’s own Xavier Rudd and classic Joni Mitchell in the mix.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Watch the trailer for Dianne’s film: garage.com.au/500-days-in-the-wild/

Links:

https://www.theworldawaits.au/podcast/episode/7bc831f2/ep-147-six-years-on-the-trans-canada-trail-with-filmmaker-dianne-whelan-worst-airline-experiences-australias-best-town

Jun

Giveaway! Win a night’s stay at MOXY Sydney Airport hotel with The World Awaits podcast

Win a night’s stay for two at the chic Moxy Sydney Airport hotel with 14 nights’ valet parking, through this giveaway with my travel podcast, The World Awaits.

You and your fave friend win:
• A night’s stay at MOXY Sydney Airport
• Buffet breakfast at MOXY Kitchen for 2
• up to 14 nights’ free valet parking
• return airport shuttle transfers

To enter:
⭐️ Follow @theworldawaitspodcast
⭐️ Follow @moxysydneyairport
⭐️ Like the competition post https://www.instagram.com/p/DYmIAF_ReQ8/
⭐️ Tag a friend you’d like to take

Thanks to MOXY Sydney Airport hotel for this fantastic giveaway!

The World Awaits x MOXY Sydney

*****

T&Cs: Competition closes Thursday 18th June 2026 and will be announced on the podcast on 25 June 2026. Airport shuttle bookings must be made in advance via: https://moxysydneyairport.247activities.com/ Valet parking for up to 14 consecutive nights from check-in date. Additional parking beyond 14 nights available for $10 per night (vehicle restrictions apply)

Jun

Flight review: Melbourne-Jakarta-Tokyo with Garuda Indonesia | Sydney Morning Herald

If you’ve ever tried to find a last-minute ticket to Japan from Australia in sakura (cherry blossom) season, read on. You’ll know direct flights sell out hotter than a plate of piping takoyaki balls, and when you do find a seat, you need to sell a body part to get your backside on that seat for the 10 1/2-hour flight.

Faced with this dilemma recently, and needing to buy two tickets, I took a circuitous route with Garuda Indonesia, the country’s flag carrier. Yes, the flight was longer. Yes, it had a three-hour layover in Jakarta (lovely airport) and back via Denpasar (for all the Bintang singlets, yogawear and seriously overpriced food – however the TUMI shop had some great bargains, if you’re browsing). But for this review for the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers, I took away a few very interesting lessons…

Did you know that you can fly Australia-Tokyo, and break your stay in Indonesia, at no charge, for up to a month’s stay? That’s a two-destination holiday, Tokyo and Bali, for the price of one! And if you’ve been watching the travel stats, you’ll know that Japan has recently taken over Indonesia (specifically, Bali) as the most popular international holiday destination for Australians.

I need to point out that Garuda has won Skytrax‘ award for best cabin crew multiple times, which sort of surprised me, but then in the flight, I found the service to absolutely live up to the award, on and off the plane. At one point, my travel companion left a small toiletries bag in her seat when we arrived in Jakarta. We reported it to customer service, who told us to take a seat, and in about 20 minutes, they’d run back to the flight, found the bag and returned it to us with a flourish and lots of smiles.

Also, they made a point of telling me that if you book a ticket with multiple guests on it, you automatically get seated together on the flight. I mean, people, this should not be so shocking, but having been split from my (then) five-year-old child on an international flight, and frequently flying with the (now much larger) child, it is a constant stress for many parents, who are thus forced to pay for seat allocations on top of their air fares. So, hats off to Garuda for maintaining what should be (and used to be) a basic service for passengers .

And final takeaway, the beef rendang served in flight is delicious – in economy. If you are an omnivore, you can’t go wrong with this meal choice.

For the basics: I flew Melbourne (MEL) to Jakarta (CGK) on Flight GA717.

The MEL-CGK flight runs four times weekly on an Airbus A330-300. Don’t expect glamour: it’s teal and chocolate. Need I say more? Ok, I will – the usb chargers are stupefyingly slow (as is the case on many airlines) and the sound didn’t work on the flight of one of my legs (I just plugged into the vacant seat beside me).

I flew Economy, and I’m a window-seat girl, sitting in seat 28A. The flight time is 7 hours 35 minutes from Melbourne to Jakarta, and about the same again on to Tokyo. And yay, I got three seats to myself so I slept all the way from Jakarta to Tokyo, arriving at 6am as fresh as an economy-class flight can ever leave you. It doesn’t beat a direct flight, but sometimes, needs must.

