Rediscovering regional travel //

Reconnect and rejuvenate. 

We tend to cram in as much sightseeing as possible, leaving little time for the unwind our bodies need. Instead, we focus on finding the best restaurant on TripAdvisor or taking the perfect photo for Instagram. And we miss the surroundings that make our travel experiences organic and authentic.

Then the typical Australian family would cram into the back of a Holden Station Wagon. They’d have an esky full of sandwiches and car snacks and they’d simply head out to a holiday at the nearest coastal or country. Now with the availability of cheaper flights and more carriers, the Australian ‘family holiday’ has turned into a 23-hour flight to Europe.

But has this habit of travel inhibited the reset and rejuvenation our bodies need??

We need downtime.

Clinical psychologist Deborah Mulhern recently spoke with Business Insider. She said, “neuroscience is showing that we require downtime in order for our bodies to go through the process of restoration. Without time and opportunity to do this, the neural connections that produce feelings of calm and peacefulness become weaker, making it more difficult to shift into less-stressed modes”.

Travel restrictions are still in place and many people are desperate to return to nature. So more Aussie families are seeking vacations in their own backyard. Experiencing what their state and nearest coastal or country towns have to offer.

A return to regional travel and more rejuvenation.

Travel reports suggest that Australians are now planning more frequent and short weekend vacations rather than waiting until they are burnt out. This allows travellers to return to their usual daily schedules feeling more productive, creative and rejuvenated.

With this sort of regional travel comes a shift in mindset. It creates an ability to go back to basics and access what is important. Which for many right now is travel that involves spending time in nature. We have so much natural beauty in Australia. It’s a shame it’s taken a global pandemic for us to see and appreciate what we have on offer.  

We believe that travel reconnects you with the natural world and the story of the local community.