Australian Escapes with Whileaway*
Uncovering Australia's hidden gems with the gorgeous Whileaway travel guides - Australia's best regional travel guides. There is a real trend towards lifestyle changes – ‘Tree change’ and 'Sea change’ as people seek a more relaxed lifestyle, out of the cities. Australia’s range of diverse landscapes from coast to country and beach to bush means there is plenty of great travel options and we are lucky that most are within short distances from home or a quick flight away. As an eternal holiday planner myself I love to do my own research, but we don't always have the time to search through endless reviews restaurant and hotel reviews. If you are planning a holiday or mini break, maybe romantic rendezvous in the Hunter Valley, cosy weekend in the Blue Mountains, or a few weeks cruising the coast in Margaret River, then keep reading.
Forever in search of hidden gems, uncovering unique travel experiences and the feeling that you have found the real local hotspots I was delighted to discover the Whileaway Travel Guides written by two lovely Sydneysiders Kitty Spry and Jess Grinter.
"Focusing on uncovering ‘not to be missed’ gems in regional areas, and celebrating all of the wonderful experiences to be had in our own Aussie backyard. All of the hard work has been done for you, you just need to pack your bags and jump in the car or on a plane"
Kitty and Jess have been great friends for many years and have always shared a love of travel and discovery. After both living overseas, they realised how much they loved to get out and about to visit our surrounds on weekends, but never quite sure where to start looking and seriously short of time to plan. So after a few glasses of Rose the Whileaway concept was born. A shared sense of adventure and eternal curiosity of new places to escape "we were always being asked by friends for tips on places to go, see and savour, why not package it up and put it in print for all to enjoy?" And so lucky for us they did! Inspired to look outside our major cities into the more rural regions the girls have chosen regions that had a unique and varied range of offerings to the experience seeker all within short distances from home. They also needed to provide an easy ‘mini-break’ from a large city or commercial airport to encourage busy locals and overseas guests to venture out and explore.
Loaded with great tips on things to see, explore, eat, drink and places to stay, Whileaway Guides are all independently sourced, tried and tested so you know that they only include the notable gems – no boring bits! What I love about these lovely little guides is that the info is displayed in an itinerary style and grouped by location so it’s easy to navigate from one place to the next, great if you love to plan ahead and full of cute little illustrative maps to help you find your way. If you are a history nut like me and love to remember all the great places you have visited there is also a little place for you to write notes of your favourite eats, reads and loves along the way - your favourite cafe, the name of the vintage vino or secluded beach. Designed to be loved and treasured you can keep the guides as a little memento of your precious experiences in a neat, convenient and cute little journal.
I love that these little pocket guides will not eat into your travel budget - less than $10, so you can buy ahead, start planning and then collect them as a special memory of your experiences. The pastel ‘gelato’ colour palette representing each Australian state is reflective of vintage flavours and compliments the uncoated paper the guides are printed on. All you need to do now is choose your destination and create your own adventure...and off you go!
Here is a taste of what you might find in the Whileaway Guides……some of Jess and Kitty's favourite places to visit
EAT
- Garaistes (Hobart, Tasmania) – ups-the-ante with unusual culinary delights. One for the foodies.
- Tarrawarra Estate (Yarra Valley, Victoria) – spectacular architectural masterpiece set within winery. Great food with view across the rolling hills. When you are finished, have a walk around the onsite art gallery.
- Spirit House (Maleny, Sunshine Coast) – The night-time ambiance of a rainforest dining experience.
DRINK
- Nautilus –Port Douglas, Far North Queensland. The chilli Margarita is sublime.
- White Rabbit Brewery - Yarra Valley Victoria). Coolness and relaxation at its best.
- Salthouse – (Cairns and surrounds, Queensland). Located on the marina, when the sun goes down, the tunes are turned up for a lively atmosphere.
*this is a sponsored post. All views are my own and I only ever recommend products and services that I myself know and love and truly believe are fabulous!