Flight review of Garuda Indonesia by Belinda Jackson

To read the full review, click here.

Disclaimer: my flight was not hosted by Garuda, but was paid for by Cruise Traveller. I paid for my daughter’s seat.

Jun

Self-drive safari v luxury game experience: South African safari two ways | Sydney Morning Herald

“Why don’t more Australians do a self-drive safari?” Australian crime novelist @tonyparkauthor had asked me months ago. He lives on the fringes of Kruger where he writes African thrillers, and he threw down the gauntlet.

So I went to find out: luxury or budget self-drive, each has its merits that the other simply cannot replicate.

Today, my cover story for the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers shares my discoveries (and that time my heart absolutely stopped) .

You can see my incredible, solo encounter with a pride on Sabie River here on my instagram.

Safari for starters – in the first part of this ‘safari two ways’ story, I was self driving and staying in rest camps in Kruger National Park, with also a stay in an extremely affordable little lodge in Manyeleti Game Reserve, adjacent to the park.

The wildlife was – hand on my heart – absolutely extraordinary. From lions to painted dogs, giraffes aplenty and sweet baby cheetahs. In fact, it was tween season! The absolute highlight has been seeing a white rhino, endangered to the edge of extinction.

The second part of my trip saw days spent blissfully off-grid with excellent, skilled safari guides and trackers in Sabi Sabi, in South Africa’s Greater Kruger. For an unbeatable morning commute, the drive home at the end of the day and my best ever airport transfer (includes zebras) 🦓 There are worse places to hide from the world – currently, I took refuge in Bush Lodge, in Sabi Sabi Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger, South Africa.

My home is the Mandleve villa, a sweet retreat from the madness of the human world. The animal world, however, is just a step outside – the baboons take free advantage of my pool, and play your cards right, and you get a free nyala visit with every booking.

I’ve fallen into the rhythm of safari – early mornings, day naps, sundowners – adding way too many meal stops with sunrise cuppas to high tea wedged in between.

I also talked about it all on our podcast, The World Awaits – take a listen for more!

Sydney Morning Herald’s Traveller cover story https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/budget-or-luxury-two-ways-to-do-a-safari-put-to-the-test-20260528-p601oe.html

The World Awaits travel podcast https://www.theworldawaits.au/podcast/episode/7be34fdf/ep-143-south-african-safari-by-e-bike-car-in-luxury-fuel-saving-tips-the-death-of-the-working-holiday

My encounter with the Pride of Sabie River, Kruger National Park https://www.instagram.com/global_salsa/reel/DZVw-gHJMNi/

May

Flight review: would you pay $900 to fly Perth to Melbourne? Canberra Times

In times of hardship and war, do airlines price gouge? That was the question top of mind as I flew from Perth to Melbourne, a 3.5- hour flight across Australia.

Grab the one-way fare on a really good day, and you’ll pay just shy of A$300. Some days, when it’s busy and in peak holiday seasons, you might have to pony up over $450.

But $900?

That was the price I paid, two days after Israel bombed Iran and started its war of choice in the Middle East.

To backtrack a moment, let me set the scene: I’m in Kruger National Park, in South Africa, when I’m notified that my flight from Johannesberg to Perth has been cancelled; the airline, South African Airways, has automatically rebooked me on the next flight, 24 hours later.

The problem arises as that international flight is bookended by two domestic flights, from tiny Skukuza airport to Jo’berg with Airlink, and then in Australia, from Perth home to Melbourne with Virgin Australia.

Unusually for me, the flights are all booked on separate tickets, owing to a business arrangement over who pays what for this work trip to Kruger, where I’m on a self-drive safari and also a stay in top-of-the-range Sabi Sabi Game Reserve (I know, please don’t cry for me).

So when one card slips, the whole house falls.

It takes a 10-minute phone call with a smiley consultant and an $80 change fee to move the Airlink flight – easy peasy.

The Virgin flight, however, is another story. The change fee of $99 I can wear. The $462 fare difference – for the same seat down the back near the toilet – is more than the original fare. Is it fair to call it extortionate? I’m going there. It’s extortionate.

Even more annoying, I thought I could perhaps blow some of my enormous pile of unused points upgrading to Premium Economy, or even slipping into the lounge, but no, my original fare of $300-ish (bought as part of a return ticket) makes me ineligible. It’s cash only, thanks. So I decline to give Virgin yet more cash.

