EP 105 Winter Series #4: Australia's most breathtaking islands & beaches

Hi there, welcome to our winter series. This week, we're taking you to the idyllic Cocos Keeling Islands – an atoll almost halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka where the airport runway doubles as the golf course, so infrequent are the flights.

Host Kirstie Bedford talks about her recent visit to the remote islands and what makes this largely unknown Australian island a must-visit. You can see some footage of her trip on Instagram at @kirstiewrites

Next up, we chat to author and freelance travel writer Celeste Mitchell about her new book, Ultimate Beaches Australia. She's scoured the nation to come up with 80 of the best beaches from the big names to some secret spots; places for world-class surf breaks or rock pools for the kids.  

Celeste is also owner of Life Unhurried, lifeunhurried.com 

And don't forget to enter our competition to win a tropical holiday in Thailand! To celebrate our 100th episode, we've partnered with Avani Hotels and Resorts to give away four nights' stay for two people in a deluxe room at Avani+ Khao Lak, with daily breakfast and dinner, airport transfers and a Muay Thai boxing class.

Just like the competition post on our Instagram page and tag a friend, and follow both The World Awaits and Avani Hotels, and you're in for the win! 

Entrants can be located anywhere in the world. Entries close 31st July 2025.

*flights not included.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to The World Away, travel tales to inspire your wanderlust. Hi there, welcome to our winter series. This week, we're taking you away from the cold to some of Australia's greatest islands and beaches. And for those who haven't heard, we have a trip to Thailand to give away. Our friends at Avani Hotels and Resorts have partnered with us to celebrate our 100th episode, kicking off the party with a tropical holiday to give away. You can win four nights for two people in a deluxe room at Avani Plus Khao Lak with daily breakfast and dinner, airport transportation, and a Muay Thai boxing class. And all you have to do is go to the World Awakes Instagram competition post, like it and tag a friend and follow both the World Awakes and Vani and you're in for the win. Entrance can be located anywhere in the world and entries close on the 31st of July. First up, we're going to the idyllic Cocos Keeling Islands, an atoll almost halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka, where the airport runway doubles as a golf course so infrequent are its flights. So Kirsty, I think the first question has to be... Where are the Cocos Keelings? And are they really part of Australia? I thought you were going to say, are they real? You would wonder. So it's literally in the middle of nowhere, so almost halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka. So to get there, you have to fly from Perth, and Virgin has two flights a week. And it is an Australian territory, so you don't have to have a passport. So the Cocos Keeling is made up of 27 islands, but only two of them are populated. So West Island where the airport doubles as a golf course because the flights are so infrequent. There's West Island and then there's also Home Island, which is a half an hour ferry ride away. And that has about 600 people living there, mostly Kakao Malay. And interestingly, tourism hasn't actually been around all that long. It only really started in the 80s when the Kakao Malay population voted to integrate with Australia. Although the Queen did visit in the 50s. So there you have it. Really? Did she? Oh my goodness. Did she sail there, I wonder? That would be fascinating to find out. Because it really is, you know, it is seriously remote from an Australian point of view. So, I mean, why do you go there? Like, what do people expect when they go there? Yeah, well, the perception's a really interesting one. So I was sitting on the plane on the flight over there next to the only advanced open water diving instructor, Dita, and we had a really nice chat. And he was obviously just telling me all sorts of things about the history of the place and how remarkable it was. But he was telling me a really funny story about how a couple came over and booked a dive with him because the husband wanted to go diving. So he just, you know... They just went over as a couple with the woman's wife. And she thought she was going for sort of this luxury resort style holiday. And this is just not the case. So while it does look like something straight out of the Maldives, a trip here is sort of really more about immersing in the local culture. And it's really all about the ocean. Everyone's livelihood depends on the ocean. And so ocean tourism is a really big thing. And it is a spectacular place. But not quite what this woman was expecting. So, Dita was sort of saying how, you know, it was really interesting because, well, needless to say, it didn't go down too well for the man because his wife wasn't very happy and she demanded to leave. So, she ended up going home and he had one of the best diving and fishing experiences of his life. Oh, my gosh. That's phenomenal. So, we know what the perception is about it, but, well, I mean, what type of place actually is it? You know, what's the vibe of this joint?

