The Dream Destinations edition
If television and radio made the world smaller in the 20th century, social media in the 21st has vacuum-packed it. Seeing jaw-dropping places online, often in short video grabs, has encouraged Australians – already keen travellers – to venture further and seek authentic cultural experiences. Social media is especially effective at showing us small corners of the world – a rooftop restaurant with a view of the Eiffel Tower, a tiny bar in Bucharest dating back to the 1840s – that might otherwise pass us by. But I must admit that my own most memorable trips overseas – witnessing the majesty of wild animals in Africa, speeding across the ice in a snowmobile in northern Finland, landing in a helicopter on a mountain pass in north-west Canada’s Yukon – have been the big-picture ones: witnessing nature at its most powerful and raw. And this is very much the theme of this year’s Dream Destinations issue. Enjoy. – Greg Callaghan, acting editor.
In a remote snorkelling paradise north of Australia, I see the world anew
Visiting West Papua’s biodiversity hotspot of Raja Ampat after eye surgery, a traveller beholds a coral wonderland.
- Helen Anderson
‘Eighth wonder of the world’: Sailing into Milford Sound on an ultra-luxury cruise ship
Looming mountains, lacy waterfalls, dolphins on cue – it’s no wonder Rudyard Kipling was so in awe of the Sound back in the 1890s.
- Jane Cadzow
‘We left behind our spouses and grown-up children’: The rise of the girls’ trip
Whether they’re travelling alone or on female-only tours, women are packing their bags in unprecedented numbers.
- Fiona Carruthers
New Zealand’s latest Great Walk left us breathless – but so too did the scenery
This steep New Zealand hike has you meandering through forests, climbing a mountain and watching dolphins glide by.
- Gayle Bryant
Bathrobes and special menus: Yes, that pooch in NYC probably is better off than you
In cafes, hotels, museums and on planes, it really is a dog’s life.
- Liz Gooch
Michelin meals on trains, in-flight sleeping pod rentals: Fancy travel’s next stops
Due for a bucket-list rail journey or cruise, or sky-high pampering? With the latest luxury options, you’ll know you’re going places.
- Fiona Carruthers
Pouncing lions, pronking springboks, poison-arrow lessons: Botswana’s safari idyll
On safari in Botswana, the only crowds are the herds of magnificent wildlife.
- Anna Selby
Bob Dylan was born in Minnesota and thrived in NYC – yet his museum’s in Oklahoma
The question was blowin’ in the wind: why did the legendary songwriter allow his archives to go to a conservative “red” state in the southern US?
- Toby B. Hemingway
Last stop, end of the world: Take a train to the tip of Tierra del Fuego
A railway line at the bottom of South America, originally built to serve a prison, has been reinvented for tourists to enjoy the spectacular scenery.
- Mike MacEacheran
- Two of Us
- For subscribers
Cupcakes, a whinge and a cuddle: Two artists on crafting a decades-long friendship
Rod Holdaway and Merrick Fry met at a gallery opening in Sydney’s inner west 25 years ago and have been mates ever since.
- Stephen Lacey
- Dicey Topics
- For subscribers
Gen X icon Ione Skye on why she’s more Liz Taylor than Jennifer Aniston
The actor – best known for starring in the 1989 hit film Say Anything – on being called the original “nepo baby”, celebrity extravagance and her tattoos.
- Benjamin Law
- Modern Guru
- Modern Guru
My friend’s been unlucky in love. Should I tell her she’s an off-putting eater?
The truth may be hard for her to swallow, writes our Modern Guru – but a little white lie might work.
- Danny Katz
Free flights to Milan; your own butler: The perks of being a Very Important Customer
Behemoth luxury brands view those who spend at least $US1 million a year as “VICs” – and Australia has more of them than ever.
- Andrew Hornery
When kelpie-cross Kip sits down while riding a paddle board, scientists pay attention
Along with four canine colleagues, Kip is helping biologists locate threatened species as part of Zoos Victoria’s Wildlife Detection Dog Program.
- Paul Connolly
Outward bound: Good Weekend’s 2025 travel gift guide
From hiking must-haves to luggage-lightening gadgets: smart pieces that’ll take you places.
- Frances Mocnik
Tackling ‘demi-ski’, snow-time’s most overlooked fashion category
At risk of being mistaken for a snowman? Tips on the sartorial art of sorting warm outerwear.
- Damien Woolnough
‘Pure winter comfort’: Shortcut bean and pasta stew with pancetta and rosemary
This one-pot dish is inspired by the Italian pasta e fagioli, but sped up.
- 30 mins - 1 hr
- Danielle Alvarez
- Review
- Bennelong
Ten years on, Good Food visits Bennelong to see if it still delivers big-ticket thrills
It’s arguably Sydney’s most “Sydney” restaurant, but does the Opera House’s flagship venue still fulfil its ambition?
- Callan Boys
An almost-30-year-old city power-lunch hub finally gets its second hat
Does the basement restaurant still feel right after it flooded and closed for a seven-month rebuild? Yes, and then some.
- Dani Valent
Help! Why is it so difficult to open a stubborn screw-capped wine bottle?
Screw-caps are a great seal, but sometimes they just refuse to budge.
- Huon Hooke
Other editions
The March 21 edition
Stephanie Alexander and The Cook’s Companion at 30 | Free-diver Ant Williams | Debra Adelaide and Gabrielle Carey | How to deliver a baby on a plane
- 11 stories
The March 14 edition
The high-strung, low-key world champ who could become our most-capped swimmer | Ukraine’s world-leading robotics work | Filmmaking at -50C | Consoling a friend
- 13 stories