Editor’s letter
LET’S FACE IT, everyone has at least one childhood memory that involves a holiday road trip. Packing the car with snacks, “are we there yet?” diversion and even a menagerie of pets and hitting the open road has long been a holiday mainstay for Australian families in search of sun and fun. A rite of passage if you will, to be referenced – for good or bad – in fond family reminiscences through the years. But during the pandemic, with international travel bans and domestic border closures, the humble (some might even say daggy) road trip was rehabilitated to suit the times we were living in. Hitting the road became the ultimate freedom ride, allowing travellers to escape to places they had long heard of but never found the time to prioritise or visit.
And Australian travellers were genuinely delighted by what they found out there in their own backyard: vibrant food and wine regions; expansive scenery replicated nowhere else on Earth; unique accommodation offerings; and a genuine joy from communities in welcoming the convoys of visitors rolling into regions and towns across the country. The experience was not unique to any specific state or territory, rather it confirmed that each one has its own compelling allures enough to sate its inhabitants. And when the borders between states started to open, the desire to follow roads further afield once again expanded our travel horizons to satisfy our desire and curiosity.
So, when deciding on a theme for our annual 100 issue, the deliberations on the merits of dedicating it to road trips lasted all of two minutes. It was an obvious choice, allowing us to detail journeys far and wide, big and small to keep Aussie travellers on the road (literally) for months and years to come. As usual, we have drilled down into the details, from quintessential outback journeys that will recalibrate your understanding of the country you live in to off-thebeaten-track wonders to cruising ‘life-doesn’t-get-better-than-this’ coastal vistas that only an island nation like ours can lay claim to. We have also added a little something extra in the form of distances and unique stays along the way to make planning – and executing – your next great road journey a cinch. Now all that’s left to do is load up the car and pick a trip that’s right for you. Drive carefully and enjoy!