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PODCAST

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your wanderlust

Belinda Jackson & Kirstie Bedford

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 @theworldawaitspodcastSupport us https://ko-fi.com/theworldawaits (thank you!)

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

38:09

EP 106 The new Cairo with Belle Jackson, avoiding a...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/08/06

You've booked a holiday to Egypt, but the Grand Egyptian Museum's (GEM) opening has been postponed...again! "All is not lost!" says podcast host and Egypt aficionado Belle Jackson, who is just back from Cairo. Belle shares her top three things to do in Cairo, including the best Egyptian museums and neighbourhoods, essential experiences and answers the age-old question, is Cairo safe right now? For more of Belle's travels, see https://www.instagram.com/global_salsa And we have a winner o...

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36:48

EP 105 Winter Series #4: Australia's most...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/07/30

Hi there, welcome to our winter series. This week, we're taking you to the idyllic Cocos Keeling Islands – an atoll almost halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka where the airport runway doubles as the golf course, so infrequent are the flights. Host Kirstie Bedford talks about her recent visit to the remote islands and what makes this largely unknown Australian island a must-visit. You can see some footage of her trip on Instagram at @kirstiewrites Next up, we chat to author and freelance t...

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51:21

EP 104 Winter Series #3: Two remarkable Aussie...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/07/23

This week, we’re chatting to two remarkable women adventurers. First up meet Lucy Barnard, the Australian Geographic Society's 2024 Adventurer of the Year. Lucy is almost at the end of an intrepid feat to become the first woman to walk the length of the Earth – 30,000 kilometres from the southernmost tip of South America to the top of North America, and talks to co-host Kirstie Bedford about this incredible journey. Follow her on Instagram at @tanglesandtail Our second guest is adventur...

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42:03

EP 103 Winter Series #2: The Greek Episode

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/07/16

Welcome to our Winter Series! This week we're taking you to Greece. First up, host Kirstie chats to Andria Mitsakos, founder of Anthologist and global founder of AMPR, who takes us to some of the country's best artisans where she buys her artefacts, and shares insider tips on the best way to enjoy a Greek getaway. Next, host Belle Jackson takes us to Greece and Bulgaria, travelling by rail on a slow food, slow travel journey of these neighbouring countries. She travelled on a Eurail pas...

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46:28

EP 102 Winter Series #1: The Italian Episode

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/07/09

Welcome to our Winter Series! This week is all about Italy. We are taking you from the Amalfi Coast to a tiny town south of Rome. First up, host Belinda Jackson’s chats with author Maria Pasquale, who explores the food histories and dishes across regional Italy. Maria, born to Italian parents and raised in Melbourne, is the author of four books and has readers in more than 100 countries. Then, host Kirstie Bedford talks to award-winning freelance journalist, Natascha Mirosch, who swappe...

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47:22

EP 101 The storied streets of India; the new hotels...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/07/02

Veteran journalist Andrew Conway has been to India four times, but this time he's doing things differently. His latest month-long sojourn was self-funded, and he took his husband, Greg, who had never been to India before. Andrew talks about how having a personal driver (details below) changed his entire experience and lets us in on some of the lesser-known places to go in this often chaotic country. 1 Hotels opened its first property in Australia recently, and host Kirstie Bedfor...

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26:19

EP 100 We've hit 100 episodes! Our picks of the best...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/06/25

The World Awaits has hit a remarkable milestone, celebrating its 100th episode! To get the party started, Avani Hotels & Resorts has partnered with us for a listener giveaway a tropical holiday in Thailand! To enter, simply like, follow and tag a friend on our Instagram page here. On this special episode, our sound producer Alaisdair Leith joins us, and we chat about our favourite guests over the last two years (after all, there are now 100 to choose from!) And it's time to ask ...

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39:36

EP 99 Hiking in East Bhutan, the world's worst...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/06/18

Meet the singing teacher who founded a hiking company in Bhutan. Keen hiker Karen Haranis, of Rare Air Himalayan Travel, shares her favourite hikes, through the territory of Bengal tigers and red pandas, from the high mountain passes and lush rhododendron forests of this tiny mountain kingdom. Together with her guides Tashi and Namgyel, they scout new routes and cultural experiences in Bhutan, including the little visited East Bhutan, also known for its handicraft villages, rareairtravel.com....

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37:21

EP 98 Wellness in the Maldives; to tip or not to tip...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/06/11

“These dolphins surrounded me and I was hovering above the sand and they were playing with me and I swam up with them and thought I would die for them to be safe, it was like my heart was cracked open and I came up thinking how can I be more impactful in the ocean space,” says freediving champion turned conservationist Hanli Prinsloo. It was this encounter with dolphins in Mozambique while teaching a freediving course that made Hanli Prinsloo turn conservationist, and now she hosts retreats t...

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38:14

EP 97 On safari in southern Africa; what's new on...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/06/04

"Southern Africa is very hard to describe; for many people, you get bitten by something, or you breathe something in, and you become hooked," says Australian author Tony Park. Speaking to us from his home just north of Kruger National Park in South Africa, Tony shares his vast experience about going on safari in southern and east Africa. From the Kruger to the Kalahari, we're taking self-drive safaris on a budget, which regions are better for different wildlife and wildlife poaching. "T...

