Tripping with...
The Sydney-born co-star of The Handmaid’s Tale craves off-thegrid adventure – with a side of red wine and potato chips.
Yvonne Strahovski’s biggest culture shock
Where are you right now?
I’m on the set of The Handmaid’s Tale in Toronto, Canada.
And where did you go on your last trip?
Last July, a few months before my son was born, my husband [actor Tim Loden] and I went to Kauai, Hawaii. Babymoon! It was beautiful. We explored the beaches and drove to Waimea Canyon State Park, which looks like a mini Grand Canyon. We were also lucky enough to see baby albatross sitting out the front of people’s houses in their little nests looking very cute and fluffy. It was definitely a highlight.
What was your typical childhood holiday?
Growing up in Sydney, my family and I would go camping for a week or two on the eastern coast of Australia, spending time on the beach and in the bush.
Do you tend to wander or make a plan?
A bit of both. I like to have a rough guideline and I love maps but, at the same time, I love spontaneity.
Is there a place you keep returning to?
I love the energy of Joshua Tree National Park [in California]. There is something very grounding about the boulders in the desert.
Have you ever taken a really great road trip?
I was starting season two of The Handmaid’s Tale so we decided to make a trip out of it and drive from Los Angeles to Toronto with our two dogs. We did it in 15 days and it was really our honeymoon. We went via most of the national parks in Utah, camping and staying in cabins in some of the most beautiful camp sites we’ve ever seen. We saw Dixie National Forest, Bryce Canyon National Park and the Teton Range, where we kayaked on Jackson Lake. We went fly-fishing in Montana and saw a bull moose on the river and a grizzly bear eating a dead bison in Yellowstone. It was a short
“WE HAVE A GIANT FRAMED ROAD MAP WITH POLAROIDS AND STICKERS AND CAMPING RECEIPTS.”
amount of time for that kind of distance but it was incredible. We have a giant framed road map of the whole thing, complete with Polaroids and stickers and camping receipts.
What’s been your biggest culture shock?
Moving to the United States from Australia [in 2007]. The culture is so different. When you move to a new place you have to relearn everything, even trivial things like the names of grocery stores and banks. Getting your bearings in a place like LA is difficult because it’s so big and fast-paced compared with what I was used to; it took a while for me to adjust.
Do you prefer resort or rustic?
Rustic. But I won’t say no to a fancy resort either!
When you enter a hotel room, what’s the first thing you do?
I check out the view and then immediately try to find the nearest body of water.
What do you most like to find in the minibar?
Potato chips and red wine.
Where’s your home away from home?
My trailer in Toronto because I spend so much time in it. Australia because my parents’ home will always be my home. And Warsaw in Poland because that’s where the rest of my family is so it will always have a big piece of my heart.
What are you most likely to bring home from your trips?
A farmer’s tan.
Where would you like to take your son?
I want to go everywhere but I’d probably start with national parks and experiencing the natural wonders of the world.
Which destination was a surprise to you?
I didn’t expect the geyser activity in Yellowstone to be quite so mesmerising. I loved all the vivid colours and mineral formations – it was like looking at beautiful paintings.
Have you ever gone completely off the grid?
Many times. Once, I was camping at Ettrema Gorge [in Morton National Park, NSW] and I severely sprained my ankle. I had to walk on it through the bush for a day to get back to civilisation.
When you’re in a foreign city for work, do you get out and see the sights?
Always! As soon as I have a day off, I like to go out walking.
Can you share a memorable dining experience from your travels?
We went to dinner in Bora Bora in what looked like someone’s backyard. There were plastic chairs and tables and no menus so you had to trust that what you were getting was going to be amazing. And it was. I had some of the best seafood of my life. When we were done with the lobster tails and crab shells, we threw them into the ocean and the stingrays and fish finished the meal.
If you could be anywhere else in the world right now, where would it be?
On a tropical island with my husband and son, enjoying the ocean and the sunshine. I’m never not craving an island vacation.