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Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 3:59

So it's very relaxed. So it's really like going to your favorite beach holiday destination. You know, when you go to those places when you're younger, when you're a kid, you know how people go to holiday destinations and it's like everyone knows each other and it's just a really relaxed, cool beach vibe. It's really like that. And so to paint a bit of a picture, like it's literally the water is like powder blue water and icing sugar like sand. And I don't say that lightly. Like, it literally looks like that. There are coconut groves with these giant green palms where they just fan out and, like, envelope you as you're walking through. And there's, like, giant coconuts discarded on the ground, like big skulls. And palm-sized crabs, the crabs are just incredible. Massive crabs just everywhere. And there's chickens roaming free. And then... the waters. So in the water, obviously, there's just like kaleidoscopic fish darting around between your legs. And we went We went out once and we were just walking along in this like crystal clear gin like water. And this parrotfish was just darted between my legs. It was so bright. It was so surreal and almost like in such a surreal situation. I just felt because of this fish that was so vibrantly coloured and because you can see them all so clearly. So it really feels really untouched. And the other cool thing about it is it's beautiful. the vibe is kind of like there's no traffic lights, right? And everyone leaves their keys in their cars just in case someone needs the car and all their homes are unlocked. So when you hire a car, they say to you, don't take the keys out of the car. So you take the car and it feels very unnatural, but you have to leave the keys in the car just to say someone else just wants to pick up the car and use the car while they're on the island. So, yeah, that's what it's like. Oh, my goodness. So, I mean, that sounds incredible. What are the things, why do you go there, if you actually know why you're going there, unlike that woman? What are some of the things you can do on the island, you know? You did rave about the motorised kayaks and biking around the island. So, yeah, run us through some of the activities on the Cocos Killings. Yeah, both of those things are really amazing and a really good way to get sort of the lay of the land. And so we cycled around under those amazing coconut trees and then you just pop out at this, you know, glistening, beach that feels like you've just been abandoned on some island somewhere, which you basically have. And we also went snorkeling on Pula Marae, which is one of the tiny little islands there. And you There's 500 species of fish here. So basically, like I was saying before about that parrotfish, when you go snorkeling here, the marine life is just really incredible. It's just remarkable. And when you walk up on the shore, there's these lipstick red crabs that just pop out of their white little shells and just scuttle around. So as you're walking around on shore, all the shells seem to move. It was just bizarre. I was thinking... all these shells are just moving. And when you take a closer look, you can see like these little lipstick red cranes just crawling around underneath. But probably for me, one of the best parts about it, and I always bang on about how I love meeting the people behind a place. And I honestly, genuinely, that was the best thing for me. So meeting the locals. So we went, we're really fortunate to take a tour on Home Island. So I think I said before, it's about a half an hour ferry ride from West Island. And There's a local, Zula Akia, who actually runs the local visitor information centre. And she took us, she's a fourth generation local, and she took us to her mum's house on Home Island. And we had, because they're going to start running cooking classes this year. So if anyone goes over there, go over to the visitor information centre and just ask about the cooking lessons with her because they're she hasn't started them yet, but we were sort of getting a test run. So she took us over there and we went into her house, into her kitchen and her dad was there and her mum was there and she was saying, oh, my dad catches all the fish. And then we just, and then, so they, her dad catches everything they eat, her dad catches the fish for the week. And then she was saying that, you know, she wanted to cook and wants to show people the local dishes to help keep the traditions alive. And that aspect of helping keep keep local cultures and traditions alive is really deep in that home island culture. So she took us around on little golf cart things around the island. It's really tiny. And we went and met this 84-year-old called Waka Uden, and he is the only person on the island who makes sea salt, and he weaves traditional baskets, these coconut baskets. tree, from the coconut tree leaves. So he just whipped one up and I was saying to her, how long would that normally take to make? And she was like, oh, you know, if anyone else said it, it would be like two hours. And he was whipping these baskets up in about 10 minutes. And I said to him, what I asked her to translate, because he didn't speak English, ask him what, you know, how he felt about keeping, he's the only person doing it. And he said, he's really been trying to educate the younger generation, but a lot of them just aren't particularly interested