Australia’s 21 Most Interesting Young Travellers
Everyone loves travel, but few people have managed to turn their passion into a fully-fledged business – the Instagrammers, the bloggers, the influencers, if you will. These are the lucky folk whose travel habits go far beyond the standard four weeks of leave per year.
Because inspiration is the name of the game, we decided to collate a list of 21 (OK, some of them are duos, but y’know) of our country’s brightest young travel stars. Who knows, maybe their adventures will get you inspired to head out there and try something new. Actually, we’re sort of banking on it.
HelloEmilie
With a masterfully curated Instagram feed that’ll turn your wanderlust up to 11, Emilie Ristevski (or Hello Emilie to her 750k followers) is positively living the dream.
A self-described “photo-creator, story-teller and wanderer”, Emilie’s blend of travel and lifestyle photography paints her locations in a new light, filling Instagram’s borders with more colour and emotion than you ever thought possible. Just a regular full-time uni student up until a few years ago, Emilie has turned her hobby into a career, travelling across the world and inspiring thousands as she goes.
[related_articles]17799[/related_articles]Jarrad Seng
Professional photographer Jarrad Seng is all about that globetrotting lifestyle – one minute he’s hosting bespoke photography workshops in Iceland, then he’s sharing breakfast with a nosy giraffe in Kenya, and then topping it all off by shooting live music performances back home in Oz.
Expect to find Jarrad on top of a skyscraper or high above a waterfall, snapping away sans fear. It’s safe to say we’re in awe.
Tegan Lee
Living in a perpetual summer daze, Tegan Butler is a Melbourne transplant living it up in Los Angeles. Alongside her Michigan-born partner in crime Andrew Noël, this duo wander on the wild side of the US, making frequent pit stops at some of the country’s unrivalled natural wonders.
Tegan will make you want to quit your job, buy a van and embrace nature because, well, check out how good it looks.
Jason Charles Hill
Jason Charles Hill’s feed is incredible. His pictures look more like computer backgrounds than real life, and he has a knack for capturing tiny people against epic nature backdrops, transporting the viewer into his moments of tranquility.
Adventure is the name of the game here, and Jason knows just how to capture that special connection between man and the wild. A self-taught photographer, Jason’s currently based on Australia’s east coast but seems to spend most of his time abroad.
TuulaVintage
Tuula Vintage, also known as Jessica Stein, is a travel and fashion blogger from Sydney. Her travels often take her far from home, giving her huge following new locations to lust over on the reg.
As a professional blogger, Jessica finds beauty in the everyday, bringing it all to you just like your best mate would, with delicious food, delightful sunsets and enviable nature shots that makes you want to hop on a plane and meet up with her, wherever she may be.
The Common Wanderer
Has it ever been your dream to quit your job and travel the world? Well The Common Wanderer‘s Mark and Mim did it and are now on an adventure of a lifetime, scooping up as much fresh air and as many cultural points as possible.
Between the two of them, they’ve summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, safaried in the African jungle, balanced on the edge of Victoria Falls and found adventure absolutely everywhere, leaving plenty of evidence on their blog and Instagram.
Isabella Melody
An inspiring photo journalist with a knack for nature photography, Isabella Melody brings quirk and colour to her lively Instagram.
Having previously based herself in Stockholm and Australia’s Top End, Isabella can capture an electric landscape or a cheeky ‘roo crossing the road with such spirit and vitality, it’s infectious.
Mark Clinton
Sydney-based lifestyle photographer Mark Clinton has a knack for capturing interesting landscapes.
Shifting from snow to sand, forests to the desert, Mark finds colour and texture wherever he goes, inspiring thousands of others to follow in his tracks and seek out the unknown – whether that be sledding in Finland, hanging ten in WA or RVing in New Zealand.
World of Wanderlust
Brooke Saward started her blog World of Wanderlust as a way to keep her friends and family updated as she travelled. Years later and WOW is now Brooke’s fully-fledged travel business, seeing the young Tasmanian travel across the world in search of delicious food, incredible views and bigger than big cities.
Opting to live out of her suitcase, Brooke’s travels have taken her from Japan to Switzerland and even to the Maldives, gathering an enviable collection of experiences on her blog.
Two Humans Travel
Two Humans Travel is Tayla and Ben, two Aussie legends living the dream of making travel pay the bills. As their website so succinctly puts it, “one day, a writer met a photographer and together they travelled. This website is their Internet baby”.
With passport stamps that read like your own bucket list, THT manage to blend stunning photography with clever words and deliver it all with a smile and a pat on the back. They’re the best friends you wish you had.
