Featured image: Netanya Noosa
Celebrate wanderlust this Christmas with travel-ready treats and gifts to inspire your next romantic adventure
- The gift of travel
An accommodation voucher is a win-win as you can enjoy it together! Most resorts and hotels offer this service as either a ‘virtual’ voucher via email or a physical card you can pop under the tree. We’ve pointed Santa in the direction of one of our favourite Hastings Street haunts Netanya Noosa ($250 accommodation voucher please and thank you) or into the rainforest where Crystal Creek Rainforest Retreat offer a custom gift voucher service.
2. A sublime sleep
Whether it’s long haul (we wish) or a long night on the eggnog, a silk sleep mask will help ensure a little stylish shut-eye. RRP$55 From slip.
3. Luxe minis
The Vienna set from local legends Aesop includes nine travel-sized essentials especially selected for use in temperate and cooler climates. Europe on hold? Tasmania looks good. RRP$80 from Aesop or Myer.
4. One for the mindful traveller
If you don’t already have Bon Voyage: Boutique Hotels for the Conscious Traveller by Gestalten in your collection, get gifting! Sustainable journeys and eco-conscious getaways are featured with considered insight and gorgeous pics. $95 from Folio Books
5. A map of your adventures
Scratch that travel itch with a new Deluxe version (more detail, more islands!) of the excellent original World Scratch Map. $45 from The Chart and Map Shop
6. Top-shelf sunnies
T for travel perhaps? These Italian-made Tom Ford ‘Giulio’ sunglasses would be equally at home by the resort pool or exploring the urban jungle. $520 from David Jones
7. A towel made for two
This clever fast-drying, sand-free travel essential is perfect for sunning sweethearts or as a picnic throw. $139 from Tesalate. Photo credit needed please
8. H4C loves
Avid shutterbugs will love a peek into the personal world of acclaimed travel photographer Kara Rosenlund in Weekends. Centred around her ‘beach shack’ on Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) Karashares everything from her classic prawn sandwich recipe and styling tips to her photographic process. Limited edition clothbound copy $55 from Kara Rosenlund.
9. Summery scents
Looking for a summer-perfect spritz? Try this travel-ready sampler from Maison Margiela Paris which includes the evocatively titled Beach Walk, Lazy Sunday Morning and Sailing Day. $110 from MECCA
10. One for the adventurers
Take-me-there photography meets practical tips and expert info in National Geographic’s 100 Hikes of a Lifetime. Think short day sojourns like Norway’s Mt Skala to multi-day treks and even multi-week adventures such as Bhutan’s Snowman Trek and Australia’s own Bibbulum Track. RRP: $47.99 at Folio Books
11. Scenic travel totes
A Santorini canvas tote from aerial photographer Remy Gerega will transport you both to the Med as you’re running New Year errands. $30 from Remy Geraga
12. Dream weaver
Craving the heady scents of India or Bali? See the Temple candle from Tulasii. Infused with a richly evocative mix of oriental, woody, and floral fragrances, it’s “inspired by the intoxicating beauty of sacred rituals and offerings to the divine.” $34.95 from Tulasii
13. Memory makers
Phone albums and Facebook memories are super handy but there’s something special about a hardcover album of treasured travel snaps. We love Papier for a gorgeous finish.
14. An Insta-ready wallet
Domestic or international? When it’s time to make that call, the Forest Green Travel Wallet from local luxury brand tde (the daily edited) will take care of practicalities with room for your boarding pass and cards plus a detachable passport wallet and quick turnaround monogramming service. RRP$169.95 from tde
15. One for the explorers
Celebrating “the quiet joys of not racing straight to the snowy peak”, this love letter to the Himalayas comes from the bestselling author of The Eight Mountains, Paolo Cognetti. Without Ever Reaching The Summit: A Himalayan Journey is part travel journal, part pilgrimage, part literary homage, and a brief but beautiful read. $24.99 from Folio Books
16. The take-everywhere travel scarf
A scarf, a sarong, a wrap or even a bed runner, the Shakti organic cotton block print scarf is a beautifully ethical choice for your favourite globetrotter. Designed in collaboration with a family-run group of artisans in Bagru, a traditional block printing village near Jaipur in Rajasthan, India, it has travel covered at a generous 115 x 240cm. $89 from Tulasii
17. Frenchy face treats
Feel a little closer to that French escape with the L’Occitane Iconic Travel Collection. $64 at David Jones
18. A romantic keepsake
Have the exact position of the planets on a particular date (anniversary perhaps?) engraved on the Planets Aligned Personalised Nautical Sundial Compass. The beautiful brass keepsake is also fully operational as a nautical sundial compass. $195 from Hard to Find
19. Add to cart
Got a golf-lover in the house? This journey of discovery will have them fired up for the next tee. Lofted: Remarkable & Far-flung Adventures for the Modern Golfer by William Watt features classic courses in Wisconsin, USA, the remote islands of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, the tropics of Malaysia, the foothills of the Himalayas and our own windswept and wild King Island. $45 from Booktopia.
20. A travel journal
Give your favourite traveller a place to dream and plan with the Life’s a Road Trip — Luxe Edition journal. Beautifully bound in white vegan leather with a rose gold touch, it includes quotes, fun writing prompts, inspiring stories, lists of hidden locations, and plenty of space for words of wanderlust. $44.99 from Axel & Ash
21. Coastal charms
Shiny baubles for the nautical-minded traveller. The Keshi Pearl Necklace Layers from Kirsten Ash features the Sail Away Coin, Keshi Pearl & Traveller Coin (also available separately). Set $449 from The Iconic.
22. Jingle bells jigsaw
If you pieced your way through lockdown together, here’s a lovely new project for under the tree. My Grandmother’s Country II by Natalie Jade. $59 from Greenhouse Interiors
23. One for the road trippers
The great Australian road trip, it’s one of our favourite holiday traditions! Author Lee Atkinson zooms in on 40 of the best driving holidays around the country for couples and families. $39.99 from Folio Books
24. Create a keeper
Bring a personal touch to your travel grooming game with this canvas and faux suede Personalised ‘Name’ Toiletry Bag. Made in Gosford NSW, it can be customised with initials, a name or short message. $49.95 from Hard to Find.
25. On our list
Our love affair with Australia has only deepened this year, so what better time for some Aussie gifting. The Banjo Collection comes with the Complete Poems of Banjo Patterson along with a gold wick trimmer, cotton wicks and three glorious soy wax candles: Our Place (bush blossoms/sun-dried paddocks); Ocean Isle (citrus/sea salt/sandalwood) and Southern Sky (cinnamon/amber/oakmoss). $220 from Southern Wild Co.