in it. So it's just such a shame to think that, you know, that that tradition could be lost. So, and you can actually buy his baskets if you do go over there at the West Island Visitors Information Centre, or you can buy them off him as well. And you can also taste his sea salt at the main restaurant on West Island, which is called Salty's Cafe, which is run by another local family. Everything's run by locals and everyone's got more than one job. So, you know, people do, people might be interested have, you know, they might be the local electrician and then they also run a dive centre or something. So yeah, so that's... And then back on West Island, I also met another really remarkable woman called Emma Washer and she runs the Big Barge Art Centre. So this is this boat that this giant moored barge, which her father completely restored with the locals on a... And they... They've got it now permanently moored on this completely isolated island on West Island. And it's literally like, you know, just metres from the water. And it's... Basically, she's turned it into an art centre. So she uses debris, 100% marine debris that's washed up on the atoll, to make art. So things like thongs and toothbrushes and plastics. And she said that there's just not a lot of education in neighbouring nations about discarding of rubbish in the ocean. So she wants to make sure that she can collect it. And she runs workshops. So if you're a visitor, you can make something from the marine debris and take it home with you. Yeah, I mean, that's incredible that, you know, that they are getting, you know, debris and rubbish in from other parts of the world. Because when you look at it on the map, it's quite close to, I mean, it's much closer to Indonesia than it is to Australia. So I was going to ask when you were talking about running over all those incredible crabs and stuff, what's the food like when you go to that cooking school? You know, is that, like, what are you eating when you're there? Because you are Miles from nowhere, I don't think there's any sheep or cattle kicking around the place, are there? No, and this is the thing. I mean, it's because of the nature of the islands, you know, they don't grow much there. So predominantly, it's all about local fish. There's chickens running around everywhere, to be honest. But we had, yeah, a lot of The food's remarkable, and we had a lot of– there are a lot of sort of Malay dishes, you know, rice and chicken and fish and chicken, beautiful dishes and samosas and things like that that we had when we were there. Yeah. Oh, that sounds fantastic. And, look, I have to ask, what is the weather like? You've got these amazing beaches, but you are in the middle of the ocean, and that has got to play– It's got to play some effect upon these tiny, tiny landmass. So tell us about the weather, Kirsty. So when I was on the plane with Dieter, he was telling me that there's a running joke that summer's winter and winter's summer because the weather only changes by two degrees. So it's really beautiful and warm all year round. But unseasonably, and just my luck, when we got there, it was literally like we had about a few hours and then it just started raining. It just literally poured with rain. And it doesn't typically rain when you're there like this. It was in November. And it does sort of have a bit of an impact on you obviously getting out to do with the boats just because of the weather. But it didn't stop us sort of getting out about– and I'll tell you, it was really funny watching the local kids because clearly this is an indication of how much rain they must get. When it was really– raining a lot outside the golf um the golf club which is just like a tiny little shack um on the next to the runway because that's the golf course the um There was a little puddle that sort of on the road, there was a bit of like a lot of water that had pulled there. And all the kids grabbed like skimboards and whatever they could find, little boogie boards. And they were so excited about the rain. And I was thinking so different, you know, when it rains at home. And they ran outside and they literally were dragging each other around on these boards. And then they were sitting in the puddles. And when we were driving around the corner, they were screaming out and yelling And I said to the person we were with, the local, what are they doing? And, you know, why are they yelling at us? Are they just so excited? She said, no, they want us to speed up and splash them. But she said, it's not going to happen because there's a 30-kilometer limit around the whole island and everyone adheres to it because it's such a community feel. It's like literally everyone's a big family. So because there aren't that many people. There's like 100 people, 120 people that live on West Island and they're all running tourism businesses and, you know, as I said before, like Home Island is a larger population of Kako Malay, but West Island is where a lot of the tourism operators are based. And so she was saying, no one will do it. But, you know, we tried to get a little, give them a little splash, but it wasn't, yeah, you have to stick to that 30k speed limit. But these kids were just so excited about the rain. But If it's not raining, the one thing you really want to do, which we were going to do but we couldn't because of the rain, was go to Direction Island. And that's where apparently the marine life is just really abundant. And it's said to be by many, many people