Talking Travel – Australia

Hello and welcome to Talking Travel, your weekly show for travel tips, inspiration and fascinating guests with myself, Kay Holland on Women's radio station. Now, on today's episode of Talking Travel, we're off to Australia. Oz, as it is affectionately known, is incredibly diverse and truly offers something for every traveler. From spectacular cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, to pristine beaches, desert scapes, islands, World Heritage listed tropical rainforests to mountainous landscapes. Whatever it is you're after, Australia has it covered. But if you want local culture, be sure to partake in a surf lesson. Scarborough in Western Australia, Bondi in New South Wales, Noosa in Queensland or Bells in Victoria, they're probably my picks, but really, any beach will do. And not to be missed is a game of Aussie Rules football. The players on the pitch are more famous than the cast of neighbours. Make no mistake, Australia is hot in every sense of the word. But don't just take my word for it. On today's Talking Travel, we're going to be joined by a special guest, Sakita Sharma, who is an Australian affectionado. She splits her time between London and the land down under and she's going to spill why Oz is just wizard. First up, though, let's have a song. It's got to be Men at Work and the absolute classic Land Down Under. On a hippie trail head full of zombie I met a strange lady she made me nervous she took me in and gave me breakfast and she said do you come from a land down under? Women blow and men below can't you hear? Can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you gotta take cover. Frying bread from a man in Brussels he was 6 foot 4 and full of muscle I said to you speaking my language he just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich and he said, I come from the land of love. I said to the man, are you trying to tempt me? Because I come from the land of glam? And he said, you come from a land down under. What a tune that was. Men at Work with Down Under. Now we've been joined in the women's radio station by a very special guest. I think we should have a drum roll here. I won't do a drum roll. We've been joined by Ms. Sakita Sharma, who is an Australian affectionado. So welcome to Talking Travel. Sakita. Hi. Thanks, Kay, thanks for joining us and hopefully you can share some of your insights into what makes Australia so special. Would you be up for doing so? Yeah, sure, I'd love to. It's a great country to visit. Fantastic. Well, firstly, listeners, don't forget, if you do have any questions for Sakita about Australia, you can tweet us womensradiostn. So I'm gonna ask you, are you. Would you call yourself a local girl? You spent so much time in Australia. The accent is a bit of a giveaway. Perhaps you're not. I couldn't say that. I was local and I'm very, very true to my accent. I know it pretty well. I've spent a lot of time there. I lived there for just over a year and I can't wait to get back. But I think in my heart I'm always going to be from London. Second home. Second home. Second home. So you mentioned that you've spent. I know you lived there for about a year. Yes. And have come back recently and probably going to head back down under. Yes, yes. I know it's a massive question, but what is it like to live in Australia? You know, in my head I've got pictures just of Ramsey street and Summer Bay. But what's the reality? I think the best part of Australia is that it's always a surprise. I think a lot of people, you know, assume it's surf and, you know, really laid back and chilled, but then it is. But the best part is that Australia's one huge adventure. You can't ever really be prepared for what comes around the corner. The Outback in particular is really, really fascinating. But more so than that, the rainforest region, I don't think any really associates that with Australia. Is that the northeast? Is that Queensland? Yeah, yeah. So in the north of Queensland, there's a quite famous rainforest there, the Daintree Spectacular. I've seen pictures. It looks absolutely gorgeous. Sure. So it's. Yeah, Australia is always a surprise and I think that's probably the most exciting thing about it. You don't know what you're going to expect. Fantastic. So you mentioned the rainforest there. You've got a soft spot for the rainforest. But what would you say is your favorite thing about Australia? Aside from, I think the people? It's got to be the wildlife. It's so, so diverse. But there's a real passion from a lot of people that you meet. You know, they're really keen on conservation and keeping their wildlife as wild as they can. Really? And yeah, that's the true beauty. They like to keep Australia as rugged and authentic as they can. Okay, so why would you say that our listeners should visit Australia? Obviously the flight is a bit off putting. Yeah, it can. How do you Cope with the flight. Actually, is it really 24 hours you get a stop? I think the best way to do it is. So, for example, I'm going with Singapore Airlines. We get stop off at Singapore. Changi Airport's the best in the world, so you can easily kill a few hours there. They've got the pretty garden, so it's