Explore every episode of the podcast The Thinking Traveller

A tiny speck in the Pacific, Norfolk Island has a fascinating past and occupies a unique position in the history of European settlement in Australia.

It is home to a turbulent and varied history, with new archaeological findings about the Island's first inhabitants through to the infamous Bounty mutineers and the relocated Pitcairners, the harsh penal settlement, the Island's Melanesian missionary society and also the vital role it played in the liberation of the Pacific in WWII.

In this episode we are joined by colonial and military historian Brad Manera. Taking us across to this quiet paradise, once reserved for 'the worst description of convicts', Brad delves into Norfolk Island’s fascinating past and the many famous (and infamous) identities who have shaped its culture.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

More than 80 years ago, the Fall of Singapore and the War in the Pacific touched almost all Australian households in some way. With Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day recently commemorated on August 15, we are joined by expert military historian Prof. Peter Stanley.

Peter is a prize-winning historian and author of more than 40 books, who spent 33 years working at the Australian War Memorial (where he was Principal Historian) and the National Museum of Australia (as the inaugural head of its Research Centre).

In this episode, Peter takes us on a journey through the invasion and occupation of Borneo and Singapore by the Japanese during the Second World War, and what we can expect to experience on a visit to these significant sites today.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Tune in to this special Broadway Spotlight series, brought to you by Peter Eyers, host of the STAGES podcast. In January 2024, Peter will be leading a 10-day tour to sample the best of Broadway and New York - alongside a host of cultural experiences at museums and galleries populating The Big Apple.

In this episode, Peter talks with Kaye Tuckerman, who played Broadway in the Donna Summer Musical! - and has appeared in extensive Musical Theatre product around the globe. She relishes living in the Big Apple - and all that it offers culturally to its inhabitants and many visitors.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Tune in to this special Broadway Spotlight series, brought to you by Peter Eyers, host of the STAGES podcast. In January 2024, Peter will be leading a 10-day tour to sample the best of Broadway and New York - alongside a host of cultural experiences at museums and galleries populating The Big Apple.

In this episode, Peter chats with showbiz icon Caroline O’Connor, who has played Broadway 3 times - in ‘Chicago’, ‘A Christmas Story’ and ‘Anastasia’. They are but three of her theatrical triumphs contributing to a career of star turns in a vast resume of stage roles.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Tune in to this special Broadway Spotlight series, brought to you by Peter Eyers, host of the STAGES podcast. In January 2024, Peter will be leading a 10-day tour to sample the best of Broadway and New York - alongside a host of cultural experiences at museums and galleries populating The Big Apple.

In this episode, Peter chats with Michaeljon Slinger. Born in Queensland, Michaeljon found himself studying in New York in his late teens. He received a full scholarship to attend American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis school. Study at the prestigious Julliard school followed, making him the first Australian to be accepted into either one of these programs. A significant run on the musical theatre stage in New York has earned him 7 Broadway credits in a host of roles as Performer, Swing and Dance Captain. In recent times he has shifted his focus to choreography as an associate and assistant.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Tune in to this special Broadway Spotlight series, brought to you by Peter Eyers, host of the STAGES podcast. In January 2024, Peter will be leading a 10-day tour to sample the best of Broadway and New York - alongside a host of cultural experiences at museums and galleries populating The Big Apple.

In this episode, Peter talks with Amelia Cormack, who has played on Broadway over the past year in the Tony Award winning Best Musical - HADESTOWN. Peter caught up with Amelia live from New York City, to celebrate her passion for musical theatre and the importance of chasing your dream.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Tune in to this special Broadway Spotlight series, brought to you by Peter Eyers, host of the STAGES podcast. In January 2024, Peter will be leading a 10-day tour to sample the best of Broadway and New York - alongside a host of cultural experiences at museums and galleries populating The Big Apple.

In this episode, Peter chats with Hayden Tee. Hayden is currently touring Australia in the new Musical phenomenon - & Juliet. But he is no stranger to appearing on the stages of the West End and Broadway. His triumphant turn as Inspector Javert in Les Miserables won many accolades around the globe before Hayden played the role on the Broadway stage.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Tune in to this special Broadway Spotlight series, brought to you by Peter Eyers, host of the STAGES podcast. In January 2024, Peter will be leading a 10-day tour to sample the best of Broadway and New York - alongside a host of cultural experiences at museums and galleries populating The Big Apple.