that go there and the locals that it's like swimming in an aquarium. It's just that magical, the diving there. And it's renowned for being, yeah, a really remarkable dive spot. So it sounds incredible. Who– I mean, who's best suited to this island? Clearly not the woman in the anecdote at the beginning because she was looking for five-star hotels, wasn't she? Yeah, I think her husband just might have talked it up because he definitely wanted to go there. So, yeah, look, I do think it suits most travellers. I mean, if you want a luxury resort type holiday, then, you know, Dita's right in that it's not, you know, there's some lovely accommodation, but there's not flashy resorts. For a family holiday, you just would have an amazing time. Like, I would love to have taken, I mean, my kids are older, but, you know, kids at any age, you just get back to basics and connect whenever you're travelling And because this place is really literally just back to basics, no one wears shoes. I mean, I was talking to Mel, the PR person, for the Cocos Keeling, who was, who was with us a lot of the time when we were there. And she, they'd lived there for a few years and she, they were going to be moving back to mainland. She was saying, you know, that her, her son, her three-year-old son had never worn shoes. So they just don't wear, no one wears shoes. No, like it's just the weather's warm. It's just safe. No one wears shoes. And you just walk around and there's, but for couples also, they're, are some really beautiful private snorkelling spots and they're never overcrowded because you can only have, I think it's 140 or 144 people there at one time. So you can never have more tourists than that there at one time. So because of that, you know, there's lots of quiet places to go for couples and the beaches are literally your own. The food's amazing. Like I explained before, there's a really local sort of casual cafe style restaurants and they're right on the water, run by the locals, everything's run by locals. And I think our last day really sort of summed it up for me. So we Our flight was cancelled and so, you know, when the flights are cancelled, I mean, there's nowhere to go because you... And a whole lot of people have come in from Christmas Islands because the way the flight goes, it came from Christmas Island, then Cocos Killing and then back to Perth. So... There was an influx of people who already had been booked in our accommodation, so we couldn't stay where we were staying. So literally, it was like it was an event of some kind or a festival or something. All these locals just come out of their houses. Everyone just rallies around and they just take you to their home. So I stayed with this gorgeous couple who'd moved here So the lifestyle, I just ended up living there. And they just gave me their spare room. I stayed in their spare room. They make you a cup of tea. They're happy to just make you anything you want to eat. It's just a real sense of community. And experiencing that, being there when that flight was cancelled and watching that community rally around you, and literally everyone just came out of their homes and were just like, right. We were lining up and they were just ticking our names off and going, you go with Fred, you go with Mary, you go with this person, you go with that person. It was just remarkable. And, you know, I think that really sums up what it's like being there. Like everyone knows everyone. Everyone treats you well. Like, they love having tourists there. They respect you. They're grateful to having you there. They want to show you what a remarkable place this is, and it really is. And because, you know, like I said before, their livelihood is all about the ocean, so it's about getting tourists out on the ocean. But there's just a true sense of community, and you will feel that from the minute that you get there, and you will certainly feel that when you leave. Oh, it sounds just incredible. That's such a great note to end on. And if you want to hear more or learn more about the travelling in the Cocos Keelings, you can read Kirsty's story in the latest issue of Vacations and Travel magazine. And to learn more about the atoll, go to cocoskeelingisland.com.au. That was my co-host, Kirsty Bedford, talking about her recent visit to the Cocos Keeling Islands. You can see some footage of her trip on her Instagram at Kirstie Writes. That's K-I-R-S-T-I-E Writes, W-R-I-T-E-S. Next up, we're chatting to author and freelance writer Celeste Mitchell about her new book, Ultimate Beaches Australia. She has scoured the nation to come up with the 80 best beaches, from the big names to some secret spots, world-class surf breaks and rock pools for the kids. Welcome to the show, Celeste. Thank you for having me, Kirsty. So great to have you on The World Awaits. Let's start by tell us a bit about your background and how you came to be in the travel industry. I studied journalism, and so I started out in working in magazines in Sydney for about eight years, but that was more in the teen entertainment world on titles like Girlfriend and Total Girl and TV Hits, so a bit of a different world. But after a short stint in tourism PR, I started freelancing. about 12 years ago now, and I've been focused solely on travel for at least 10 of those. So I write for major titles like Escape, An Australian Traveller, Explore, and Travel and Luxury in the Australian. And tell us a little bit about what else you do now, because as well as being