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Bali Story
The Problem with Assimilation
“The problem with Muslims is that they don’t assimilate,” announced the Australian owner of a Balinese sports bar. The red-nosed sexagenarian was drunk on his own stock and the admiration of his fellows, swinging off a barstool in the joint he’d made his own. “They don’t assimilate and they don’t respect our way of…
4 minRead time
Story USA
Sleepless in Seattle
Sleepless in Seattle – that’s the old movie with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, right? I have some vague recollection of watching it on TV years ago. One of those weekends where you decide to stay in and watch whatever old film they decide to recycle on commercial television. Little did I know, as I…
15 minRead time
Story
Ditch Contiki and Do Europe With Your Mum
It’s the beginning of European summer: time for the yearly ritual of 20-somethings living out their best lives through a month of backpacking. Last-minute flights have been booked, bum bags have been packed, and smartphones are at the ready for the perfect sunny snaps. It’s a ritual I have chosen to be a part of,…
10 minRead time
Japan Story
Too Big in Japan
I can feel my face turning a warm, visibly peachy colour as those uncomfortable, familiar prickles run up my neck, around my ears, even to the end of my nose. The little old lady is huddled over something on the bench with her back to me. I've been standing here for over a minute and…
7 minRead time
Editorial
The Politics of Tanning
When I am travelling, there is one particular image that ignites a strong emotion of fullness and freedom within me. That image is of my tanned arm immersed in seawater as I float in the ocean. The sight causes my heart to burst with elation. When my bronze skin and the turquoise sea merge into…
8 minRead time
Bali Story
An Ode To My Scooter
Lingering incense from daily offerings wafted over the villa; the smell of Balinese air and fresh street food filled my nostrils. A breath felt how I would imagine dirt-flavoured candy floss to taste – instantly melting, topped with a spritz of motor oil and a dash of bug spray. A muffled chorus of squealing pigs…
10 minRead time
Story
You Are Ready
You’re in the bathroom flattening your hair at baggage claim. You pinch your cheeks for colour. You’re nervous to see her. You’ve come all this way for her, to give it a shot. Breathe in, breathe out. You throw your 8kg on your back and head out, grateful for the light load, but hoping one…
6 minRead time
France Story
An Accidental Nudist
Here I am, lying on a stony beach, near the border of Spain and France, my white ass-cheeks being kissed by the golden, mid-summer sun. How did I get here?  I’d been walking for hours along the crystal coast of Cadaques, hopping from perfect beach to perfect beach. My body was encased in salty…
7 minRead time
Story
Travel And Culture: Am I Doing It Right?
A seductive siren, San Sebastian sings to me. Headphones in and jammies on, I tell her to shush. Outside is the reason I am here in Spain for a month-long travel writing course. Outside is the reason I am the furthest physical point away from home in Australia I could be. I’m in my hostel…
6 minRead time
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Astray is a storytelling project centred on travel, place, culture and identity.

We’re run by a team of writers who mostly live, work and play in nipaluna / Hobart. With reverence, we acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal people as the traditional and ongoing custodians of trouwunna / lutruwita / Tasmania: land that was stolen and never ceded. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.