The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your wanderlust

This week have interviews with two remarkable adventurers.
At 50, filmmaker Dianne Whelan set out to walk and kayak the longest trail in the world, the 24,000km-long Trans Canada Trail. 
Her film, 500 days in the Wild, opened recently in Australia and documents her extraordinary six-year journey. She talks about the project, paddling 8000km of water trails and walking, biking and snowshoeing 16,000km.
Our second interview is with Adventurer, environmental scientist, author, filmmaker, philanthropist, speaker, and Australian of the Year Tim Jarvis AM.
He chats to us about two of the harshest and most extreme Antarctic expeditions he completed – Douglas Mawson and Ernest Shackleton's survival journeys- and he did them in the original clothing, with the same gear used a century ago.
Jarvis also talks about his latest expedition and how travel can inspire conservation and the difference every traveller can make.
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First up Toby Venus of the Point Hacks podcast joins us to demystify frequent flyer points – how to earn, how to burn and creating a checklist to keep your points in good shape and working for you.   
Coming to you from the Novotel Melbourne Airport, Toby shares some sneaky hacks, and we're talking gift cards, credit cards, hotel loyalty programs and the difference between rewards seats and the perils of the points-plus-pay scheme, so buckle up, avgeeks!
Then, the heartfelt story of Silva McLeod, the first Tongan woman to become an airline pilot, who wrote about her incredible journey from 'Island Girl to Airline Pilot' in a memoir of that name.  
As well as telling us about her remarkable story, she also breaks down some myths about flying, from where pilots sleep to whether you should drink the water on the plane.
Buy her book here: exislepublishing.com/product/island-girl-to-airline-pilot/ 
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This week, we’re taking you on some of our own recent travel adventures from the postcard-worthy South Island of New Zealand to the wilds of South Africa.  
First up, Belle takes us on a self-drive safari through Kruger National Park and a stay in peak luxury game reserve Sabi Sabi with expert travel planner Travel Africa Your Way and she also e-bikes to the Cape of Good Hope, South of Cape Town, thanks to new tour company Cape Point Bike Tours. 
Our second interview is with Kirstie, who outlines a three-day adventure hiking and biking adventure on the Queen Charlotte Track and kayaking the glassy waters of the Marlborough Sounds. She explains how to get there and why this is one of the best places to hike in New Zealand. She's also got some great accommodation options pre- and post your adventure, wildernessguidesnz.com
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Welcome to our Winter Series! This week is all about hiking, from the French Camino to the wilds of Tasmania.
But first, we have a winner for our competition!  Truc Pham has won a night’s stay at the Moxy Sydney Airport hotel, buffet breakfast for two at the Moxy Kitchen, return airport shuttle transfers and up to 14 nights valet parking at the hotel! See marriott.com
Onto our winter series, Kirstie is chatting with UTracks hiking guide Jaclyn Beagley, who leads guests along the Le Puy Camino, also known as the French Camino. Jaclyn talks about the difference in the French section of the Camino compared with other hikes in the network of ancient pilgrimage routes across Europe, utracks.com
And for our second interview, Belle catches up with author Caro Ryan OAM, whose book, How to Navigate, teaches people the art of navigation and map reading, which she says is essential for safe bushwalking and getting people outdoors, connected to and caring for nature, lotsafreshair.com
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Hey set-jetters, it's the movie episode, and Belle is teaming up with our entertainment reporter Alaisdair Leith to talk the best of travel films. 
We’re chatting movie destinations, because  set-jetting is one of the hottest trends in travel at the moment, where you decide where to travel based on something you saw in a movie. But also, we want you to take this as a list of movies you should watch on your way to your next destination. 
Think New Zealand and Hobbiton, Game of Thrones for Northern Ireland and what’s now called the White Lotus effect - the fourth season is currently being filmed on the French Riviera, and expected to drop mid-to-late 2027 so buckle up for an overload of Saint Tropez.
Emily in Paris (and Rome), Eat Pray Love, North of North, The English Patient.... Alaisdair shares the best new films while Belle digs up the classics, and we throw a a few wild cards. 
Also, we share a roll-call of great film festivals coming up in Australia, diaries out!
Fire Pit Festival, Sydney christmasinjuly.com.au
South African Film Festival, Sydney 2026, 21 June–26 July saff.org.au
Melbourne International Film Festival (August 6–23) miff.com.au 
Adelaide Film Festival (October 14–25) adelaidefilmfestival.org 
Nordic Film Festival, national (July- August) nordicfilmfestival.com.au  

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