an incredibly prolific travel writer and author, you also have a platform called Life Unhurried. Yes. So that was, I've launched Life Unhurried with two friends and business partners in 2018. It's basically an online platform focused on slowing down and focused on how to incorporate more slow living and slow travel practices. And within that, we really feature what we call slow stays. So we've got a beautiful directory of accommodation where you can stay in the type of places where you know that you can really go and switch off and unwind. So that's a real passion project on the side that I like to yeah, keep balanced with the travel writing. And definitely an area I think more and more people are looking for these days. So let's focus on your latest project. So what made you want to write this particular book about beaches? I was really lucky, actually, because with Life Unhurried, we actually have a coffee table book that we bought out that was published by Hardy Grant in 2022. So after that book came out, a few months later, the publisher offered me the opportunity to write the next book in what they call the Ultimate Series. So you might have seen them around. There's quite a few out there now, Ultimate Hikes, Ultimate Camping, Ultimate Caravan Trips, and they've been doing really well. And they asked me about writing one about beaches. And so I jumped at the opportunity, probably a little bit naively as I had two very small children and a lot on my plate. But I just thought I grew up by the beach. I've always lived by the coast. I absolutely love the beach. I thought I knew the East Coast pretty well. Turned out it was a pretty daunting task. Australia is very large. But in the end, I feel lucky to have had a reason to travel to all the places I had yet to visit in the name of research. Amazing. And how many beaches are there in Australia? Oh, there's over 10,000. I was trying to narrow that down to 80. So it was still quite a hefty number that I had to come to in the end. And so I was very strategic about it. I had all my spreadsheets and was trying to nut out how many beaches per state I would do because they wanted it to be a real even mix. And then you're wanting to have a real mix of those big names, but also some lesser known beaches and really, yeah, tried to, it sounds like a big number, but trying to figure out 80 was quite daunting. Absolutely. Particularly if there's 10,000, my gosh, who would have realized that there were 10,000 beaches? I wonder if I would love to hear from anyone to see how many beaches people have ticked off their list. What are some of the, let's talk through some of the spots then. So what are some of the spots that you actually covered that are maybe some of not such big name beaches? A lot of people would have obviously heard or been to some of the biggest names, particularly the ones that always win those awards. But what about some of the lesser known beaches? Yeah, like you said, yeah, I was trying to cover it because we wanted a mix for everyone. So there's a lot of family friendly beaches in there, but also ones that are going to appeal more to surfers or hikers. And I'll just say that within that for every beach, it really drills down to provide information on whether it's accessible, what the patrol information is. whether it's dog friendly, what hikes are nearby, surf breaks, where to stay, and also got things about where to get the best fish and chips or the best ice creams. Apart from those big name beaches, some of the ones that come to mind for me are perhaps some of the harder to reach spots that you might have to like drive in on a longer four wheel drive track or hike to get to. So one was Blowhole Beach in South Australia. And that's in Deep Creek National Park, which is down on the Florio Peninsula. And so it's not a really long hike. It's only a few kilometers. But that, I don't know, there's a feeling of achievement when you get down to a place like that. And you also have that sense of remoteness because it's not just a beach that everyone can pull up. in their car or jump off the train and go there. That was a great one. I also really love some of the smaller island beaches. One that's in the book is Sunset Beach on Middle Island, which is in the Keppel group of islands on the Capricorn Coast. It's only accessible by private boat, but you can also get there on a day trip. So I think anything like that where it's only accessible by boat is certainly different to some of your big Bondi's. And also any of Tasmania's beaches, they're all so different and just so quiet compared to what most people are used to. What are some of the differences in some of these beaches? So obviously, because a beach isn't just a beach, right? Like you say, like some of them are really wild and rugged and other ones are really pristine with gin clear waters. What are some of the most dramatic beaches that have got the most dramatic differences? Oh, some that jumped to mind immediately are places like Rainbow Beach in Queensland, because you've got these towering rainbow-coloured cliffs that just run along the beach. And that's just, that's what impresses you most about that long stretch of sand. And then in others that are enclosed within rocky headlands, like there's a beautiful Cabarita Beach on the Tweed Coast in New South Wales. Actually, Cabarita is quite a long beach, but there's a tiny little section of it that I talk about in the book because that's such a beautiful little spot. You feel