I’ve always been a bit of an explorer. When I was little, I pored over maps, imagining what it’d be like to be passing through far flung places with mysterious sounding names. One map in particular lit my imagination: a huge yellow island on the other side of the world with a big red rock in the middle. My mind was made up — I told my mum “I’m going to Australia.”
It took a while, but when I finally made it to Australia it was love at first sight. Fabulous, exciting cities with amazing food and wine, art and culture dating back 60,000 years — and the best coffee in the world. But my heart truly belongs to the Outback, with its wildlife, its beautiful emptiness and the ideas of spirits singing the country into life. Australia is a lifelong passion, and I’m so happy to be able to share it with others.
Q&A with Robert
What’s your most vivid travel moment?
I did the road trip along the Stuart Highway which stretches 3,000 km (1,864 miles) between Adelaide and Darwin, right through the Red Centre of Australia. It was the first time I realized that sometimes the journey is the destination. Every day on this trip brings something new: mountain ranges, vineyards, vast desert plains, opal mines, salt pans, 60,000 years of human history, tiny roadhouse townships — as well as diversions to the jungle, wildlife and rivers of the Top End and Kakadu. And there’s Uluru right there in the middle. It’s a journey the word ‘journey’ was invented for.
Where would you love to travel next?
South America has been on my wish list for a long time, so a few weeks exploring Argentina and Patagonia would be amazing. I’m a bit of a photographer and filmmaker and there’s definitely some very filmic landscapes to capture.
Your best piece of travel advice?
Slow down. Be in each and every moment. It’s a good piece of advice no matter where you travel, but it’s well worth pacing yourself in Australia — it’s amazing how much more you’ll see and experience. You need patience when you’re Koala-spotting or sitting with kangaroos, but even in the cities it’s worth just hanging back and watching life unfold around you. After all, you are on vacation.