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31:45

EP 96 Best things to do in Tunisia; travel...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/05/28

On the fringe of the Sahara, at the birthplace of Star Wars, the little Northern African country of Tunisia's drawcards are its medinas and souqs, its Roman ruins and Mediterranean seaside resorts. Stay in desert camps or in cave hotels carved into the mountains; you'll find spicy harissa, dramatic doors and ornate tiles everywhere. "What's not to love?" asks co-host Belle Jackson, who travelled through Tunisia recently with Intrepid Travel, intrepidtravel.com Also, if you enjoy going off the...

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36:45

EP 95 A river cruise through Laos on the Boheme; the...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/05/21

"The best way to see the Mekong is slowly," says travel journalist Michael Turtle. He takes us on a cruise down the river in Laos on board the beautiful new boat Boheme. With only 13 cabins, it runs between the royal city of Luang Prabang and the capital, Vientiane, connecting you to the lifeblood of the country, all while exploring Laos' cuisine and visiting its villages. "Watch longtail boats, see temples... on a river cruise, you see the river at all times of the day, while people ar...

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41:28

EP 94 Giving a voice to the women who shaped...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/05/14

Do you know who was behind the design of Canberra? What about the first person hired to manage the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge? Both are women whose stories have historically rarely been told. That’s something tour guide, feminist, history nerd, and author Sita Sargeant plans on changing. Frustrated by the lack of recognition for women’s historical contributions, she founded She Shapes History – a tourism company offering entertaining and engaging walking tours in Canberra...

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43:07

EP 93 Moving to Italy for summer; Mother's Day gift...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/05/07

Have you ever thought about packing everything up, renting or selling the house and moving to Italy? Well, that’s just what our guest this week did. Award-winning freelance food, travel and lifestyle journalist Natascha Mirosch has swapped the sunny shores of Brisbane to move temporarily to a tiny village south of Rome. We chat about why she did it, what there is to see and do in the region where she’s now living and how you could do it too. We also have a last-minute Mother’s Day guide...

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32:25

EP 92 Does the USA want Aussie travellers? Gatsby...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/04/30

Should Australians be concerned about travelling to the US now? With a super-strong US dollar and reports of 'enhanced vetting' at US borders, economics groups forecast a 12% drop in visitors to the States this year. So just how welcome are travellers these days? New York State is bucking the trend, says Michael Cassis, the Australian representative for the state, and shares some tips for smooth entry into the US. And - jazz hands to the ready - 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the ...

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32:15

EP 91 Australia's Ultimate Beaches, the top airports...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/04/23

Australia has more than 10,000 beaches, so if you need a beachside break, how do you choose where to go? Celeste Mitchell, author of Ultimate Beaches Australia has scoured the nation to come up with 80 of the best beaches from the big names to some secret spots; places for world-class surf breaks or rock pools for the kids. Celeste is also the owner of the slow travel booking site, Life Unhurried and she reveals some of her top picks for beachside slow stays. Also, Skytrax’s annual sur...

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30:04

EP 90 The Cocos Keeling Islands, hot spots for...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/04/16

Giant green palms, sugar-white sand beaches where every shell seems to move with life, and gin-clear waters home to an aquarium of kaleidoscopic marine life. Welcome to the Cocos Keeling Islands – an atoll almost halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka where the airport runway doubles as the golf course, so infrequent are the flights. We explain why this special little spot should be on your travel bucket list – and if you’re travelling from Australia, you don’t even need a passport to get th...

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34:39

EP 89 Where do inflight blankets go? Avgeek Dennis...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/04/09

What do you do when a revolution breaks out? If you're Dennis Bunnik, you throw yourself into the thick of it. Dennis is co-owner of Bunnik Tours which, in 2025 celebrates 30 years taking Australians to every corner of the globe, and he chats to Belle about the situations he's found himself in as a very, very hands-on small group tour operator. He's also a hardcore aviation geek with a huge YouTube following for his airline reviews and behind-the-scenes access into the world of av...

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35:25

EP 88 Adventurer Laura Waters on paddling Australia's...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/04/02

First, she walked the length of New Zealand and now adventurer, author and inspirational speaker Laura Waters has completed an epic journey paddling the length of Australia’s longest river, the Murray River. The 2,400-kilometre challenge saw her paddle for weeks on end. She tells us why she did it, recounts the tough challenges she faced along the way and tells us where the best spots are if you want to follow in her wake. Watch Laura here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCRARCeTKyw The Qant...

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37:58

EP 87 Travels for bookworms; Aussie travel trends &...

The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your... ·

2025/03/26

If your dream destination is anywhere curled up with a great book in a cosy nook by the fire or by the pool, let Lucy Pearson take you on a reading retreat. Lucy is a bibliotherapist and bespoke library curator who has designed a series of upcoming reading retreats in France, Wales and Australia. Expect silent book clubs or find a cosy nook by the fire or pool to read, as well as a bibliotherapy session and a book 'prescription'. Each retreat has a theme, stories shaped by ...

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