Editor’s Letter
JESS WILKINSON
Editor
Our feature on going off-grid, page 24, got me thinking about this elusive idea of really switching off, especially while travelling. So many holidays are spent ticking off the “must-do” experiences – one gallery, shop, monument, and restaurant at a time (all memorialised by an Instagram highlight reel). Don’t get me wrong – these trips are incredible and have their place, but what about a holiday where the whole idea is to just be? To reconnect with nature, with your loved ones, and with yourself?
Perhaps it’s since becoming a mum, but the idea of taking a trip purely to slow down, change pace, and unplug from emails, social media, chat notifications, and the never-ending cleaning, planning, and cooking that comes with having a toddler, seems so idyllic it feels dreamlike.
I long to jump into these stories you’re about to read; to stand under the burnt orange skies of Cape York (Pajinka), page 31, witness the vastexpanse of ocean under a blanket
of stars on the Great Barrier Reef, page 41, and experience the rugged wilderness and brutish wildlife of Arnhem Land (Miwatj), page 80. These places have been living in my mind for the last few months as we’ve put this issue together.
In the spirit of recharging and reconnecting, I hope this issue offers inspiration. Not just for going off-grid, but for long, relaxed rail journeys across the yawning Australian landscape, drifting off to the sounds of the tumbling ocean or witnessing the kaleidoscope of brilliant colours in the outback.
Whatever the case, take a deep breath, make a cup of tea, and enjoy escaping the ‘everyday’, just for a moment, as we take you around Australia with Journey Beyond.
On a day-trip, a short getaway or a long adventure? Share your #JourneyBeyond with us on Instagram – we love nothing more than gawking at travel pics.
Contributers
JIM AND CHRISTINA
Jim and Christina are the founders of Mr and Mrs Romance – an award-winning travel and lifestyle website with a focus on luxury and adventure. Travel brought Jim and Christina together, but for them, romance and travel don’t have to be all about the champagne and sunsets – though a bit of that certainly helps. Read about how travel can help to keep the romance alive and vice versa on page 52. mrandmrsromance.com
ANDREW BAIN
Andrew Bain is a Hobart-based writer who is most at home out of home – deep in the remote outdoors, which is the very thing that brought him to Tasmania in the first place. He’s the author of books such as Ultimate Adventures: Australia and Ultimate Cycling Trips: Australia, and the lead author of Lonely Planet’s Experience Tasmania guidebook. Read about experiencing summer in Andrew’s hometown on page 10.
EUGENIE KELLY
With an observant and frank writing style, Eugenie Kelly is the former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar and has penned everything from profiles to cover stories for Vogue, Qantas, Elle and Marie Claire. Now a freelance journalist, she regularly contributes fashion and lifestyle features for numerous publications. Her travel highlights include the Arctic Circle, the Amazon and the Aran Islands. Read about her recent adventures in Ningaloo on page 58.
SARAH VERCOE
Sarah is a travel and lifestyle writer who’s been obsessed with art-focused travel since she was suitably awed by the Sistine Chapel at age sixteen. She’s written for publications such as Luxury Travel, Africa Geographic, MiNDFOOD, and The Guardian, and is a National Geographic Traveler award-winning photographer. For this issue Sarah spoke to Archibald Prize winner Vincent Namatjira to learn how he carved his place in Australian culture, page 68.
DESIGN + EDITORIAL
Storyation
DISCLAIMER
Views expressed in Journey Beyond magazine are not necessarily those of Journey Beyond. The content of this magazine is fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without prior permission of the publisher. All information is correct at the time of going to press. All rights reserved.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY
In the spirit of reconciliation, Journey Beyond acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.