Fleur: freelance journalist and pro writing mentor

I feel like this story should be a Public Service Announcement 🤣 Everyone needs a cream hair bath at least once in their life. I’ll be lining up for a daily dose next time I’m in Bali. I penned my massage memories for @escape.com.au so head to the website for the full story. Pleased editor @rowryan agreed that more eyes need to see this heavenly experience. And thanks to @bookingcom for putting me up in a chic villa in Lovina in the volcanic black north shore. #bali #massage #creamhairbath #fourhandsmassage #indonesia

I’ve been writing about the stunning @berkeleyriverlodge this week, after an epic week in the Kimberley’s toasty embrace. Read about the elegant makeover this beauty has just had - the kind that looks effortless but was anything but. Cue two cyclones, metres of rainfall, closed roads and oodles of other challenges - all detailed in my piece for @austtraveller online. And yet, the lodge still opened for its May dry season deadline. I loved my time trying out all the newness. With thanks to @westernaustralia and @cory_gale for pulling it all together. #kimberley #wathedreamstate #westernaustralia #berkeleyriverlodge

Thanks to everyone that came down to @lawsonflats on Tuesday for Yes, Chef! as @max_brearley @fleurbainger and I discussed (food) writing for an hour. (Thanks @marissaglas for the snapssss!) I really appreciated considering the thoughtful questions from both Max B (who did an excellent job moderating) as well as the audience, both at the talk and afterwards at Luis’. The final episode of Write & Wrong is coming Perth’s way later this year. Meanwhile: tickets to May’s rescheduled Algorithm Is A Dancer chat on (digital) food marketing with @lauramaymoseley of Perth’s @studio.appetite are selling F-A-S-T and will 100 per cent sell out (again). Move quickly to RSVP before the event gets announced via LF’s comms. Link in bio, as always. See you at the end of May! #boorloo #whadjuk #nyoongar

Some days at work are better than others… this past week has felt like a dream. Landed in Kununurra, collected by Taminga of @kimberleyspirit , whisked to hers and husband Scotty Connell’s “floatel” which is moored at spectacular river locations, and soon overlooking Elephant Rock with cheese platter within reach. A dawn climb up the towering rock the following morning rivals most other Kimberley hikes I’ve done - the views blew me away. Then it was canoeing to Aboriginal rock art, wake boarding beside cliff faces, chilling on the speed boat as a show reel of rusted orange catches my eye, soaking in a natural infinity pool with Scotty’s expert guiding and local insights… all moments from Kununurra. I’m not sure it gets any better than this. I’ll soon be detailing it all for @austtraveller 🙌 #kimberley #kununurra #kimberleyspirit @kimberley_australia @westernaustralia @visitkununurra

Just as I’m exploring the Kimberley, this piece of mine nabs the cover of @escape.com.au My travels over the past week have once again confirmed that this is a place that changes you, elevates you and leaves you wanting more. For me, more looks like heading as far north as you can go in WA, once a year. I pine too hard if it’s any longer! If you haven’t been, make it a priority. #kimberley #wathedreamstate #westernaustralia #escapemagazine #traveljournalist @westernaustralia @australiasnorthwest @visitbroome @visitkununurra @venturatlas @broomebirdobservatory @elquestro

Happiness is… me in the Kimberley ❤️ @berkeleyriverlodge @westernaustralia #kimberley #berkeleyriverlodge #wilderness #remote #wathedreamstate On assignment for @austtraveller ✨

I’ve felt a little buzz of joy each time I pass this beautiful magazine cover in my house. I’m so proud of what was produced by a talented all-women team. From the outside, travel writing looks like a journalist experiencing amazing things and having a ball of a time - and it is that - but for me, the most rewarding bit is sharing the incredible finds and wonders with readers, who might just pick them up and do them. If a reader has a deeply memorable holiday or the sort of fun they tell their friends about because of an insight I’ve found and shared, well, how good is that? In order to make that happen, it means having a venue for my words (@austtraveller ), an editor that gives them space (@imogeneveson ), an art director whose vision translates them (@lauren.de.sousa ), a photographer (or two!) who elevates the story with her imagery (@fieldnotes__ / @jessicawyld ), an operator willing to have me onboard (@cape2camp ), and a tourism contact who identifies an experience worth greater attention and reaches out (@foragingbythesea ) All exceptional women with an eye for the exceptional. #cape2camp #hiking #bibulmuntrack #denmarkwa #greatsouthern @westernaustralia