beautiful. A massage parlor, all of that kind of stuff. It's a destination in itself. But yeah, you get more out of the experience. I think by. Yeah, you get two countries and one. And there's loads of different routes there. Okay. So that would be. That would be the way to get there. Break it up, break it up. And that way you're relaxed and you're ready for Australia when it's there to hit you. And obviously you've spent such a long period of time there. But if our listeners are thinking of putting Australia on their bucket list, if it isn't already, how long do you think we should dedicate to. You know you can't go all that way for a week, right? No, no, I think to get a real, I guess, diverse experience, I would say 10 days to two weeks, if you're really up for adventure. But keep in mind that it's going to be really short. It's just going to be a snippet towards everything Australia is, I think the size of Europe or it's just Europe. Europe can fit into it, maybe. I always forget, actually it's a continent, it's not a country. Yeah, absolutely huge. And that's why it differs so much. I think, like I said, everyone thinks of the beaches, but most of Australia is desert. And so. Yeah, and if you want to get a little bit of a taster, like tapas, I guess tapas travel then hit different spots in. In two weeks. But two weeks, I'd say, is the shortest that you should really go for. So I think. I think probably a month. If you could. If you could. Yeah, yeah, definitely. That way you really get to experience the outback as you really. As you should. And, you know, you get to have some chill time in Melbourne or Perth or Brisbane. Brisbane's where my heart lies. So I would tell everyone. Brisbane, really? That's quite. That's quite a bit of a wild card. Usually people rave about Sydney. I know Melbourne. I've got friends that love Melbourne. Yeah, look, Melbourne is cool. But I was told there repeatedly that go to Melbourne if you're from London. But I wouldn't go. I personally like more diversity. Okay, well, we're going to take a short break now, but we'll be back very soon when Sakita will be sharing more Australian insights with us. And don't forget, if you want to listen again to this episode of Talking Travel, just visit www.talking womensradiostation.com WRS Women's Radio Station Voice of Women Worldwide Sarah's Universal Soul show what does your soul or spirituality mean to you? Welcome to future Classical Woman Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station. Welcome back. I'm Russ Cain. You're listening to In Conversation with On Women's Radio Station. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy. 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Find out more at theroomupstairs.co.uk. women's radio station is a not for profit, community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Welcome back to Talking Travel with myself, Kay Holland on women's radio station. Now today we're talking about Australia and we've been joined by a very special guest, our Australian expert, Ms. Sakita Sharma. Welcome back, Sakita. Thanks very much, Kate. We were just talking before the break about Brisbane and I was saying it was a bit of a wild card that you love it so much when maybe even Perth is growing in popularity. But Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, maybe even Adelaide, they're probably destinations you'd pick over Brisbane, but for you, Brisbane is where your heart is. Yeah, for me it's always going to be Brisbane. Brisbane's the perfect springing board to kind of exploring A lot of the best of Australia, the Outback is only an hour or so away really in like you could drive and get into the rural heart of it, but there are so many special places that you just wouldn't typically expect. A few islands like Stradbrook island for example, just, you know, locally guarded I think. And you can get kangaroos that come up on the beach and local koalas just in, you know, and obviously that's just the most incredible beach with turtles and everything. I mean it's just really, really spectacular. And I guess as a city girl you've still got the city as well. Yeah, you've got a city and it's, it's, it's a laid back city. I would say that there's not always as much going on but it is the pop up scene that is really, really driving. There's a few nice little food places, eat street as well, market, so it's bustling now. Speaking of food, food always plays a big part in my travel plans. What is the Australian food scene like, national dish? Well, I mean Vegemite or Marmite with everything. They love their avocado, but aside from, I think it's just a melting pot of different cultures because Asia is so close, you have kind of everything and it's really well priced as well. So if you're in the mood for Japanese or Korean, you can find that quite easily. But you know, I mean you'll find fish and chips quite on the pier in Sean. Pretty much whatever you fancy you can find. Sure, yeah, everything. And things open quite late there as well, so. And is. I'm thinking of the Aussie celebrity chef Bill Granger, who of course is massive in the UK right now. Is he as big in his native homeland as he is in the uk? I would