like you're really cradled in there. There's others that have these incredible granite boulders, and that's really what captures your attention. Elephant Rocks in Western Australia. which is just near Denmark on the south coast of Western Australia. It's unlike any other beach that I've seen in Australia. So they can be all so varied when it comes to the vegetation that's around there and how you access them as well. Are there any that really surprised you that when you were doing your research, you were, wow, I just never expected that? One was, it's called Huntingfield Bay on Magnetic Island, which is an island just off Townsville in North Queensland. Another one that you can only access by boat, but it actually has this amazing, it's only in certain months of the year, but it's got a waterfall that flows down onto the beach. So it basically cascades down over all these granite boulders down to the beach and creates like a pool of fresh water right there on the sand. So that was really incredible. I haven't seen anything like that. The other was the watercolour along the south coast of Western Australia, especially there's a spot called Little Boat Harbour Beach in Bremer Bay and just like piercing blue turquoise water and just no one else there. And I think that was the biggest thing that stood out to me along that section of coast. I also love how beautiful and varied the beaches on Kangaroo Island are. Like I think there's places that you just... You know, I'd heard so many good things about Kangaroo Island and you think of like nature and the wildlife and the food experiences that you can have there. But there's so many incredible beaches on that island as well. And I think even though this is one that I didn't get to personally, some of the really remote beaches in Arnhem Land, Lonely Beach is one that is in the book. And when you see the photos of that, you'll understand what makes it special. Yeah, and I think that's it, right? The diversity in Australia on the beaches and the fact that You could probably be on some of those beaches and feel like you're anywhere in the world. Some of them are like the Maldives and others are the Philippines or some really rugged surf spots somewhere. They just seem so varied. So what, this is like asking who's your favorite child, but do you have a favorite? I know this is literally the question that everybody's asked me, like whenever I've talked about working on this book I think there's too many what I would say is I think the beaches where I've been with the ones that I love like that so much of a beach experience can be who you're with and you know what you're doing whether you're on holidays at that time camping on the beach like that certainly has a huge impact on how you feel about a beach and I find with a lot of these small beach towns it's a real nostalgic kind of feeling that people have for these places as well before there might be places that they visit every year Sawtelle is one that's like that for me. It's just south of Coffs Harbour and it's somewhere that we go to visit friends at least once a year. I think because it's got the beach, it's got rock pools, the Bonneville Headlands there with the back beach and then there's an ocean pool and the creek flows in and it's just beautiful. It seems like it's amazing no matter what the conditions are. Agnes Water in Queensland is also very cool. Like it's just such a chilled out spot. The campground's right on the sand. It's the most northernmost beach with surf and it's this really gentle point break. So it's great for kids, great for beginners. And I also really love South Gorge on Minjerrabara, North Stradbroke Island. It's just like this little sliver of a beach and yeah, just got these towering cliffs beside you that are really beautiful. I could go on and on. I think Twilight Beach in Esperance also has to be seen in real life. The boulders that rise out of the water there are just amazing. And the one I mentioned before, Elephant Rocks, if you haven't been there, like being able to walk down between those granite boulders and get onto the beach there is really special. Amazing. You're so making me want to have a beach getaway. I'm going to have to ask you a question, backtrack a little towards something you were saying before, and you have to excuse the accent, but You said that there were some beaches that had the best fish and chips. So I have to ask you, which one? Which has? I'm not going to repeat. I'm not going to repeat my question. Look, I couldn't tell. It's not that I could tell you which beach had it. It's more that like within the where possible, I've tried to put in mentions of where to get the best fish and chips or the best ice cream. I'd have to actually flick through the book to tell you now, but I know that there's something really cool actually in Woolai in New South Wales. They have an old school ice cream truck. And in summer, you can actually text them like, you know, that when you want to have an ice cream and they'll drive to you so you can get your ice cream. So I thought that was super cool. Because that's such a neat part, isn't it, of a great part of beach experiences too, is taking food and being able to have picnics. Was there anywhere that was best for a little picnic spot, maybe private little for couples, areas for couples? Because we all know most beaches are obviously great for children and there are a lot of family-friendly beaches. But what about places that are a little more isolated or