I’ve been exploring the Ikara-Flinders Ranges in South Australia lately… I think $3.41 is the highest diesel price clocked. What a time. Have you ever been? #family #flindersranges #southaustralia

The pen might be mightier than the sword, but how does it compare against a carefully orchestrated PR campaign? An AI-generated listicle? A targeted ad from Meta? Or how about a viral video clip tailor-made for social media audiences? In short, what role does (food) journalism play in the hospitality industry’s day-to-day, circa 2026? For the April Yes, Chef! on Tuesday April 28, veteran WA food journalists @fleurbainger , @maxbrearkey and @maxveenhuyzen return to @lawsonflats for Write and Wrong II: a follow-up to November’s inaugural Write and Wrong panel. This time, Max Brearley will be playing the role of moderator and driving the discussion as the trio – perhaps aided with some thoughtful questions from the audience – reflect on the past, present and future of food writing in WA. We can’t wait to see where the discussion goes. As always, after the chat everyone is invited upstairs to Lawson Flats’ in-house bar and restaurant Luis’ for dinner and drinks and to continue the conversation. Tickets are free for LF members and $15 (including a free drink!) for non-members. Hit the link in @maxveenhuyzen ’s bio to RSVP. #boorloo #whadjuk #nyoongar

Have you ever felt a tree’s presence, from the inside? This was my favourite moment from a bush hike through the Porongurup’s, north of Albany. We crunched through native forest and puffed up steep ranges, met at the top by a surprise: @chef_guy_turland shucking fresh Albany oysters topped with a few drops of local Riesling. Haven’t tried it? You need to. Team it with endless views and it tastes even better. The hike turned into lunch - check out the dish pics - I’d brewed up quite the hunger. I MC’d the event between mouthfuls and was told repeatedly I have the best job in the world. I tend to agree. I was thrilled to be asked to MC this very clever event that teamed three of my great loves - hiking, talking and eating - for @tastegreatsouthern No one gets to do this by accident. That’s why I mentor people who want to build a life they love, with work that’s their passion. I met a few of them at the lunch. What a delight. #tastegreatsouthern #porongurupnationalpark #albany @thecityofalbanywa @amazingalbanywa @westernaustralia #wathedreamstate #foodfestival #mc #event #mentor #mentorship #journalism #lifestyle #lovemyjob

It’s the handwritten note for me. Editorial teams are incredibly busy and under constant pressure, so for one of the crew at @internationaltraveller to pen their appreciation for my story on Hokkaido, Japan and post me a copy, unprompted, is a thoughtful, meaningful act. I’ve worked with the Australian/International Traveller magazine for 20 years now. They were one of the first publications to publish my work as a newbie freelancer in my mid-20s. It seems incredible to reflect on those early days. Soon after, I started podcasting for @lonelyplanet and writing for @escape.com.au and then @australiangeographic mags, working relationships that have also endured. To be a successful freelancer, you don’t need to be constantly pitching to all-new publications. But you do need to build trusting, reliability-focussed relationships with professional outlets who engage excellent editorial teams. In my experience, that’s how to create longevity in this highly competitive industry. What’s your experience been? Amazing 📷 by @afaulkphoto #freelance #journalist #magazine #writing #freelancemetntor #writingmentor #freelancelife #hokkaido #japan #ainu #internationaltravellermag #culture #minority

I’m so glad I braved cyclone-induced rain to witness Lighting the Sound. As a bonus, I got to remember why I love Albany so much. The “biggest lighting show on Earth” wasn’t what I expected. It was meditative, revealing itself slowly and quietly as fading natural light and stormy weather shifted perspectives and possibilities. At first I was unsure about it, but as the weekend unfurled, my admiration for it grew. I think we get so used to big, loud spectacles and attention grabbing techniques that often, we don’t feel wowed unless they happen. This was a gentler way to resonate, without trying to impress. The beauty came to those who paused. And paused again. Albany is a place of many seasons and I reckon I saw all of them in three days. A swim as the sun emerged; an edging over The Gap as the wind howled; a drive around Torrindup National Park to see sheltered bays and whitecapped ocean. What a great escape from the city. #lightingthesound #albany #westernaustralia #albany2026 @formwa @westernaustralia @thecityofalbanywa