say so, but I think Aussies have a lot of pride in kind of their own really, really local chef. So every restauran almost got its own, you know, star cook and all of that kind of stuff. They love their locals do. Aussies eat out a lot is a big eating out culture. Yeah, there is actually quite surprisingly what you'll find is on bank holidays you pay a little bit more and people are happy to in order to keep the restaurant open for days that otherwise they should be closed. So yeah, they love their food and they love celebrating their food. Fantastic. Well that's good to hear. And if we're planning a trip to Australia, where should we stay? I mean, is Airbnb the way to go or. Actually I would. Although Airbnb is growing and you will find them. The best places are always the eco lodges that you can get. They're independent, but they're absolutely beautiful that way. You kind of give back to the community, but you get to stay in really, really authentic locations and just, you know, just superb accommodation. So something a little bit special, a bit unique. Yeah, definitely. There's some, like, they're luxury lodges, but they're not always priced that way. I would look more into those independent boutiques. Okay, great tip. And finally, any other insider tips for our listeners? I think the best thing is just to go with an open mind. Don't necessarily go, you know, looking for, I guess, wanting surf. Of course you will find surf, but if you don't go with those typical Australian things in mind, you'll have so much more of a better adventure. Great tips. Well, thank you so much for those insights. I think we're probably all reaching for our passport and checking out flights to Australia, but I'm not going to let you go just yet. I thought you could help me and maybe our producer, Na, if she's up for it, just we could share some things we love about the land down under. Okay. For me, I think one thing, it's got to be Kylie. I'm going to see you at the O2, actually, next month. I can't wait. You know, she's famous enough to be known only by her first name and from her style to her sensational singing career, you know, she's truly the pop princess. So probably Kylie, I think, is one of Australia's most famous exports and something I love about Australia. Yeah, I'd agree. I think Kylie's iconic, but I think, yeah, I mean, I'm always gonna love Kylie. But there are other local Hemsworth brothers, for example. They might come. I mean, everyone loves them. What's not to love? Yeah, exactly. Particular one. Always, Chris. Always, Thoroughly, always thought, always. And they seem like regular boys, down, good and decent. I mean, not that we know them. Decent people. Yeah, they really do. They're down to earth. Even all the local Aussies love them as local boys, local heroes. And I think it doesn't. It really helps that they love to promote Australia as much as they can. And didn't they start off on Navy? Yeah, they did. They did. Oh, God, don't quote me on that. I think it's home in a way that they started on. Yeah. That's another thing I love about Australia, the soap. Love, lust, tears, tragedies. Aussie soaps like Neighbours and Home and Away have it all and often in the same episode. Yeah. I think they've given us the Hemsworth brothers. They've given us. Who else have they given us? They've given us kylie and Danny McNogue and Margot Robbie. I was gonna say Margot Robbie. Who doesn't love superstardoms? So there we go. Now, what do you love about the land down under? Oh, you got me there. The weather, the sun. I. I guess the weather because. Yeah, because I'm southern and Spanish, so. Oh, so you like your hot climate. Yeah, it's gonna be the weather, probably. And as well as she said, like, food wise, I know that in Australia you have like Sumbo as well. Was it? He's a patissier. He's a really renowned patissier. How'd you say his name? Zumbo. Right. Ah, okay. Right. He's got a show on Netflix and it's amazing. Yeah, I think he was on one of the chef specials as well. Oh, have to. Have to look that out. Well, talking the food, it's a bit of a love or hate thing. I know, but personally I love it. Vegemite. Yeah. It looks a little dodgy in the jar, let's be honest. But the taste, it's so strong and salty. How can you not love it? I mean, it depends what you pair it with. I actually really like it with carrots. I don't know if anybody would really typically ever tried it with carrots. Really good. It's what I recommend. What about Tim Tams? Have you tried those? Oh, right. So I'm always gonna be British with that. Penguins all the way. Australians hate me for that. But Penguin bars all the way. You get a joke with a penguin. Tim Tam is just chocol. Ah. So it's. It's basically the Aussie equivalent of a penguin. Yeah, yeah, I'd say so. Well, apparently one in every two Aussie households contains a packet of Tim Tams. They love their Tim Tams. Little fact for you here, 35 million packs are sold each year, so that's staggering. That's staggering. Are you a beer drinker? No, I am, I am Fosters. Do you like your Fosters? No, not Fosters. Do you like Fosters? I'm not a beer drinker, no. Well, it's the second best selling beer right here in the uk, but it's