Unpacked by AFAR · Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Emma John, a writer for Afar, initially found traditional spa vacations not to her liking, preferring to be "on the go" to relax. However, a road trip along the Great Victorian Bathing Trail, which included various water experiences like geothermal spas and mineral springs, helped her change her perspective on wellness. The experience was partly motivated by needing to decompress after covering a major cricket contest in Australia.
“I think the key thing in there is the words road trip. I love Australia. I've spent a lot of time there. I've got family there. My grandparents lived there all my life, my uncle lives there. I've been there a lot and I have put in some miles, I would say in Australia. I have done some big, big, big old road trips. And I think that was part of what appealed to me.”
“So I think that I just sort of timing wise, do you know what if ever I'm going to need to go and sit in a spa, it's going to be at the end of these six weeks of really hectic work.”
“So I think that's what kind of attracted me to it, really.”