Australia’s Best Travel Books and Travel Writing Recognised

Australia’s Best Travel Books and Travel Writing Recognised

November 14, 2024
Huge honour to help out with the judging of the Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW) Awards for Excellence – the book award section overflowed with talent, they were the type of books that made me want to pack my bags pronto!
Congratulations to all. It was one of those awards where I wished the finalist list could have included everyone as each book was brilliant in its own way. So many tips packed in, helpful and beautiful descriptions, stunning images. Art and craft shining through.
Announced in the Hunter Valley,  the finalists included:
  • Ultimate Walks and Hikes Australia by Laura Waters. Made me want to get my walking shoes on!
  • Beyond the Monuments in Washington, DC by Kate Armstrong – such a great insiders guide
  • and the winner 🥇 was Flip Byrnes for Ultimate Skiing and Snowboarding. ⛷️🏂 I could feel the snow and the buzz reading this book!

Congrats too to publisher Hardie Grant Books for being behind many of these projects, with mammoth efforts by writers including Catherine Best Ultimate Caravan Trips Australia, Penny Watson Wilderness and Lee Atkinson Ultimate Coastal Road Trips Australia.

I’d also like to make special mention of Lee Mylne’s two titles on Solo and Sustainable Travel published by Wiley Global, Danforth Slater’s seafaring memoir Black Dog, Blue Sea and Sue William’s book Run for Your Life published by Simon and Schuster which brought Moscow and Western Australia (and so much more) to vivid, scary life – what a remarkable and harrowing story, a brilliantly captured page turner.

If you’d like to check out the best Australian travel writing of the year for inspiration – in addition to book categories there were categories for: Travel Writer of the Year, Travel Photographer for the Year, Best Aussie Road Trip Story and many, many more. You can find the ASTW finalist and winners’ list here.