This was published 5 years ago
Travel tips: Julie Bishop, former foreign affairs minister to Australia
By Sue Williams
Julie Bishop speaks onstage during the 'There's Nothing Like Australia' campaign launch at Celsius at Bryant Park on January 25, 2016 in New York City. Credit: Alamy
The number of countries I've visited is 120 in my five years as Australia's foreign minister alone.
Any passport mishaps? None when I had a foreign minister's passport.
I got my first passport when I was 18 years old, in 1974.
My passport photo is fine. I'm happy with it.
I can't stop going back to ... the Pacific. As foreign minister, I visited over 30 times as the small island Pacific countries are our regional family.
Aisle or window? Window.
My last travel destination was ... Los Angeles last month.
My next travel destination is ... Adelaide, Australia
I love to travel because ... it offers different experiences ranging from meeting fascinating people to visiting spectacular locations – and it brings joy from personal discovery.
My travel philosophy is ... stray from the well-worn path and look for the unexpected.
The one travel mistake I always make is ... trying to do too much too quickly too soon after arrival.
The one thing I really do get right when I travel is ... packing my suitcase – it's like a military operation.
If I had to sit in the middle seat the other passengers I'd want on either side of me would be ... Henry Kissinger [former US Secretary of State and elder statesman], to discuss the great geostrategic challenges confronting the world, and Anna Wintour [editor-in-chief of US Vogue magazine] to discuss the important role of fashion in the economy and its impact on global development.
The one famous traveller I really admire is ... South Australian Andy Thomas, who flew into space as a NASA astronaut.
The one famous person I'd like to travel with is ... the President or Vice-President of the US, aboard Air Force One. No customs or immigration queues, no traffic delays.
Airline food is ... occasionally unexpected with the surprise of a great meal.
Airport security is ... time-consuming but sadly necessary.
Hotels are ... a place to rest between venturing out for the day's activities.
I've always wanted to go to ... the Galapagos Islands
I've never wanted to go to ... Yemen, as the security situation and long-running conflict make it too dangerous. Let's hope the situation can improve.
Julie Bishop, a commercial lawyer and former Clayton Utz partner, was elected to federal Parliament as the member for Curtin in 1998 and served as deputy Liberal leader for 21 years until 2018, and foreign affairs minister for five years, also until 2018.
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