The World Awaits travel podcast

The World Awaits travel podcast Australia's top weekly travel podcast, dropping each Thursday on all major platforms. Hosted by travel journalists Belinda Jackson and Kirstie Bedford.

The World Awaits travel podcast is published every week, bringing you inspirational travel stories, interviews and travel info to inspire your wanderlust

31/05/2026

Join adventurer and filmmaker Dianne Whelan on the podcast this week, in conversation with host Belle Jackson.

For more about her extraordinary 1, 862-day journey on the world's longest trail, the Trans Canada Trail.

Her award-winning film, 500 Days in the Wild, reflects how long Dianne originally budgeted to complete the 24,000km journey on land and water - the six-year reality is a feat of endurance and dedication that she tells of with humility and a whole lot of humour.

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

APPLE PODCASTS https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-world-awaits-travel-tales-to-inspire-your-wanderlust/id1689931283

SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jDnI31fwaqgHwbB1w7hoX?si=01y8MweZRt2H-ZrhbMWeCQ

🎥 Dianne Whelan

At 50, filmmaker Dianne Whelan set out to walk, ride and kayak the longest trail in the world, the (then) 24,000km-long ...
28/05/2026

At 50, filmmaker Dianne Whelan set out to walk, ride and kayak the longest trail in the world, the (then) 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 tells Belle about the project, paddling 8,000km 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.

She talks 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, healing and even love.

APPLE PODCASTS https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-147-six-years-on-the-trans-canada-trail-with/id1689931283?i=1000769876819
SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jDnI31fwaqgHwbB1w7hoX?si=9038ef4912844db9
VIA OUR WEBSITE https://www.theworldawaits.au/
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Make sure you enter our current giveaway, a night’s stay for two at the chic Moxy Sydney Airport hotel, breakfast and an incredible 14 days' valet parking! See our competition post on insta and FB.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DYmIAF_ReQ8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Also, our best and worst airline experiences - tune in for Belle's horror story flying Ural Airlines, and Kirstie names a Tahitian carrier for her best experience.

And finally, Australian Traveller recently named its 100 best Aussie towns, and the #1 is a Tasmanian beauty. Listen to discover the winner!

Autumn and wine regions go hand in hand like duck and pinot, or prosecco and strawberries. Jump on the podcast to hear ...
27/05/2026

Autumn and wine regions go hand in hand like duck and pinot, or prosecco and strawberries.

Jump on the podcast to hear some of the best regions to visit for those glorious colours and delicious produce and wines, according to

Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via our website TheWorldAwaits.au

Win a night’s stay and 14 nights’ valet parking at Moxy Sydney Airport hotelYou and your fave friend win:• A night’s sta...
21/05/2026

Win a night’s stay and 14 nights’ valet parking at Moxy Sydney Airport hotel

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
⭐️ Follow
⭐️ Like this post
⭐️ Tag a friend

Thanks to MOXY Sydney Airport hotel for this fantastic giveaway!

The World Awaits x Moxy Sydney Airport

*****

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).

Travel fashion mistakes, we've made them all, including that time Belle went puma spotting in wintery Patagonia, wear...
21/05/2026

Travel fashion mistakes, we've made them all, including that time Belle went puma spotting in wintery Patagonia, wearing her warmest jacket. Strobe red, just how the pumas like it (and the guides charged with seeing the elusive animals, spiral into despair).

Jump on this week's episode for more fashion fails and also some hard-won advice from our hosts this week.

On Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via our website TheWorldAwaits.au

You might need the tissues for this one. This is the heartfelt story of Silva McLeod, the first Tongan woman to become a...
20/05/2026

You might need the tissues for this one. This is 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.

Silva always dreamed of becoming a pilot, but never imagined it'd come true until she met Ken, who she eventually married, but it wasn't until a near-death experience that she pursued her lifelong passion.

As well as telling us about her remarkable story, she also breaks down some myths about flying, from where pilots sleep to should you really drink the water on the plane.

Buy her book here: https://exislepublishing.com/product/island-girl-to-airline-pilot/

We also chat about the winners of Roy Morgan’s annual customer satisfaction awards. It might come as a surprise who was the domestic airline winner.

Full list here: https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/10212-roy-morgan-customer-satisfaction-annual-awards-2025

And, the Meat & Wine Co has come up with Australia's best wine regions to visit this autumn.

Check out its full list here: https://themeatandwineco.com/blog/australias-best-wine-regions-to-visit-this-autumn/

Following a series of harrowing fires on planes, flying with power banks just got trickier.Jump onto the podcast for ti...
20/05/2026

Following a series of harrowing fires on planes, flying with power banks just got trickier.

Jump onto the podcast for tips on how to travel safely with power banks and the new rules airlines are bringing in.

Listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via our website TheWorldAwaits.au - links in bio!

White ski gear? Wearing pink on safari? Are shoes optional on flights?This week, hosts Kirstie and Belle ask the big que...
13/05/2026

White ski gear? Wearing pink on safari? Are shoes optional on flights?

This week, hosts Kirstie and Belle ask the big questions about what to wear when you travel. We're talking cruise dress codes, we debate the merits of zip-off trousers and share a couple of our favourite savvy travel clothing buys.

https://www.theworldawaits.au/podcast/episode/7cffcd75/ep-145-hot-take-travel-fashion-from-fabulous-to-faux-pas
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Should we make more of an effort to dress nicely for flights? Pyjamas in public? Are too many sequins never enough?

Strong opinions, we've got 'em, from activewear on planes and the fashion choices of Aussie men.

Fabulous and faux pax, we share them all.
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Serving up some sweet hotel style on the podcast this week, as we share Sovereign Interiors designer Cayley Scrooby's li...
10/05/2026

Serving up some sweet hotel style on the podcast this week, as we share Sovereign Interiors designer Cayley Scrooby's list of most instagrammed hotels in Australia.

Some, like the pinktastic The Calile, are a given (it's #1) as well as drama queen QT Sydney while the backdrops of others - such as the Sofitel Darling Harbour, ensure their place in the line-up.

Listen on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/ep-144-barefoot-hiking-the-most-instagrammable-hotels/id1689931283?i=1000766499183

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FywDq1bCDnEFyGGPJHsZ3?si=ybGoiEFNSp2Ct52LiQzjOA

or via our website https://www.theworldawaits.au/podcast/episode/7b905e1c/ep-144-barefoot-hiking-the-most-instagrammable-hotels-and-flight-attendant-tips-for-better-sleep-on-planes

We've also slipped in a few of our favourites - both fly off the corporate hotel radar and hard into boutique territory - the bling-laden The Royce in Melbourne (Kirstie's pick) and for Belle, going coastal with the beloved Drift House, with just six suites and all the drama in Port Fairy.

What hotels do you think should be on a 'most instagrammable' list?

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