The World Awaits: travel tales to inspire your wanderlust

New Zealand is renowned for its spectacular scenery, and the Marlborough Sounds on the northern tip of the South Island will not disappoint.
Come with host Kirstie Bedford as she hikes and bikes the Queen Charlotte Track, and kayaks in the glassy waters of the Marlborough Sounds, where seals and dolphins are your only neighbours, then beds down in lodges only accessible via the track, boat or helicopter.
She explains how to get there, why this is one of the best places to hike in New Zealand, and where to stay pre- and post your hike. 
Also, an Australian city has for the first time made the top 50 best cities list by Time Out. Find out where it is, and we give our personal recommendations of some of the best things to do while you're there!
And, love to travel but don't want to leave your furry friend behind? We have the rundown of the best places around the country for those wanting to travel with their pooch.
Check out some of the stunning images and footage of Kirstie's trip here. 
The full list of Time Out’s 50 Best Cities 2026 can be found here.
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She's the queen of the roadtrip, and bestselling author and travel writer Lee Atkinson joins us to talk about her latest adventure, motorbiking across the European Alps. 
A self-described 'pillion princess', Lee and husband Bill shipped their Suzuki V-Strom tourer to the UK to ride 10,000km through the mountains over three months. Lee shares the trials of ultra-light packing and the joys of kevlar jeans. 
Her latest book, Ultimate Backroads & Detours: Australia is for lovers of road trips, but haters of traffic, and is out now. Visit leeatkinson.com.au
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Also, some personal anecdotes about getting out of the Middle East as war takes hold of the region, and the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) says not to panic-cancel your upcoming European trip.
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This week, we are taking you through the colourful, decadent, sordid, and scandalous histories of famous hotels with D'Etta and Yael, hosts of the Hotel History podcast.
They launched the podcast to explore the history of hotels and their interplay with culture, society and politics.
We talk about some of the most interesting hotels they have covered, from the haunted to the downright bizarre. 
Find the Hotel History podcast here: www.hotelhistorypodcast.com
Also, Money.com research has revealed Aussies are saving big by using frequent flyer points – we look into what the research shows and how you can save using frequent flyer points.
And, we chat about Southern Cross Travel Insurance's latest data on travel insurance claims, how much we are claiming, and why monkeys keep popping up as an ongoing problem. 
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Audio editing by Alaisdair Leith. You can follow him here
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This week, we’re launching our new segment, Hot Take! Kirstie and Belle are hacking out lost travel experiences - things you may have done in a former travelling life but are now no longer possible. Let’s wallow in the nostalgia!
Think climbing the Pyramids, or smoking on planes; just how golden was the Golden Age of Travel? What about animal interactions such as elephant rides, or scrambling up the metal poles that led to the top of Uluru. Some travel experiences are lost because they were simply bad, others because we’ve thought twice about them and realised that we may just be treading all over someone else’s beliefs and culture. 
Also, let’s talk about Virtual Packing – how you pack your electronic documents so they’re safe when you're on the road. And don’t forget to enter our competition to win a crime novel by Andrea Barton – enter on our instagram or facebook page; just like, follow and tag. 
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Andrea Barton started her career as an electrical engineer, but when her husband was offered a job overseas, it changed the entire course of her career.
Now award-winning author of the Jade Riley Mysteries, owner of a book editing company called Brightside Story Studio, and Vice President of the Mansfield Readers & Writers festival, Andrea bases all her books on the places she has lived around the world. 
From Nigeria, the US and Qatar to Melbourne, we chat about why these destinations are so pivotal to the stories she tells, and she has some writing advice for those who want to follow in her footsteps. Follow Andrea at https://andreabartonauthor.com/.
Enter our giveaway to win one of two of Andrea's books by clicking here.
Also, Skyscanner has launched what it calls the 'Cheapest Destination Planner' to help you plan a trip on the cheap. We chat about how to use it and what it offers, and our tip this week is about what to do to avoid diseases when you travel, with some top advice from Smartraveller.
Australia's newest luxury travel magazine, which Kirstie will edit, is here: https://karryon.com.au/luxury/karryon-launches-luxury-travel-magazine/
Skyscanner's Cheapest Destination Planner is here: https://www.skyscanner.com.au/travel-trends/cheap
The Smartraveller link we mentioned is here: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/news-and-updates/managing-risk-infectious-disease-when-you-travel
Follow Kirstie on Instagram here
Follow Belinda on Instagram here
Audio editing by Alaisdair Leith. You can follow him here
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Support the show
Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au
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Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au