New Travel Writing Workshop

You asked for it. You've got it. Following the 2011 Byron Bay Writers Festival - where I'll be a guest speaker on a panel on 'Why travel broadens the mind & creativity' - and before I take off for Ethiopia, I will be running a new one-off, one-day Travel Writing Workshop.

Date: Tuesday, 9 August
Time: 10am-4pm
Location: A&I Hall Bangalow
Cost: $65/$55 Concession
Bookings: 0400 887 991 or kim[at]wildwriting[dot]com[dot]au.

Feedback from my previous workshops include:

"Kim has a lovely presence & communicates exceptionally well - I like the ways she structured the workshop to lead us step by step through the process from thinking about the idea to how to get it published, as well as challenging us to actually write during the workshop. Her feedback on our efforts was very generous, positive and helpful." Virginia Clarke, Byron Bay

"Kim, I would recommend your workshops to any aspiring writers. Your experience and the friendly atmosphere made the weekend a very engaging learning experience." Sue Evans, Northern Rivers

"Kim Wildman lead a clear and inclusive travel writing workshop which not only focused on the skills of writing and storytelling but the business of travel writing and having your work published. A fun and valuable course by an experienced travel writer." Holly Galbraith, Go Future Media

"Excellent! The course was very useful and exceeded my expectations." Amy Dalguish, Travel Editor, Total Travel

"Inspirational and dynamic presenter. Engaging real life experiences of her travels and success in travel writing."

"A shame the workshop is over – onto the hard work now!"

Five great reasons not to miss the Postcards from Bangalow Writing & Gourmet Experience

There are only a couple of places left for the Postcards from Bangalow Writing & Gourmet Experience. Held over the Queen's Birthday long weekend in June in the beautiful village of Bangalow, this unique writing event will awaken your creativity and indulge your senses.

If haven't already gotten your ticket to winter's hottest event, here are five great reasons why you won’t want to miss out:

1. You'll discover a true hinterland haven
Hidden in the lush, green hills of the Northern Rivers, Bangalow is a writer’s and foodie's delight. Just minutes from Byron Bay, this inviting hinterland village is where rural wholesomeness meets big city sophistication with CWA stalls and old-fashioned hardware and bric-a-brac stores rubbing shoulders with chic boutiques, cool cafes and gorgeous galleries.

2. You'll receive expert advice
Hosted by Bangalow-based writer Kim Wildman, this three-day retreat will take participants on a travel writing journey through the sights, sounds, scents and flavours of Bangalow. A seasoned travel writer with more than 15 guidebooks and 200 feature articles to her credit, Kim has spent the last 10 years continent hopping for the likes of Lonely Planet and Bradt Travel Guides and was recently voted one of Tripbase’s 100 Favourite Travel Writers in the World.

3. You'll sample delicious local produce
With food as well as writing a main focus of the weekend, tastebuds will be tantalised with many of the region's best restaurants and producers highlighted on the menu for the event. Participants will enjoy gourmet meals at three atmospheric local restaurants including Bangalow Dining Rooms, Fishheads @ Bangalow and the Harvest Cafe and will meet local producers on a half-day Foodscape hinterland tour and a guided visit of the Bangalow Farmers' Market.

4. You'll mix with the region's best writers, authors and providores
The program features a prominent line-up of local writers, authors, foodies, providores and identities including co-owner of Foodscape Tours, Karen Hirst, author of Boys' Home to Broadway, Kevin Palmer, publisher of Sample magazine, Remy Tancred, and TV presenter and author, Scott McGregor, who'll help me unearth the best of the region through a series of workshops, dinners and tours.

5. You might even get published
If a weekend of writing, reflecting and enjoying the tastes and flavours of Bangalow isn't enticement enough, Sample magazine - the epicurean bible of the Northern Rivers - has offered to publish the best travel article written over the weekend in the travel section of the spring edition of the magazine. So not only will you experience what it takes to be a travel writer, you might even get published.

