You know people loooove Byron Bay for its small town hippie vibe slash good waves and ability to find quinoa and kale on every menu? Well Dunsborough is all over that, but just one step ahead of the game: it hasn’t been discovered by half the world yet. Even in the summer, there’s still only a quarter of the people that roam around Byron. This groovy beach town is intellectually nicknamed “Funsborough” for its lack-thereof readily available fun, meaning locals had to create and search for their own adventures. This resulted in a bucketload of outdoor discoveries that have become a mecca for Instagram uploads by non-locals seeking the “douth” lifestyle. .
Shit Worth Doing
Breakdown in Botswana
Dear Diederek Thank you for loaning us your bucket-of-bolts rooftop tent 4wd. We’ve left the driveshaft on the…Why I Returned to Timor Leste
The flight from Darwin to Dili takes barely an hour and a half. Cabin service starts before the…Anxiety, You and a Triangle Tattoo
The needle digs into my thigh. Pain cracks through the numb haze that’s descended over my mind from…Secret Diary Of An Au Pair
Screaming, crying, cursing, and shouting. Dried up shit in the toilet, on the loo roll, and on the…Go Climb in South Africa, But Leave a Goddamn Tip
South Africa. A country of luxury safari resorts and Apartheid. Of good wine and water shortages. Of huge…Yet Still You Wander
“Another trip, then?” “Yep.” “How long’s this one?” “Not sure yet—three months, maybe.” “I can’t get you scripts…A Date with Indonesia’s Thriving Punk Scene
The taxi comes to a halt outside Gimme Shelter, an underground rock’n’roll bar in Canggu, Bali. The booze…A Postcard from Dili
Celebrating an independence vote in the country I called home Dili in August is always dry, dusty, tired;…What Does a Wax Figure of Chris Hemsworth Have to Do With the Amazon Fires?
By now the whole world has realised that the lungs of the Earth are ablaze. The Amazon fires…From an Inner-City Day Job to the Front Line: My Journey With the Adani Blockades
The sky was sun-soaked when the gong sung out at eight, rustling the big gum and alerting the…Night Fishing in Tokyo
The Sumida river flows through Tokyo the way the memory of Fisherman Yoru (night in Japanese) will course…Going to a Wine Fight as an Alcoholic’s Daughter
Spain’s relaxed nature towards its lifestyle, including alcohol, is terrifying to the sober daughter of an alcoholic. To…Trouble in Tehran
Negar and I are inside a Tehran cafe. She says her English isn’t great. But it’s good enough.…The Lion Rock Spirit: Why I’m Proud to Be a Hong Konger
“I used my backpack to shield a young girl from the police’s rubber bullets, because she was about…I Fucked Around Like Donna in Mamma Mia, but All I Got Was This Damn UTI
Like many young women who’ve watched the Abba-inspired Mamma Mia! films, I was recently struck by the urge to…Why You Need to Stop Idealising Socialism
“I see them all the time as I walk the halls of my uni – these goth girls…I Was Groped at the Footy and Realised How Far We’ve Come — But How Far We’ve Got to Go
At the Essendon AFL game against Port Adelaide last weekend, halfway through the second quarter, I went to…I’d Never Been to Hospital, Then I Went to India
Day One: Anjuna Beach Guesthouse, Goa The sound of the ocean woke me. Flames seemed to lick at my…Why Are Women Frequently Misdiagnosed When it Comes to ADHD?
“Olivia’s effort and concentration in class have been variable. At times she has participated well, but at other…Death of a Doorman
My previous portero died unexpectedly. One day he was there – a fat and jovial man, bald, glasses,…How Studio Ghibli Nearly Got Me Arrested in Japan
I’ve always been a model citizen. Not a church boy, but just enough so my moral compass feels…Attn Melb Rocker Dudes: A Simpsons Meme IG Account is Calling Your Shit Out
Picture Snake from The Simpsons posing like a French girl, looking alluring and sultry in an insta post…An American Abroad: What It’s Like to Travel Under Trump
Sometimes, I’m proud to be an American. When repping my country abroad, I’ll admit to rubbing the domination…I Still Don’t Know Why I Ran With the Bulls
There is nothing noble, nor brave, about running with the bulls. Nothing of the sour smell of drunkenness and…Kava Party
Oahu’s north shore. It’s now turning dusk, and behind the Turtle Beach Hotel – just off of the…I Had a One-Night Stand in an Irish Graveyard
I was splayed between gravestones, with multiple jackets strewn across the grass. Like most men, Galway Guy was…I Travelled Spain With 29 Women
A love letter to my she-wolfpack This is an ode to the 29 women whom I just travelled…Herbert
Nepal was the eighth and final country of our backpacking trip, and with the end looming like a…How the Birds Got Their Colours
It all started with a story. Dancing across the front of the book was a colourful bird with…The Indo-Japan Driver Exchange
Prologue Two lanky gentlemen are standing in a visa application line at the Japanese consulate in Delhi. Mr…I Went to Karaoke in Switzerland and Fell Out a Three-Storey Window
We all know that a drunken karaoke session can make even the most admirable person fall from grace.…Journey to the Auckland Islands
“One hand for the ship, one hand for yourself… or two hands for the ship. That’s even better,”…Teremoking in Saint Petersburg
It’s a glorious spring day in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and the bright restaurant is over half full. Yuri…An Unexpected Trek in the Philippines
I landed in the Philippines on a Tuesday afternoon. By Thursday morning, I was deep in a multi-day…How Not To Change Your Menstrual Cup in an Airport
I’m mid-flight, well into the notorious Sydney-to-Doha 15-hour leg, and I know it’s time to change my menstrual…When Japanese Plasters Don’t Stick to Kiwi Feet
I’m 10 minutes into my hike to Abukuma Caves when I realise I have a slight problem. The…Finding More to Japan’s Host Culture
As kids, Mum would tell us, “Don’t talk to strangers.” But living in Tokyo for a month, I…I Started a Glitter Nipple Movement High on Magic Mushrooms in Bulgaria
After spending 25 days in the Bulgarian wilderness with a young hippie family – abstinent, vegan and isolated…When in China, Take the Slow Train
I had only the frigid Beijing air and my large suitcase for company as I waited for the…A Black Denim Canvas
I hover clumsily over the toilet seat, trying to steady myself as the bus turns a sharp corner.…