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Katrina Lobley

Katrina Lobley

Travel writer

Katrina Lobley is a Sydney-based freelance travel writer with expertise in ABC (art, bars, culture). She’s been writing for Traveller since 2006.Connect via email.

Opera Queensland’s 2026 Festival of Outback Opera.

Forget the Opera House, this outback festival is the real deal

Once a year, this unpretentious Queensland town plays host to global opera superstars.

  • Katrina Lobley
Traditional American diners have their charms.

Terrible coffee, unhealthy food – yet I still love American diners

The coffee’s the worst, the food downright predictable but there’s a reason I can’t resist sliding into the vinyl booth of a classic American diner.

  • Katrina Lobley
Vessel, aka the Hudson Yards Staircase.

Experts name the unofficial world capitals of (nearly) everything

Not best friends with radio host Zan Rowe or food writer Jill Dupleix? We ask the experts to name the ultimate destinations for music, food, fashion, and more.

  • Katrina Lobley
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade, connecting Milan’s famous opera house and cathedral.

The 25 cities and towns that should be on your travel radar in 2026

From grand openings to sporting spectacles, Traveller’s experts name the global destinations set to burst with energy and celebration.

  • Katrina Lobley and Rob McFarland
Haji Lane, Singapore.

Ten underrated streets better than their world-famous neighbours

Whether it’s Hollywood Boulevard or Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, there are streets everyone wants to visit – and everyone does. Try one of these alternatives for a more authentic experience.

  • Kerry van der Jagt and Katrina Lobley
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Enjoying the top pool at Gunlom Falls.

How to see Australia’s 21 World Heritage sites (including the new one)

With last month’s addition of WA’s Murujuga Cultural Landscape, what better time for an essential guide to each of our country’s World Heritage sites?

  • Katrina Lobley
A road near Winton, Queensland – the outback is more of a feeling than a place.

Where does the outback actually begin? Even Tourism Australia isn’t sure

This somewhere place, a realm imbued with myth and legend, is a region without set borders.

  • Katrina Lobley
Hotel de Paris... the magnificent lobby.

The best hotels in the world revealed, as named by the experts

Seven expert travellers name the best hotels they’ve ever stayed in along with their key tips for having a more pleasant stay.

  • Katrina Lobley
Breakfast with a sea breeze on Oceania.

A surprise celebrity chef joined my Mediterranean cruise

Passengers never know before boarding who their on-board chef instructor will be, but there’s every chance they’ll find someone as fascinating as we did.

  • Katrina Lobley
Traffic is terrible in Riyadh.

I did a women-only trip in one of the world’s most notorious countries

It’s one of the world’s most patriarchal societies, but I had a behind-the-scenes look at the secret lives of women here.

  • Katrina Lobley