The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your wanderlust

Belinda Jackson & Kirstie Bedford
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Where does your wanderlust lead you? To Melbourne’s cafes or the vast deserts of the Empty Quarter, a New Zealand vineyard or the pavements of New York… what’s your neighbourhood? Join travel journalists and editors Kirstie Bedford and Belinda Jackson for inspiring stories and inside information from across the world. Website https://theworldawaits.auInstagram @theworldawaitspodcast Support us https://ko-fi.com/theworldawaits (thank you!)

  1. EP 132 Hiking the French Camino, Europe’s lesser-known regions you need to know about & what’s hot on the Sunshine Coast

    6D AGO

    EP 132 Hiking the French Camino, Europe’s lesser-known regions you need to know about & what’s hot on the Sunshine Coast

    This week, we're chatting with UTracks hiking guide Jaclyn Beagley, who leads guests along the Le Puy Camino, also known as the French Camino.  Jaclyn talks about why you should consider the French section of the Camino, and what it offers that differs from other hikes in the network of ancient pilgrimage routes across Europe. We also chat about the historic house she bought in Umbria, and she has some top tips for those considering buying a European holiday home. Also, we cover the latest report from Omio about Europe’s fastest-growing, lesser-known hotspots, and our tip this week is about discovering what’s new on the Sunshine Coast, including its first new-build all-service hotel in more than three decades. Omio travel report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QTceRcvMLOWwRSxKkX5dRo8UgUY0-LMs/view Send us a text Support the show Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au

    38 min
  2. EP 131 The Art of Navigation with wilderness advocate Caro Ryan OAM; travel trends for 2026 & Victoria's hottest new opens

    JAN 28

    EP 131 The Art of Navigation with wilderness advocate Caro Ryan OAM; travel trends for 2026 & Victoria's hottest new opens

    Bushwalker.  Author. Advocate. Rescuer.  Our guest this week is Caro Ryan, who has just been awarded an Order of Australia Medal for 14 years of service in bushwalking safety and community support in the Australia Day Honours 2026.  Caro leads a 60-person strong specialist Bush Search and Rescue team for the NSW SES in the Blue Mountains, where she lives. And her book, How to Navigate teaches people just that - 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.  Caro runs navigation courses including the upcoming Introduction to Navigation with Caro Ryan: Flinders Island Edition with Tasmanian Expeditions. And we ask for her best one-day and multi-day walks in Australia and overseas. See lotsafreshair.com  Also, we announce the winners of our giveaway of two of the best travel hat ever (tried and tested by the podcast team!) Tune in to listen to see if you won a Bahama Flexibraid Fedora by Australian designer Tina M Copenhagen! And finally, Airbnb reveals five travel trends that it says will dominate 2026 and our tip this week is about discovering what's new in Victoria this coming year. Whew!  Read Belle's forecasts in the Australian Financial Review: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/travel/the-best-restaurants-hotels-and-happenings-coming-to-victoria-in-2026-20260106-p5ns67  Send us a text Support the show Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au

    1h 1m
  3. EP 130 Adventurer Tim Jarvis AM on his journey to the ends of the Earth, plus tennis and travel budgets

    JAN 21

    EP 130 Adventurer Tim Jarvis AM on his journey to the ends of the Earth, plus tennis and travel budgets

    Adventurer, environmental scientist, author, filmmaker, philanthropist, speaker, and Australian of the Year Tim Jarvis AM... is there anything this man can't do? You'll think not after hearing about his adventures including undertaking two of the harshest and most extreme Antarctic expeditions – 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 talks about his journeys, his latest expedition, and he talks about how travel can inspire conservation and the difference every traveller can make. We also take you to the tennis with the Australian Open now in full swing in Melbourne, talk about Australia's travel spending with new ING research, and it might be a touchy subject, but the Movicol Constipation State of the Nation report is out (yes, there is such a thing!) and we chat about how to keep things moving when you travel. Send us a text Support the show Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au

    39 min
  4. EP 129 Summer Series staycation: Adventure in Noosa and Tassie's Central Highlands

    JAN 14

    EP 129 Summer Series staycation: Adventure in Noosa and Tassie's Central Highlands

    For many, Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast is all about the surf, sun and stunning boutiques, but on this week’s episode we take you on a deeper dive into this pretty coastal region. Co-host Kirstie Bedford loves nothing more than an active getaway, and so a chance to hike, bike and kayak in this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve was her idea of a dream weekend – throw in whale watching, and it was a match made in heaven. Take a listen to her recommendations of how to explore a different side of Noosa, with top tips about where to stay, play and eat. Go to https://www.visitnoosa.com.au/ for more and see footage from her recent trip at: @kirstiewrites. Then, Belle takes us to Tasmania's Central Highlands, where wine, wombats and walking are all on the menu at the beautiful Pumphouse Point.  Set in the glacial Lake St Claire, the lake lodge has recently opened its new Retreats, which look out towards the pumphouse. It's also a hub for walkers, wine and wombats; https://www.pumphousepoint.com.au/. Follow her adventures at https://globalsalsa.com. Send us a text Support the show Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au