All participants too will go into the draw for a three-day pass to the Bangalow Music Festival. So grab your pen and paper, bring your appetite and get ready for a fun weekend of good writing, good food and good company.

The three day event costs $450 per person and includes the three restaurant meals, tours and workshops. Accommodation can be arranged in a variety of local venues in and around the village. Places are strictly limited. Contact me on 0400 887 991 or kim[at]wildwriting[dot]com[dot]au to make a booking. For more information visit Kim's website.

Postcards from Bangalow: The countdown is on

It's now just over a month until the first-ever Postcards from Bangalow Writing and Gourmet Experience kicks off. Tickets for this unique writing event to be held in the beautiful hinterland village of Bangalow on the Far North Coast of New South Wales from 10-13 June are selling fast. Don't miss out - the clock is ticking!

The three day writing retreat will take participants on a travel writing journey through the sights, sounds, scents and flavours of Bangalow. Joining me for the journey are a prominent line-up of local writers, authors, foodies and identities including co-owner of Foodscape Tours, Karen Hirst, author of Boys' Home to Broadway, Kevin Palmer, publisher of Sample magazine, Remy Tancred, and TV presenter and author, Scott McGregor, who'll help me unearth the best of the region through a series of workshops, dinners and tours.

With food as well as writing a main focus of the weekend, tastebuds will be tantalised with many of the region's best restaurants and producers highlighted on the menu for the event. Participants will enjoy gourmet meals at three atmospheric local restaurants including Bangalow Dining Rooms, Fishheads @ Bangalow and the Harvest Cafe and will meet local producers on a half-day Foodscape hinterland tour and a guided visit of the Bangalow Farmers' Market.

If a weekend of writing, reflecting and enjoying the tastes and flavours of Bangalow isn't enticement enough, Sample magazine - the epicurean bible of the Northern Rivers - has offered to publish the best travel article written over the weekend in the travel section of the spring edition of the magazine. All participants too will go into the draw for a three-day pass to the Bangalow Music Festival. So grab your pen and paper, bring your appetite and get ready for a fun weekend of good writing, good food and good company.

The three day event costs $450 per person and includes the three restaurant meals, tours and workshops. Accommodation can be arranged in a variety of local venues in and around the village. Places are strictly limited. Contact me on 0400 887 991 or kim[at]wildwriting[dot]com[dot]au to make a booking.

Postcards from Bangalow Guest Speakers

The program for the Postcards from Bangalow Writing & Gourmet Experience, to be held in the beautiful hinterland village of Bangalow on the Far North Coast of New South Wales on the weekend of 10-13 June, is coming together nicely. A line-up of prominent local writers, editors, authors, foodies, providores and identities will participate in tours and special dinners throughout the weekend. So grab your pen and paper, bring your appetite and get ready for a weekend of fun, food and writing!

Places are strictly limited so be sure to book early. A discount of 5% is available for bookings made by 30 April, 2011. Contact Kim Wildman on 0400 887 991 or kim@wildwriting.com.au to make a booking now.

Guest speakers for the three restaurant meals include:

Scott McGregor, TV Presenter & Author
Scott has worked in the media for 30 years and is a well-known face from his work as an actor, presenter, writer and producer. He has appeared in numerous stage, film and TV roles and presented such programs as Room For Improvement, Better Homes and Gardens, and Australian Icon Towns. Recent projects include two books for Allen & Unwin, Fix-It and Big Boys Toys, and a new TV series on the history of the Post Office, Stamp of Australia, for the History Channel. Scott also hosts overseas railway tours for the Powerhouse Museum and Renaissance tours. Discussions: TBA

Kevin Palmer, Author & Theatrical
Kevin Palmer's autobiography Boys' Home to Broadway celebrates how Kevin rose - through a combination of talent, destiny and chutzpah - to forge an international theatrical career. At the Royal Shakespeare Company he worked with Dame Judi Dench, Dame Diana Rigg, and elsewhere with Joan Littlewood, Sir Ian McKellen, Judy Cornwell, Sir Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds. His career took him to many off-beat destinations such as Reykjavik, Iceland and Sweden, before finally returning to home Australia. Kevin has made a significant contribution to the evolution of theatre in Australia. Discussion: Tasty Tales from a Travelling Theatrical