not particularly popular down under. No, I never. I don't think I ever saw it even on. They kind of export it. But apparently the Aussies drink new bit Victoria bitter. Yeah, yeah, they do everywhere, so. Well, I guess more for the Brits to enjoy. Yeah, more for us. What's the coffee scene like? Apparently that's another big thing. Absolutely booming. Most people say to go to Melbourne for it, but even in Brisbane, you've got some amazing places. I think a lot of Europeans have moved over and they've really brought off their scene. I mean, every street corner has got somewhere that you have to go. And the flat white, I believe it's an Aussie invention. That's my favorite coffee of flat white. It is, yeah. Yeah. Didn't know. Yeah, I think I. They kind of need it as well. Even as, like turmeric lattes, for example. I was seeing out there for ages before I came here. I've not heard of that one. Turmeric latte. Oh, my mum, being Indian, used to feed it to us. Is it one to try? Yeah, they call it, I think, a golden shot or something like that. Liquid gold, that's it. Well, also, I heard that Australia, I think it was quite a while ago, perhaps back in 2008, but they closed 61 of its 85 Starbuck outlets because they prefer their independent, individual coffee scene. Yeah, that's true. Which is good to know. Like, that's true. When I was in Adelaide, I couldn't find one. I really wanted a matcha latte and I got one locally. It was incredible. But no, no sign of Starbucks. And of course, we've got to mention the beaches. Oh, the beaches are spectacular. Even the ones that you wouldn't have heard of, like I said, Moreton island, which I haven't mentioned, but Stradbroke island, they're off, I presume, off Queensborough. Both of them are very close to Brisbane. But you've also got Kangaroo island just off of Adelaide. There's so many islands to explore. Just the beaches are incredible as well as the ones, the iconic ones we all know, like Dundee, Byron Bay and. Yeah, Byron Bay is just spectacular. You think you know it, but until you get there, you know, your mind, your mind will be blown. It's incredible, really. And what about Western Australia? Rottnest Island, I presume that's Rottnest island is incre. Yeah, that's really beautiful. You get some endemic creatures that you'll never see anywhere else. But back to easy on the eye talent. You guys mentioned the Hemsworth brothers. I just thought of another one. Hugh Jackman. Oh, Hugh Jackman. Who doesn't love Hugh Jackman? So, lots of. Lots of reasons, I think, to love Australia. But I think, you know, whether he's showing off his biceps as wolverine. He always vocal range in Les Mis. Yeah, he's got it. He never fails to impress. No, no. So how can we follow your adventures in Australia? Well, I'm on Instagram. You can follow me at Sakitashama. I'll be the only one on there. So, yeah, send me a DM and we'll say hello. Looking forward to it. Well, I hope we've whetted all your appetites for Australia. You've been listening to Talking Travel on Women's Radio Station. If you wanted to listen again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to the presenters page on womensradiostation.com thanks, Sakita. And thank you all for listening. Welcome to women's Radio Station, the voice of women worldwide. Hungry? An average woman eats about 2 to 3 kilos of lipstick in her lifetime. Women's Radio Station, we want to hear from you. This is Women's Radio Station. You're listening to Avril Price with Kitchen Sink Spirituality. It's Anna Kennedy talking all things autism and my guest today is Karen Nunn. I listen to Women's Radio station Women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Do you dream of a wedding on the beach? Or maybe in the middle of a vineyard? Imagine your wedding in Italy, the land of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. 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WRS Women's Radio Station, Voice of Women Worldwide. Hi, I'm Valentina Barbacci and I'm the Executive director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones, focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@media mattersforwomen.org Mirae B Ltd. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database, we take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 077-8684-8998 for further information. Miray B Limited making the life of the business owner successful. I'm Isabelle Manevy, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by encouraging you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look on Women's Radio website. Call me on 079-8442, 2171. I'm listening. Do you need mediation? We are the a project charity. We provide conflict resolution and community engagement services. Our services include community mediation for neighbour disputes, family mediation for separating couples, special education needs for parents, carers and their children, and young adults, as well as workplace mediation and restorative services. To find out more, head to womensradio or theaproject.co.uk. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy and we're open as a trans woman living in the centre of London in 2018. 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