From the Editor

There have been millions of words written about the bushfires. You don’t need more from me.

But I do want to tell you that we take our role in promoting tourism in affected areas – and in Australia more broadly – very seriously.

As you know, Australians have been exhorted to holiday at home and fill up an Esky on their travels. Campaigns like these are fantastic initiatives to help us understand the need to get out and spend in devastated regions (and, more recently, in destinations suffering because of the drop in Chinese visitors due to coronavirus).

But where should we go and what should we do?

This is where Qantas magazine and our inspiration website, Travel Insider (qantas.com/travelinsider), come in. We have commissioned dozens of writers, photographers and videographers to travel around the country, meet the locals and share what’s special about each spot and what you should do when you get there.

Some companies are even giving their staff special days off if they choose to visit regional Australia, which is both generous and innovative. I’m lucky enough to work for such a company.

I have three trips on my wish list. First, I want to spend a weekend in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, which suffered enormously. My last trip there, a few years back, was fleeting and this time I want to stop and really appreciate the natural wonders that are still in abundance.

I want to head to Beechworth in Victoria, a food and wine hotspot that’s just a three-hour drive from Melbourne’s CBD.

And I’m keen to revisit South Australia’s Kangaroo Island, where I last ventured in 2015. It’s very much open for business, as you’ll read on page 98, and I think it’s one of the most extraordinary places in the country.

I do hope you enjoy this special all-Australian issue. And I hope you’ll take a couple of extra-long weekends this year, too.