For Brooke Saward, country and continent-hopping is a constant in her career. The University of Tasmania alumna is the founder of World of Wanderlust, an online source of travel tips and inspiration followed by millions from all corners of the globe.
At 24 years of age the Bachelor of Arts graduate has the world at her feet through the travel blog she established in 2013.
I wanted to create a hub, my own little piece of the internet, where one could be inspired to go somewhere new or try something new, she explained.
“A place that gave you that little push you needed to go out, chase your dreams, and see the world.”
This year alone Brooke has visited Tanzania, New Zealand, the Maldives, Italy, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Norway, and has intermittently travelled the world for the past four years, covering 70 countries and six continents.
“Sometimes I'm in three time zones in one day.”
Even before her cap and gown ceremony, Brooke was busily laying the foundations of her blog.
“In my last year of university I was already working on World of Wanderlust and sharing my travels and photos with a growing audience. I even started distance education so I could travel and study simultaneously.”
Initially enrolling in a Bachelor of Arts - Law, Brooke’s global inclinations were cemented after representing Australia at the Harvard National Model United Nations conference in January 2013.
“This was my first trip as World of Wanderlust. Before the conference began I spent two weeks in Los Angeles and San Francisco on my own, taking photos and visiting countless places to cover these destinations on my blog.”
“It was during the ‘debate’ at the conference that I realised my passion lay with International Relations, my Arts major, so I decided to drop Law and complete university that year.”
On her graduation day in 2014, Brooke Saward booked a one-way ticket to London and that’s when her blog began to take off.
“Being in a new city or country every other day was really fascinating to people and I'm sure that is when I gained most of my lovely loyal readers.”
Today, World of Wanderlust attracts one million social media followers and six million readers. Brooke makes her living through brand collaborations, campaign contracts, sponsorships and online advertising, a world away from the 60 hour weeks she worked as a hotel receptionist and cleaner during her studies.
It’s a funny concept to most people that you can make a career out of travel blogging.
“I’ve also been offered a contract with Penguin Random House for my book World of Wanderlust: How to Live an Adventurous Life, which is an absolute career highlight for me.”
But despite spending 80 per cent of her time abroad, Brooke still calls Tasmania home.
She lives on a farm 10 minutes out of Launceston and at the time of this interview was preparing to open a cafe called Charlie’s Dessert House in Charles Street.
My idea is to bring some of the inspiration and ideas I have seen around the world back home.