5 Minutes With Jessica Braithwaite

For McCool Travel’s 78th travel interview, I am pleased to present Jessica Braithwaite. Jessica makes a living on both sides of the camera. She reports news and weather (and formerly entertainment) as well as handling the cameras and production tasks. Her innate Aussieness means she maximizes her leisure time—by playing guitar and singing for a pop-folk/rock band called Gemini Downs and, seemingly, always searching for another adventure.
Jessica’s bio:
“Jessica Braithwaite beams in to Australian and New Zealand lounge rooms as a much loved Sky News weather presenter. The multi-award winning reporter also presents in flight news bulletins for national airline Qantas and laces up her travel shoes to present stunning segments from the world’s most incredible locations. As a former entertainment reporter, Jessica roved the red carpet. Jessica studied documentary making and photography in South America, speaks fluent Spanish and has trained as a member of state tennis and kayaking teams. She spent her teenage years playing sports, milking cows, and whizzing down hills on her big brother’s homemade go kart. As clever behind the scenes as she is on camera, Jessica is also a camera operator, broadcast editor, and technical producer.”

Jessica Braithwaite photo
Jessica Braithwaite

 

Jessica Braithwaite

Hometown…
I grew up in a small town at the base of a dormant volcano in South Australia. Despite everywhere I’ve been, Mount Gambier is still one of my favorite places on the planet. It is, after all, home.
Always in my luggage…

  • Cameras of all descriptions – phone, GoPro, SLR, and pro video cam. I can’t help myself.
  • Sunnies, sunscreen, hat. Whether it’s summer or winter, I hate getting caught without my sun protection gear.
  • A good book or magazine. I can devour an entire Marie Clare magazine without even noticing time pass if I’m lucky enough to have spare time while traveling.

3 favorite home-away-from-home places…

  1. Portland, Victoria – for the cliff top views.
  2. Australia’s Gold Coast – for the sun kissed beaches.
  3. Alice Springs – for the outback camping.

A favorite travel memory is…

Hiking Patagonia’s W trail in Southern Chile with friends. Even though the scenery was some of the most spectacular I’ve ever seen, my favourite part was at night, when we would camp out with other travelers and pass a guitar around. I love the way that music transcends all language barriers.

3 favorite travel brands…

  1. Flight Centre
  2. Qantas
  3. Sunburn swimwear

3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…

  1. Staying at flash hotels during the week to make the most of midweek rates. These are often a lot cheaper than weekend rates.
  2. Always checking the OzBargain website before booking anything online. The site lists discount codes that you can punch in to receive a price cut.
  3. Making sure almost every dollar I spend (whether it be on food, petrol, or travel) is converted to a frequent flyer point.

3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…

  1. Photography, because it makes me feel passionate.
  2. Meeting the locals, because I love having genuine conversations with all sorts of people.
  3. Getting lost, because you see things you never otherwise would have.

8 word (or less) travel mantra…
Live the moment.
(Sometimes we bring our worries or stresses with us when we are traveling and that prevents us from fully enjoying the experience. I always try to be present and feel the moment.)

Jessica Braithwaite photo
Jessica Braithwaite

favorite non-travel website…
Ted Talks—I love having my brain’s boundaries expanded.
most memorable souvenir…
Recipes. I love getting people I meet to write out their favourite recipes. I have a little cookbook with notes from all over the world.
recent discovery…
Queenstown, New Zealand. What a gorgeous, vibrant, scenic ski village.
I would like to meet…
Louis Theroux and John Oliver—two of my favourite TV makers.

Jessica Braithwaite photo
Jessica Braithwaite

 


Thank you very much, Jessica.
Follow Jessica Braithwaite on Facebook, TwitterInstagram, and her website.


Check out McCool Travel’s previous interviews. McCool Travel presents tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series—featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Previous 5 Minutes post: Charlie Leocha.


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