a little better for couples? I have a friend who will really hate me for talking about this one, but Scottshead in New South Wales, it is really great for families. But I think when you talk about picnic spots or somewhere where you're getting that fresh seafood, we... When we were there, we went and got some oysters from a seafood shop, which is literally out of some guy's house in a couple of streets back from the beach. And you go and pick up your Nambucca oysters and bring them to the beachfront. And there's this really beautiful table there that's covered in mosaic tiles. It's in the shape of a whale tail. And you sit there overlooking the water. If you're there at sunset, you know, you've got these pandanus trees framing the scene, overlooking the water there. Pour yourself some bubbles, have the oysters. And yeah, that was really primo. Amazing. That does, that sounds like an amazing experience. And so what about with your life unharried hat on, what are some of the topics for sort of some beachside slow stays? So some places where they're near or right next to amazing beaches where you can stay and they don't have to be places in your book. Oh, no, that was one of my things, favorite things about the book, because I could put in, like, I wanted to really focus on great beach shacks and the ones that still exist that are also really beautiful. There's plenty of campgrounds in the book. I've definitely talked about, like, best campgrounds that are on the beach, prime position, like that Agnes Water one that I spoke about. Or there's also a Reflections at Scott's Head, the Big Four in Sawtelle. And there's really cute A-frames at a place called Esperance Chalet Village in WA. But when it comes to shacks, there's one called The Slow in Woolai, which is right on the beachfront. Drop In Bendalong, which is right near Washerwoman's Beach. That's one that I've got on the New South Wales south coast. I also stayed at a really cool little shack called Tangerine Dream, which is in Deep Creek National Park in South Australia. And it's this real 70s vibe. Original shack, you've got 70s decor, record player and fireplace inside. But out the back, it's got a fire pit and an outdoor bathtub. And you're right near the entrance of the National Park. So you can go do that great hike past all the kangaroos, past all the grass trees down to Blowhole Beach. I also really love Arkoo House, which sits right on the sand in Sisters Beach in Tasmania. So that's up on the north coast. And it's just like this really beautiful A-frame and the owners that have it did an amazing renovation on it. And staying there was a really special spot to be that close to the beach. Yeah. And that's the thing, like it would make you slow down, right? Because you're actually close to the beach, but it sounds like they're also really unique properties like they, in themselves, they've got something quirky about them or they're quite unique. Is that what, is that what helps make it a slow stay? Yeah, definitely looking for places where you'll naturally want to unwind. And some of the things, like I mentioned, a record player or things, they might be off grid or they might not, but they're generally more sustainably minded. They're places that encourage slowing down rituals. So perhaps not having a TV, not having Wi-Fi, having to brew your coffee on the stove, just little moments to remind you to just slow down and enjoy and immerse yourself in the place where you are. Amazing. I'm sure we could talk about beaches for hours and hours and people will just have to get hold of your book too. And we will put a link in the show notes of where to get that. But this is the question that we ask, final question we ask all of our guests, which is, what's the most bizarre thing that's ever happened to you on your travels? This one I had totally forgotten about until I asked my husband for help on this question. He reminded me that after we were married, we were really... We somehow scored these amazing business class flights on points. So we did this big trip over to Europe and we were flying home on the business class Emirates from London to Dubai. And essentially there was a passenger who was very demanding, wanted a lot of champagne. And next minute she's pulled up some random from another row. She's got him in with her and proceeds to basically give him a lap dance in the business class area. Yeah, that's probably up there with Pretty Bizarre. That is very bizarre. Absolutely. And I hope it didn't destroy your business class experience. Trying to relax. It was interesting, that's for sure. Oh, look, it's been so great to chat with you about your book and these incredible, thank you for so many incredible recommendations for beaches. And you're definitely the go-to when it comes to my next beach getaways. That was Celeste Mitchell, the author of Ultimate Beaches Australia and owner of Life Unhurried. And you can find out more at lifeunhurried.com. Next week, we're back into our regular schedule and we're kicking off 2025 with a rundown of some of the great cruises around the world. And if you are enjoying our podcast, please leave a rating and a review. on Apple Podcasts. Click onto our profile, scroll down to the bottom to leave a star rating, and if you are on Spotify, go to our main page and click the three dots underneath our photo. Or simply drop us a line at hello at theworldawaits.au. We love hearing from our listeners. 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