Australia is a big place.
I mean really big.
And animals and insects want to kill you...all the time!
Unless you kill them first :)
It's entirely possible to fly for five hours and still be in Australia, which makes the phrase "I'll just pop over there for the weekend" a little optimistic.
It is also one of those countries that is so familiar to Australians that we can forget just how extraordinary it is. We complain about the distances, the prices, the flies and the fact that everything seems to take longer to get to than it should. Yet somewhere between the red centre and the reef, the ancient forests and the empty beaches, Australia keeps producing those slightly ridiculous moments when you stop and think:
Bloody hell. We live here.
And that is what interests me about travelling around Australia.
I'm not here to reproduce a tourism brochure. You already know Australia has beautiful beaches, remarkable wildlife, sophisticated cities and a rather large rock in the middle of the country.
I'm interested in what happens when you actually go there.
Is the hotel worth the money?
Is that famous restaurant really as good as everyone says?
Is the attraction genuinely spectacular or merely spectacularly marketed?
Which places deserve the hype?
Which ones don't?
And where are the places that somehow remain under the radar?
Australia Through The Walking Critic's Eyes
I've spent decades travelling through Australia and working within its travel industry. I've worked with hotels, resorts, cruise lines, airlines and tour operators, and I've listened to thousands of travellers describe their experiences after returning home.
I've also watched Australia change.
Some places have become wonderfully sophisticated. Others have become victims of their own success. Some destinations are every bit as good as the marketing suggests. Others have discovered that putting the word luxury in front of something doesn't necessarily make it luxurious.
That's where experience becomes useful.
Australia isn't one destination. It's a collection of remarkably different worlds.
There is the tropical north, where ancient landscapes meet Aboriginal culture and wildlife. There is the Kimberley, where enormous wilderness, dramatic coastline and expedition cruising make you realise that Australia still has places that feel genuinely remote.
There are the beaches and reefs of Queensland, the cities of Sydney and Melbourne, the food and wine country of South Australia and Victoria, the wildness of Tasmania and the extraordinary landscapes of Western Australia.
And then there is the Outback.
The Australia that doesn't need a marketing department.
What You'll Find Here
The Australia pages of The Walking Critic will take you beyond the postcard.
I'll look at destinations, cities, regions, hotels, resorts, restaurants, cruises, attractions, wildlife experiences and journeys—along with the occasional place that makes me wonder why anyone thought it was a good idea in the first place.
I'll tell you what I think is worth doing.
I'll tell you what I think isn't.
And where something is wonderful but comes with a catch, I'll tell you about the catch.
Because that's what a critic is supposed to do.
I'm not here to tell you that every corner of Australia is perfect.
I'm here to help you discover the parts that are.
So explore Australia with me.
There are plenty of places to go.
And after all these years, I'm still finding reasons to go looking.
