ROAM away from home: The Nightly’s trailblazing new travel platform with authentic stories, richer experiences

Travel, when you strip it back, is about the thrum in your chest when you step somewhere new and taste an air that’s different — saltier, spicier, brighter, freer. That’s the juice. That’s the hit.

And that’s what ROAM is about.

The Nightly’s new travel platform — launching tomorrow, Saturday September 20 — isn’t here for the passport stamps.

No, we’re for the stories that come to frame exploration and adventure — the taste of chilled vermut on a hot Spanish afternoon, the tangible hush of snow falling outside Wanaka, the delirious chaos of a Marrakech souk — where you’ll inevitably be conned out of 20 dollars and a little dignity.

It’s the unscripted, unmapped, slightly unhinged moments that make travel worthwhile; the moments you’ll remember.

We want ROAM to encourage and enliven these moments and experiences. Let’s get beyond yet another south-east Asian sunlounge and garish coloured thirst-quencher; let’s indulge and explore the layers of a destination and its people; let’s listen to the stories of those already there — those who know it far better than us.

In imagining and crafting this robust new title, I’ve spent a fair chunk of time talking about storytelling. Because it must be the central tenet upon which ROAM is built. And, yes, you’re right, ROAM wasn’t built in a day (sorry).

What we’ve conceived and shaped is acutely considered in its approach — a marriage of premium journalism and photography that plays to a growing desire to seek greater meaning and deeper connections through travel. Unlike some of our competitors, ROAM is fiercely anti-clickbait and anti-clutter. And we genuinely believe there’s a strong audience eager to embrace such.

Those core values and this approach is well represented in tomorrow’s complimentary launch edition — available at thenightly.com.au.

Our immersive cover story looks at the ascendant indigenous tourism sector — a now billion-dollar field that’s moved from arguable tokenism to what is now one of Australia’s most exciting areas and one rightly reshaping the relationship between travellers, heritage and Country.

This piece came about for a few reasons. For one — you simply can’t ignore the growing reach and revenue being generated here. Two — this is a key driver amongst international tourist markets visiting Australia. Three — we want to excite audiences about the many deep stories that exist here in Australia — because there’s a wealth of incredible domestic offers that are often underappreciated or simply unknown. Because there’s more to do than another Byron trip come spring.

Elsewhere, and on the flipside, ROAM spends time with ultra-high-net-worth travel agent Olivia Ferney — a young American who’s found a social media following in the millions as a result of her recording her (oft-ridiculous) conversations with billionaire clients. It’s voyeurism and it’s fun and it’s a way into a world most of us will never know.

Closer to home and we’re with the Porteno restaurant team, checking out the impressive new boutique accommodation they’ve opened in Sydney’s Newtown, so too, time with Melbourne street photographer Jesse Marlow. We also bed down in the Japanese tropics at Rosewood’s latest resort and we also sit with British supermodel David Gandy to learn of his most memorable holiday trekking in Uganda.

I come to The Nightly well versed in the world of travel. I was fortunate to have parents who threw any spare change at seeing this country, the regions, the world. It wasn’t wealthy travel — far from it — but it instilled a sharp desire to move and learn and explore. It led to stints living abroad — UK, France, US — and a firm want to perhaps retire (it’s a while off yet, thanks) to a remote corner of New Zealand (because those cheap French chateaux you keep eyeing on Instagram are a heaving money pit – trust me).

I’m fortunate to travel. It’s very much a privilege. Ok, sure, there are times I forget just how ridiculous that privilege can be and then I check-in at Le Crillon and its ilk.

My life, as framed by fortunate travel, is equally propelled by publishing. After stints in politics, general news and penning op-eds for some major metropolitan newspapers — it’s meant time in and around luxury publishing.

I was a GQ editor and the editor-in-chief and publisher of Robb Report. I mention those titles as I was proud to push travel – unique, elevated, obscure, aspirational, ludicrous aspects of travel — across their pages and grow its reach amongst our audiences.

Because I long beheld the power of travel and all that it offers — hence my firm and proud excitement in being able to now craft and deliver ROAM and what I know to be a brand that will further excite, enthuse, and encourage Australians to move and learn and grow through travel.

Or, to simply take a break from the monotony of the daily reality and find the fire, that thrum in the chest, that only comes from travelling.

ROAM is available for digital download from September 20.