In all, that flight touches $900. But, to add ignominy into the equation, when we do board the flight, it’s hot. Like, hot enough that the man sitting beside me, has bare arms, and sticks to me. That kind of hot.

The air-con has broken, the captain tells us, as we taxi back to the gate to sit for 30 minutes, until the engineers tell us to disembark and wait it out in the terminal. In the end, the flight takes off nearly six hours late. That means, instead of a mid-afternoon departure to arrive in Melbourne around 10pm, we take off at 10.30pm, crossing time zones to touch down at Tullamarine at 4.30am.

Gruesome, indeed.

My travel insurer has paid out the out-of-pocket expenses, less the $250 excess.

I know airlines are businesses, but at what point are they simply making hay while the sun shines, at the expense of the travelling public, who simply have little other options to get home (save a three-day train trip or 36-hour non-stop drive across the country)?

Read my flight review, published by ACM Media’s Explore Travel section, here.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9241171/would-you-pay-900-for-a-perth-to-melbourne-economy-flight-form-hell/

May

Haunted hotels, gold toothbrushes; the best and worst hotels: ABC Radio Adelaide

Gold toothbrushes? Someone else’s hair on the soap? What makes or breaks you for the best and worst hotels you’ve ever stayed in?

World's best and worst hotels you've stayed in?

Sam the Bellman, at the Fairmont Banff Springs, Canada.

While I was doing the prep for a chat with Jo Laverty on ABC Radio Adelaide this week, I realised that one of my deal breakers for worst hotel is if it’s haunted. If I’m staying in a hotel room on my own, I want to know that I’m the only person – living or dead – in the space. That old line from Hotel California, that ‘you can check out any time, but you can never leave,’ never sat quite right with me.

Some people love a good haunted hotel – and there are plenty of spooky stays around the world. Me? I’m not convinced they’re a good thing.

I don’t need the lights going on and off. My suitcase being moved. The unexplained knocks at the door at all hours of the night.

I’ve stayed at a few hotels in my time, and a surprising number have ghoulish backstories; the long-passed child who still cries in the night a century later, the dedicated doorman who still keeps to his post, years after he’s gone, the woman scorned, who waits, eternally, for lost love in her mansion.

But back to the gold toothbrushes – gold-plated, if you’re going to be pedantic.

The bathrooms, with their gold-plated toiletries, at Atlantis The Royal, in Dubai

It’s been my joy to review Atlantis The Royal, Dubai, one of the few (self-described) seven-star hotels in the world. (Even though I did turn up to the hotel, with its 90 pools and famed pool clubs, without my swimmers, which were left hanging in a shower cubicle in an Omani oasis. The swimsuit shopping was an experience in itself).

I’ve written about the Atlantis’ The Royal’s fabulous tea, its outrageous number and calibre of restaurants – with more Michelin stars than you could poke a stick at – and yes, it does actually have gold-plated toothbrushes, and razors, and combs, which I’ve since seen flogged on eBay.

On the flip-side, because bad news always sells, the biggest turnoff for a hotel is undoubtedly someone else’s hair. And we’re not talking about a stray strand left lovingly across your pillow after a night of passion. We’re talking short.

Curly.

And left on the soap.

And judging by the reaction of the radio host, Jo, and listeners calling or texting in, there are plenty of offenders. It also makes a very good case for liquid soap in hotel rooms, preferably from a refillable container, to make it even more eco-friendly.

If you’re curious about the seriously haunted hotel in Canada that I described in the radio interview, and want to know where it is, it’s the outrageously spooky Fairmont Banff Springs, which knows all about its ghostly guests, and even celebrates them. I swear, every time I think of walking through that hotel’s corridors, the hair on the back of my neck rises.

What are the best and worst hotels you’ve stayed in, and why were they so good or bad?

Apr

Why now is the best time to visit Afghanistan: The World Awaits podcast

Come to Central Asia’s forgotten country, Afghanistan.

I’ve long been fascinated by Afghanistan, since I first read historian William Dalrymple’s inspiring book In Xanadu; A Quest, and followed Irish travel doyenne Dervla Murphy, who cycled through Central Asia in the 1960s.

So I am very proud to bring this interview to you on my travel podcast, The World Awaits, about travelling in Afghanistan.