Remy Tancred, Editor, Sample Magazine
Remy has worked in media for 15 years on well-known national and international magazines and newspapers. Since 2007 she has published her own monthly magazine The Lennox Wave in her hometown of Lennox Head. Remy recently launched Sample, a seasonal magazine showcasing the incredible range of food and produce that abounds in Northern NSW. As editor of the magazine, Remy's focus is on exploring the increasing emphasis on health and environment; in what we eat, how we grow it and how we sustain production. Remy is also the author of Ate Phat Ducks. Discussion: What an Editor Wants, What an Editor Needs

Postcards from Bangalow special offers

Great news: Local businesses in Bangalow and the surrounding areas are getting behind the Postcards from Bangalow Writing & Gourmet Experience and showing their support by offering participants special deals on accommodation and transport. See below for details:

The wonderful staff at Bangalow Limousines, the premier business class transport service across the Byron Bay and Ballina Shires, are offering participants a 10% discount on airport transfers to/from the Gold Coast, Ballina and Lismore airports. So you can sit back and relax in luxurious comfort while you are chauffeured in style to your accommodation in Bangalow.

Participants staying at SummerHills Retreat will receive a 10% discount on accommodation. Located just minutes from Bangalow and cocooned in the lush Byron Bay hinterland, this private sanctuary offers accommodation in luxury cabins and spa villas. Each suite has great views, air-con, spa bath, kitchenette, bathrobes and gas BBQ.

Meanwhile, The Byron at Byron Resort & Spa has offered participants a special rate of $300.00 per night for two adults in their superior one-bedroom suites (standard rate $345.00). Located in close proximity to the resort's central area, these luxurious suites are ideal for those who wish to take advantage of the resort's many facilities including the pool, sauna, restaurant and the luxurious Spa and Wellness Centre.

For more information about the Postcards from Bangalow Writing & Gourmet Experience click here.

An early bird discount of 5% is available for bookings made by 30 April, 2011. Places are strictly limited, so contact Kim Wildman on 0400 887 991 or kim@wildwriting.com.au to make a booking now.

Northern Rivers Travel Photography Comp

Calling all aspiring photographers: The Northern Rivers Travel Photography Competition is on again!

Following on from the success of last year's first-ever Northern Rivers Travel Photography Competition, I've been asked by the Bangalow Chamber of Commerce to stage the contest again and (fingers crossed) turn it into an annual event. The contest this year will be held as part of the centenary celebrations of the A&I Hall in Bangalow with all money raised will go to local charity: Bangalow Land and River Care; the Bangalow branch of Landcare Australia.

This year's theme is City Sights & Nature's Delights focusing on travels in either urban or natural environments anywhere in the world – even here on the Northern Rivers - and is open to all residents of the Northern Rivers.

Categories: There are three categories: Primary (up to 11 years), Secondary (12-17 years), and Open (18 years and over).

Cost: Individual entries cost $5 for Primary & Secondary & $10 for Open. You may only enter a maximum of two entries, but each entry incurs the fee and must be made separately.

Format: Photographs must be submitted in print form. Each photograph should be mounted on black mount board and must not exceed 30cm x 40cm in size (including mount board).

Prizes up for grabs include $350 worth of cash prizes offered by the Bangalow Chamber of Commerce, Lonely Planet travel guidebooks, and subscriptions to some of Australia's best travel magazines, including Vacations & Travel and Get Lost!. More prizes to be announced.

The closing date for entries is 29 June, 2011. The contest will then culminate in a fundraising exhibition at the A&I Hall in Bangalow on Thursday 30 June where the winners will be announced. With photographers' permission, the winning entries will be featured in the spring edition of Ocean Road Magazine.