Lauren Bath
Four years ago, Lauren was a commercial chef working in an Italian restaurant. These days she’s sharing travel inspo to her 454k Instagram followers. Lauren’s certainly done the hard yards to get where she’s at, including launching The Travel Bootcamp, an interactive course that gives pro tips on turning travel into an thriving income.
Lauren’s signature style is colourful and intimate, telling a compelling story with each and every snap.
Matt Glastonbury
Matt wears a lot of hats – he’s a commercial drone/UAV pilot, a photographer, an illustrator and a self-professed “happiness chaser”. He’s got an eye for the spectacular, the visually appealing and the extreme.
As a viewer we’re taken high above these landscapes through video posts that almost make you feel like you’re floating on a cloud. It’s a unique spin on travel photography that gives us itchy feet for a new adventure.
Melissa Findley
For Gold Coast local Melissa Findley, it’s just another day in another gorgeous location. Travelling across the world and showing off her killer photography skills, Melissa has the adventures most people only dream about.
With a deep passion for charity work, Melissa has volunteered in Uganda, and uses her curated following to bring awareness to organisations projecting endangered wildlife in Borneo and Laos. What a champ.
Citizens of the World
Wife and husband; writer and photographer. Dynamic duo Meghan and Dominic Loneragan initially created Citizens of the World as a platform to document their travels. Now, the pair tell stories from the road, profiling and presenting people, places and things they find on their many global outings, along with producing some rad video reels to boot.
From beautiful landscapes to candid underwater shots, Meghan and Dominic are the kind of visual storytellers that hit the point of travel right on home.
Gypsea Lust
Lauren Bullen’s Gypsea Lust world is a collection of blue, white and green hues. Her feed is filled with beaches and waterfalls, boardwalks and road trips, all with decidedly chilled out vibes – which makes sense coming from a woman from Northern NSW.
Travelling the world with her trusty lens by her side, getting to peer into Lauren’s world is the sweetest escape, like biting into a giant doughnut covered in pink frosting.
Gary Pepper Girl
Nicole Warne’s world is the ultimate daydream. Blending fashion, travel and lifestyle, this multi-talented lady is shooting in Sydney one day and walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival the next.
As a Qantas Ambassador and Digital Consultant, Nicole gets to share her insight into the world of travel with her 1.1 million Instagram followers on a daily basis. It’s a sweet, sweet life, that’s for sure.
Garry Norris
Holy colourful Instagram, Batman! Turning nature’s saturation up a little, Garry Norris is someone you should definitely keep an eye on. A chef in the regular world, Garry travels in search of fresh destinations and luxurious locations, sharing his culinary treats on both his personal account and foodie account.
Belissimo.
Polkadot Passport
Nicola Easterby (a.k.a. Polkadot Passport) is pretty lucky – she’s explored 31 different countries in her 21 years of life and jokingly recounts “That’s only 165 to go!” With a camera in her hand and adventure in her soul, Nicola’s a bundle of creativity and energy.
Native to Brisbane and having recently moved to Europe, Polkadot Passport is a fun little take on the bright and beautiful world we live in. We’re just lucky Nicola’s given us a leg up and is inviting us in.
William Patino
If you were ever in any doubt about nature being the absolute greatest, just take a gander at William Patino’s feed for a little reminder.
A former tradie turned photography whiz, William shares his skills behind the lens in a series of photography workshops in Canada, Iceland, New Zealand and Tasmania. The results? Incredible images from some of the most remote locations on Earth. You beauty!
Jewelszee
A true visual storyteller, Jewels started her feed the way many of us do – by snapping away on her iPhone. Nowadays she takes her photography skills to new heights, capturing awe-inspiring Instas from across this vast backyard of ours.
She’s a lover of all animals, so expect to see a few of our native critters popping up on her feed intermittently. Cute.
Sarah Pannell
There’s something so familiar about Sarah Pannell‘s work that looking at it feels like coming home. She seems to notice things that other people don’t, providing inspiration for all sorts of adventures, whether that’s a weekend away or a journey to the other side of the world.
A documentary photographer by trade, Sarah is currently based in Melbourne.
Ella Marais
The Kimberley region of northern WA is a breathtaking paradise that many Aussies have yet to see in person. Adventurer Ella Marais is lucky enough to call the beautiful Kimberley region her home, and regularly shares hidden wonders from this sun-kissed Garden of Eden.
Ella’s feed will make you realise just how misleading it is that we think of the Outback as a dry and sparse place.
(Lead image: Hello Emilie)
Inspired to head out on your own adventure? Start planning with Qantas.