If you asked, “Why, of all times, would you run a story about the region now?” I’d respond, “If not now, then when?” Australia’s government foreign advisory

website Smartraveller has kept its advice, ‘Do Not Go’ unchanged for 20 years.

My guests are James Willcox of extreme travel group Untamed Borders, and also author of the new Brandt guidebook to Afghanistan, and Fatima Haidari, Afghanistan’s first female tour guide.

From Herat and now living in Italy, Fatima leads virtual tours through Afghanistan, a tribal country with enormous diversity. She talks not only about the tours, but the impact tourism has upon her country, from the natural beauty of Bamiyan, chaotic, crowded Kabul and the poetic heart of Herat.

“Isolation is the worst way to punish a population,” says Fatima, who shares the profit from the tours with a women’s education charity she established in Afghanistan. “Because the media is so heavily censored, tourism is one way to help open up the country. It helps local businesses and helps us to get out of isolation just a little bit.”

Listen on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or via our website https://theworldawaits.au

You can join Fatima’s virtual tours here https://untamedborders.com/itinerary/virtual-tours-with-fatima-afghanistan/

And take a tour with Untamed Borders https://untamedborders.com/

The Bradt guidebook to Afghanistan https://www.bradtguides.com/product/afghanistan-pb/

Champions of the Golden Valley https://www.championsofthegoldenvalley.com/

Secret Marathon Film https://thesecretmarathon.com/

Untamed Borders’ founder James Willcox

Podcast links

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/5eRb6ckSE286bxJugtDuRf?si=48279324689b4b0a
Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-141-travelling-in-afghanistan-keeping-your-eyes/id1689931283?i=1000760319714

Apr

Navigating the unknown – travel during the Middle East crisis & Australia’s best runway rooms

Travel has taken a huge hit with the Middle East crisis now entering its fifth week, and it can be challenging to keep up with what you should and shouldn’t do with travel plans during these significant and devastating world events.

This week on The World Awaits, my co-host Kirstie and I are sharing our Hot Take on the travel situation, bringing you the good and the bad news to help you navigate this uncertain time when it comes to travel plans – with some positive solutions.

Our tip is for all the the aviation geeks out there. We’re sharing the best runway rooms at Australasian airports; so if the sight of a plane taking off gets your blood pumping, this is the list for you. I’ve personally tried and tested a few, in fact, we recorded last week’s podcast in a suite on the eighth floor of the Novotel Melbourne Airport!

If you like the look of this super convenient hotel, jump on our giveaway to win a night at the Novotel Melbourne Airport – just enter via our instagram or facebook post – simply follow The World Awaits and the hotel, like and tag a friend for an extra entry.

And if you can’t get enough #avgeek, listen in for Belle’s tarmac tour of Melbourne Airport; the airport does occasionally offer similar tours, see melbourneairport.com.au/community/airport-tours

Download the SAILY app in your app store and use our code ‘theworldawaits’ at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase; see saily.com

Listen to The World Awaits on all major platforms, including

APPLE PODCASTS https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-140-hot-take-navigating-the-unknown-travel-during/id1689931283?i=1000758697943

SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vZaYF3Dbrzb2uWzkm5A4L

and via our website https://theworldawaits.au

Apr

Escape to the country, within the city limits: Marnong Estate, Victoria

Review of Melbourne hotel Marnong Estate, on the northern fringe of the city.

As a travel writer, I’ve got to say that it’s hard not to get gloomy when we see how the world has changed in the past few weeks – the whim of an orange man and his handlers changes our lives – and that’s not counting the human cost.

It’s kind of like COVID all over again, isn’t it? We suddenly find our wings clipped – whether we’ve planned to fly to Europe via the Middle East, or if the soaring cost of fuel has limited our local driving holiday.

So I bring you a timely story about a country escape within Melbourne’s city limits; Marnong Estate is many things; a vineyard, restaurant, cafe and farm, and also has stylish accommodation, making it the ideal place to sneak away overnight.

It’s my second time staying at Marnong – I reviewed the property when it first opened. Then, there were just four beautiful suites in the original bluestone homestead, which dates from 1840s.

This time, I stayed in one of the much, much newer 10 contemporary cabins; each cabin has a studio bedroom and a one-bedroom suite which are completely separate (or you can link the two up, if you’re travelling in a party – and Marnong caters for groups beautifully).

I reviewed the cabin accommodation for the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s Traveller section. To read the full feature, click here.

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