Lisa Wilkinson shares her favourite travel memories from the Northern Territory and more with WYZA®.
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After a distinguished career in magazine editing, at just 21 she was the youngest ever magazine editor of a national magazine teen magazine Dolly and four years later she became the editor or Cleo, Lisa Wilkinson AM has been the co-host of Channel 9’s Today since 2007.
Have your travel interests changed over the years?
Sure, more than anything I now love diversity in the places I travel to and what I can do when I’m there. And I just love a place that inspires me photographically.
Has your way of travel changed over the years?
No, planes have always seemed pretty good to me. Although I do love a fast train these days, particularly when I’m in somewhere like Europe. Much less fussing at train stations rather than airports when you’re crossing borders. And back home I’m really keen to do the Ghan all the way from Adelaide up to Darwin. Everyone I know who has done it has absolutely raved.
Lisa travelling through Oia, Greece, with her husband, Peter FitzSimons (Image: Facebook / Lisa Wilkinson)
Best travel experience when you were young?
A holiday house mum and dad rented for a week down at Huskisson on the NSW south coast when I was about 5. Such a beautiful spot and I still remember watching my brother jump off the bridge into the river and hoping one day that I would be big enough to do that. The shop did the best fish and chips wrapped in newspaper. And don’t even get me started on the pineapple fritters!
Best recent travel experience?
Santorini in Greece. I hadn’t been for 27 years and now I’m wondering why I stayed away so long.
Santorini, Greece is one of Lisa's favourite international destinations
Favourite place in Australia? Why?
The Northern Territory, for it’s stunning and diverse landscapes, huge range of activities, beautiful waterfalls, night skies, great bars and restaurants, and the best sunsets anywhere. And if you go, you have to visit the Devil’s Marbles outside of Tennant Creek. It’s a landscape that is unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere on the planet. The word “stunning” goes nowhere near describing just how extraordinary and other-worldly this place is. Take your camera!
Lisa loves the stunning sunsets in the Northern Territory (Image: Facebook / Northern Territory Australia)
Favourite place in the world?
Apart from my own home, it would have to be a toss-up between Paris and New York. Both cities just have most incredible energy, mixed with beautiful parks, great streetlife, restaurants. I walk everywhere, which is a great way to get to know a city.
What are you looking forward to?
Making that trip on the Ghan.
It is not hard to see why the NT is Lisa's favourite place to travel in Australia!
Pet peeve when travelling?
Long queues. My husband and I once stood in a queue for four hours at the incredible Gaudi church Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, only to get to the ticket office and discover that we hadn’t registered on the “app”. Sooo not happy.
Never leave home without?
My Canon camera.
I’ll never …
Say never. I’m open to anything when I travel. The proof is probably in the time I bungee-jumped off a perfectly good bridge above the Zambezi river in Africa, three weeks after another Aussie had done the same, only to have the elastic ropes snap when she was at the bottom of the fall. Crazy I know, but I’m so glad I did it. And it scored me huge brownie points with my kids!
Lisa Wilkinson has bungee jumped off the bridge over Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe
My travel dream is …
The Sound Of Music tour in Austria.
Have you ever been to the Northern Territory or any of Lisa’s favourite travel spots? Let us know below.