Ben Groundwater

Ben Groundwater

Traveller's globetrotting backpacker, Ben Groundwater, finds the good, the bad and the ugly in the world’s best destinations. Ben is a columnist, blogger, feature writer, and host of Traveller's podcast Flight of Fancy, who has visited more than 80 countries during his 12 years in the industry. Ben was named travel writer of the year by the Australian Society of Travel Writers in 2014 and 2015.

Melbourne laneways: Melbourne did it first and they're awesome.

Dear Melbourne, we still love you

Sydneysiders love Melbourne. We love it because it has all of things that Sydney does not. When you want a break from Sydney city life there's nowhere better.

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Melbourne's Victoria Market is one spot where you can see and sample the vibrant mix of Australian cuisine.

'Australian food': The best places to try our local cuisine

Tim Tam slams, pad Thai or bush tucker: What is "Australian food" and where we can best enjoy our local cuisine.

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"You just have to go with it": Travelling Vietnam by scooter is an adventure of all sorts.

The annoying, shocking things I never thought I'd miss about travel

"Oh my God," Jess breathes as I squeeze the scooter's brakes and the tires hit the side of the road, jolting us up and down. An ambulance screams past, no siren, no lights.

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Iceland, with its stunning scenery, dramatic waterfalls and its famed Blue Lagoon, is a perennial favourite for ...

The greatest travel adventures you should try - at least once

Dreaming of your next big travel adventure, somewhere ambitious and completely different? These are the best adventures for any time, especially in post-COVID times.

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Queensland signage warns of penalties for crossing into the state from NSW at the lonely Cameron Corner border crossing, ...

'Screw Queensland': Why we shouldn't boycott other states

I don't want to end up like the US, a country with red states and blue states, with defined state-based identities and genuine rivalries.

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2C8K6E6 Aerial view on Fraser Island's famous Indian Head. tra31cover-big

Forget the Big Banana: Australia's 10 truly enormous attractions

Australia is a big country and it's filled with big things – though maybe not the big things you're picturing.

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Sacha Baron Cohen in a scene from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

Borat's back and he's… kind of racist

The whole world, once again, is laughing at Borat. It's laughing at America. And of course it's laughing at Kazakhstan. I get the joke. But if it was anyone else, it wouldn't be funny.

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Tea Tree Bay in Noosa National Park is a popular place for picnics and surfing, with many other spots in the park more ...

Podcast: Summer holidays - where to go and what to expect this year

Summer is coming. Here's what you need to know to start planning that ultimate getaway.

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Right now, even a bad holiday sounds better than being at home.

The worst trip I've ever been on as a travel writer

I'm sharing it just to let you know that sometimes the life of a travel writer is amazing, sometimes it's inspiring, sometimes it's shockingly lavish – and sometimes, it sucks. On this trip, it sucked.

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The best holiday spots in New Zealand, as chosen by Kiwis

Australians can't wait to burst through that long-promised New Zealand travel bubble. We ask some prominent Kiwis to share their tips on where to head first.

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Atlantium's ceremonial pyramid – Australia's only walk-in pyramid.

Population 3000: Welcome to Atlantium, Australia's only micro-nation

Welcome to a micro-nation that was founded on 3rd Decimus in the year 10,500 by three Sydney teenagers, and continues to this day to press its desires for a singular, secular, pluralist world.