    39 min
  5. EP 128 Summer Series: The Islands Episode, Cambodia & the Maldives

    JAN 7

    EP 128 Summer Series: The Islands Episode, Cambodia & the Maldives

    This week is all about islands, as we take you to a Cambodian conservation-based private island resort and to the island nation of the Maldives. First up, Kirstie takes us to the stunning island resort of Song Saa in Cambodia’s Koh Rong archipelago. Bought by Australian Melita Koulmandas for US$15,000, she has transformed it from knee-deep in rubbish to a luxury retreat with Cambodia’s first protected marine park. Hear from the island’s marine biologist, Anna Sabrina Petry about how it not only supports the ongoing conservation efforts but continues to enrich the area. Learn more about Song Saa at www.songsaa-privateisland.com. Next, Belle chats about her most recent visit to the Maldives - does it live up to the hype? This time, she stayed at two resorts, Niyama Private Islands in the Dhaalu atoll south of the capital, Male, and Avani + Fares in the Baa atoll, famed for its UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. We're talking about the food, the different types of resorts, their sustainability and, of course, whale sharks.  See niyama.com and avanihotels.com/en/fares-maldives  Send us a text Support the show Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au

    45 min
  6. EP 127 Summer Series: Fancy a move to Italy? We have top tips from digital nomads about how to do it

    12/31/2025

    EP 127 Summer Series: Fancy a move to Italy? We have top tips from digital nomads about how to do it

    Many people dream of being a digital nomad. Is 2026 your year to do it? This week, we’re giving you an insight into what life is really like living on the road, starting with authors, digital creators and husbands Brent Hartinger and Michael Jensen, who have lived in more than 30 countries and travelled to more than 60.  The long-time digital nomads originally from the United States share their insights into what it’s like living a nomadic life, with top tips on how you can do it too. Follow them at: https://www.brentandmichaelaregoingplaces.com/ Then we chat to award-winning freelance food, travel and lifestyle journalist Natascha Mirosch, who swapped the sunny shores of Brisbane to move temporarily to a tiny village south of Rome where she worked remotely. We talk through why she did it, what there is to see and do in this stunning region of Italy and how you could do it too. Send us a text Support the show Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au

    53 min
  7. EP 126 Summer Series: The Tropics Episode from finding your Zen in Tahiti to PNG with musician David Bridie

    12/24/2025

    EP 126 Summer Series: The Tropics Episode from finding your Zen in Tahiti to PNG with musician David Bridie

    Merry Christmas to you all and welcome back to our Summer Series! This week, we're talking tropics, taking you to Tahiti and Papua New Guinea.  Co-host Kirstie Bedford talks about attending Tahiti's first annual yoga festival – a chance to find her Zen and connect with culture in this tropical paradise. Listen to festival founder Rani Chaves talk about what makes Tahiti such a unique destination for a yoga festival, and how yoga can be so healing, and you'll hear from leading international yoga teacher and instructor Elka Haeckel about how what you do on the mat can transform your entire mindset. In our second interview, 4km from Australia, PNG is our closest, and also our least explored neighbour. Australian musician and composer David Bridie talks about his connection with PNG, which spans four decades. A founding member of Not Drowning, Waving, David first visited PNG in 1986; he is now an initiated Tolai man, returning more than 40 times, for work and to visit friends who've become family in Rabaul, Bougainville and Manus Island, as documented in the film Abebe; see davidbridie.com  Send us a text Support the show Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au

    1 hr
  8. EP 125 Summer Series: The Africa Episode from museums in Cairo to seeking out the Big Five

    12/17/2025

    EP 125 Summer Series: The Africa Episode from museums in Cairo to seeking out the Big Five

    Welcome to the first of our Summer Series! This week, we’re taking you to Africa, a bucket list destination for those who want to see the Big Five or wander the pyramids of Giza. First up, co-host Belle Jackson, a frequent visitor and former resident of Egypt in northeast Africa, takes you to the many museums, explains the best way to see the pyramids, and shares the top three things to do in Cairo. Then we chat to Ivona Siniarska, founder of Take Off Go and Africa expert, who has visited 40 times about the best places to go on safari, where to start for first-timers, and how to ensure you’re travelling in a way that’s right by the wildlife.  Send us a text Support the show Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au Send us a text Support the show Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au

    53 min
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About

Where does your wanderlust lead you? To Melbourne’s cafes or the vast deserts of the Empty Quarter, a New Zealand vineyard or the pavements of New York… what’s your neighbourhood? Join travel journalists and editors Kirstie Bedford and Belinda Jackson for inspiring stories and inside information from across the world. Website https://theworldawaits.auInstagram @theworldawaitspodcast Support us https://ko-fi.com/theworldawaits (thank you!)

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