Q. Where are you based? Melbourne.
Q. What outlet do you write for? Who is your audience? What are your travel specialties? I have just taken on a new role as senior writer and content producer for Karryon Luxury. In this role, I will be writing about the latest in luxury travel news. I am also host of travel podcast, The World Awaits, which I launched with my friend and colleague, Belle Jackson last year. And, I am a freelance travel writer. This year I have coming (or have had) pieces in Tripadvisor, Vacations & Travel magazine, Signature Luxury Travel & Style magazine, Australian Geographic and the New Zealand Herald. My specialties are luxury travel and active holidays (hiking or biking), and I also love meeting the people behind a place.
Q. What are your professional pet peeves? I have worked in PR, so I don't like to criticise because it's a tough gig, but please be targeted when sending releases and please always send links to high-res images.
Q. In your past professional life, you were … I started my career as a hard news journalist. I covered some horrific cases, like the worst serial rapist New Zealand ever had. I was in my early 20s and tasked with reporting live from court to hundreds of radio stations across the country who all pulled our news feed. It was a quick learning curve and taught you discipline, speed and accuracy. From there, I worked for Tourism New Zealand where I hosted international media and was fortunate to travel the length of the country and work on some incredible projects including the world premiere of The Lord of The Rings - The Return of The King.
Q. Where would you like to return to? Japan. The food, the people, the nature... bliss.
Q. What's on your bucket list? Switzerland, Sardinia (where I'm going in July!), Bhutan, gosh, so many I couldn't list them all here.
Q. Where do you travel for fun? Locally, we spend a lot of time down at Phillip Island in Victoria. I love the hikes, beaches and laid-back lifestyle.
Q. Your funniest (or most harrowing) travel story is … when a tour guide ran over a dog on our way to a Sri Lankan safari. To be fair, dogs are on the road everywhere, but it was harrowing to say the least.
Q. What advice would you give your younger professional self? Don't worry so much about what other people think. You do you.
Q. What nugget would you like to add that we haven't touched on? My all-time favourite saying is that time stops for no one, so make it count. You only get one life. Do what you love. Work hard. Be kind.
Q. How best should people contact you? For Karryon Luxury you can reach me at: luxury@karryon.com.au for freelance and podcast pitches please email me at: kirstie.bedford@gmail.com.