Entries clearly marked with your Name, Age, Address and Telephone Number, can be dropped off in person at Barebones Gallery in Bangalow between 10am & 4pm from 15 June – 29 June.

You don't have to be a pro nor do you need to have travelled the world to enter this contest. You just have to have a keen eye and a great travelling spirit. So get snapping!

For more information, you can contact me on 0400 887 991 or send me an emal at: kim[at]wildwriting[dot]com[dot]au.

Hanging ten with Layne Beachley

Perhaps it is the summer sunshine or the fact that I can smell the ocean from my hideaway here in the Byron Hinterland of Far North Coast NSW, but I've been feeling a little beachy lately. Then again, maybe it's because I recently snagged an interview with seven times world surfing champion, Layne Beachley.

2008 was a very busy year for Layne. She released her autobiography, was nominated for Australian of the Year, announced her retirement from surfing, and became engaged to her long-time partner INXS musician, Kirk Pengilly. During my interview with her for Ninemsn she chatted to me about her favourite beach breaks, her new book, Beneath the Waves, and what the future holds.

So where is Layne's favourite beach break, I hear you ask? Well, while she admitted that there were too many to just name one, she did say that one of her favourite spots to surf in Australia is Angourie which is near Yamba on Far North Coast NSW. If you want to know where she likes to go to relax or where her ideal romantic escape is, you can read the full interview here.

Though, if you want a laugh, at my expense of course, you can read about my feeble attempts to learn to hang ten like Layne a couple of years back in an article I wrote for Ninemsn: Let's go surfin' now, everybody's learning how.

Far North Coast NSW insider goes live

In my mad rush to finish all my work before the Christmas holidays, I forgot to mention that I had been working on an Insider's Guide to Far North Coast NSW for Ninemsn. In a bold new move the company has changed the format of their travel site to feature a wide range of insider's guides to well-known destinations, both in Australia and around the world, that have been written by in-the-know locals.

In my humble opinion, my region, Far North Coast NSW, is the closest place to heaven-on-earth that you'll find in Australia. While officially the North Coast of NSW tumbles from Newcastle, just north of Sydney, all the way to Tweed Heads on the border of Queensland, the region I specifically cover is the Far North Coast which stretches from Yamba to the Tweed encompassing a heady mix of sun, sea, sand and sumptuous national parks (not forgetting the country's most celebrated utopian paradise - Byron Bay). But instead of giving you a list of time honoured tourist sights and attractions, I give you the lowdown on where NOT to go and let you in on a few tips on what you can discover near the beaten track.

As part of my work for the guide I will be doing a live one hour chat on Tuesday, April 14 from 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time. For those of you on Facebook you can register here to take part.

Home for the holidays

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year! I had a lovely time celebrating the holidays at home with my family.

One of the most frequent questions I was asked by my family and friends over the holidays was when was I off on my next trip? When I replied that, for the time being, I was planning on staying put (well, at least for the next few months) they all seemed rather disappointed. Well, I suppose that is what I get for spending most of my time off gallivanting around the world, but you'd think that they'd be happy that I'd be staying close to home for a little while (??).

For my part, I have to admit that after the world-wind year that was 2008 - which saw me go underground in Cape Town, help Philip Briggs update the Bradt travel guide to Tanzania, discover the wild side of Nairobi, hang out in Havana, crisscross Southwest USA and lay about on Fiji's Coral Coast, not to mention land in hospital in Jamaica - it has been nice to finally unpack my bags. That said, the traveller in me will never be quelled, so I'm sure I'll be packing them up again sometime very soon.

In the meantime, I've resolved that for 2009 when I'm not on the road working, I'll regularly pull out a map and set about rediscovering the region where I live. Considering I live in one of the most beautiful places in Australia – on the north coast of New South Wales – it certainly won't be a hardship! What's more, I've recently been named Ninemsn’s Insider for Far North Coast NSW, so I have even more reason to do so now (more on that in my next post).