Curated Australian Travel Escapes by SITCHU
Roam is an attractive hardback travel guide full of insider tips for anyone who is planning – or daydreaming about – an Australian adventure. It covers the whole country and has many eye-catching photographs. It’s an ideal book to curl up with as you choose your next escape, although it’s better suited to browsing at home rather than taking on holiday as it’s 339 pages long.
Australia has a way of reminding you to pause. The light bends differently here – over ocean horizons, across vineyard hills, through laneways and bushland trails. It asks us to look closer, to let go of the rush and to step into weekends as they were always meant to be: unhurried, delicious, a little adventurous and full of possibility.
Roam has six sections, one for each of the main states and territories. The welcoming introduction includes a big map highlighting the destinations covered in the book.
Large cities are identified by both their common name and the traditional indigenous name associated with that area (Melbourne/Naarm, for example). A Best of the Best list follows, with recommended dining spots, beaches, road trips, wineries, wellness escapes, and ‘new wave experiences’ – such as a helicopter flight along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, or swimming with whale sharks.
The beginning of each section has a map of the state or territory, with key destinations pinpointed. There are suggestions for the best time to visit each area covered, how long to stay (usually at least three or four days), and who the area is most likely to appeal to and why. Each section starts with the largest city and suggests a day-by-day itinerary – often beginning with coffee at a popular café and ending at a local restaurant or rooftop bar. Beyond the cities, Roam focuses on coastal and rural communities that are further afield. There’s information about events and attractions such as local farmers’ markets, coastal walks, bushfood restaurants, art galleries, sculpture gardens and marine parks.
The book’s ‘author’, SITCHU, describes itself as ‘your go-to lifestyle guide’. SITCHU draws on knowledge from local experts to produce ‘curated content on the best places to eat, drink, stay, and explore’. Roam has plenty of ‘top picks’ for shops, cafés and restaurants, although as businesses can close or change hands it’s a challenge for any travel guide to remain up-to-date. There is no pricing information, yet many businesses featured – particularly the accommodation – appear quite upscale. (A quick online search revealed that the nightly price for one of the Perth hotels starts at around AUD$800.) Even so, there are many places in Roam that cost nothing to visit, including trails, beaches, parks, natural attractions such as waterfalls and rainforests, and other outdoor experiences.
The Ruined Castle walking track [in the Katoomba region] plunges down the Golden Stairs into rainforest and ferns before winding along an old miner’s path on the valley floor. The final climb onto the boulder crown gives you an adrenaline-spiked finish: a 360 degree spectacle across the Jamison Valley…
In some areas you can book a cultural immersion tour guided by local elders who will share the history and culture of their community and provide insights into local sites of significance. For adventurous travellers, Roam also offers information about hot air balloon excursions, sea kayaking tours, and deep-sea diving. If you’re an animal lover, you might enjoy a trip to car-free Rottnest Island to see the quokkas – little marsupials that roam freely around the island. The index is organised by place name, but not by activity.
In addition to well-known tourist spots, Roam inspires travel to interesting places on the outskirts of the big cities. Some I’d heard of, others I had no idea existed. While more distant destinations are best reached by car, Roam also mentions regions or attractions that are accessible by bus or train.
Roam is a great starting point for planning your next trip to Australia, although you’ll still need to carry out research of your own – on prices, opening hours, how to get from A to B, and so on. The soothing pastel colour scheme and numerous enticing photos will put you in holiday mode from the moment you open the book.
Reviewer: Anne Kerslake Hendricks
Murdoch Books