In this episode, Peter chats with Maree Johnson, who opened the premiere Australian production of The Phantom of the Opera in Melbourne in 1990 as a member of the ensemble and a cover for Christine …. later becoming the Christine Alternate. In the most wonderful serendipity, a couple of decades later, Maree rejoined The Phantom of the Opera – on Broadway. This time Maree played the role of Madame Giry – a role she relished from 2017 through to the closure of the production earlier this year.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Tune in to this special Broadway Spotlight series, brought to you by Peter Eyers, host of the STAGES podcast. In January 2024, Peter will be leading a 10-day tour to sample the best of Broadway and New York - alongside a host of cultural experiences at museums and galleries populating The Big Apple.

In this episode, Peter chats with theatre great Tony Sheldon, who triumphed as Bernadette in the musical PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT……following an extensive tour the production played Broadway and garnered a TONY Award nomination for Sheldon, and along the way, a slew of accolades for his spell-binding performance. Tony reflects on his brilliant career – and the realisation of a dream – playing Broadway.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Tune in to this special Broadway Spotlight series, brought to you by Peter Eyers, host of the STAGES podcast. In January 2024, Peter will be leading a 10-day tour to sample the best of Broadway and New York - alongside a host of cultural experiences at museums and galleries populating The Big Apple.

In this episode, Peter chats with Carmel Dean. Carmel a composer/lyricist, arranger, music supervisor/director, and conductor of musical theatre, based in NYC. Her composition credits include Renascence, produced Off-Broadway by Transport Group in 2018.  Carmel’s Music director/arranger credits include the Broadway productions of Funny Girl, If/Then, Hands on a Hardbody, American Idiot, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and ….. The Notebook ….. coming to New York in the near future.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Cuba is one of those destinations that, merely by its name, conjures up images of vibrant art, soul stirring music and colonial streets populated by enormous ancient Chevrolets. But what is the real story of Cuba and what is Cuba like today?

In this episode we are joined by Dr Stephen Wilkinson - Chairman of the International Institute for the Study of Cuba - to discuss. Stephen first visited Cuba in 1986 and has been travelling to and writing about the island ever since.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Since the first official excavations in 1748, Pompeii has captured the popular imagination of the Western world, and there has never been a better time to visit with new finds still emerging in the current excavations.

Much of the site, which for many years was closed to the public, is now accessible and some of the new impressive finds can be viewed in situ or in the newly re-opened museum on site.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Estelle Lazer who has worked on the human remains of the Pompeian victims since 1986. Her current project involves a non-invasive study of all the casts of the victims that have been produced since 1863, using X-ray and CT scan analysis.

Estelle discusses some of the new excavations underway, along with new discoveries being unearthed on this amazing site, including a recent fresco find that just might be the precursor to pizza!

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Hilary Mantel’s extraordinary Wolf Hall Trilogy ignited popular interest in the turbulent Tudor period of British history. Coupled with the BBC production of the first two novels, the highlighting of Thomas Cromwell’s rise and fall has brought a new understanding to the political upheavals that occurred during the eventful reign of Henry VIII.

With an adaptation of Mantel’s third book in the trilogy 'The Mirror & The Light' currently underway, we are joined by Dr Lauren Mackay. Lauren is a Tudor and Early Modern historian, and is the author of the official Wolf Hall Companion. In this episode, Lauren delves into the truths behind this blockbuster trilogy before revealing just where we might find remnants of Wolf Hall today.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

When Masada was excavated in the 1960s, Israel was a very new country (less than 20 years old), full of immigrants from many different backgrounds, and was struggling to find an identity beyond being the homeland for the Jews after the horrors of the Holocaust.

One of the reasons that Prof. Yigael Yadin went to dig at this forgotten site was to create a social link with the ancient Jewish state that was destroyed by the Romans, and to encourage modern Israelis to see themselves as the heirs of these forebears. Masada, with its story of 960 brave Jewish defenders committing suicide rather than becoming prisoners of the Romans, was the perfect place to foster this spirit, and during and after the excavation the cry went up - Masada Will Not Fall Again!

In this podcast, biblical archaeologist Dr Garth Gilmour joins us to analyze Masada's crucial role in the nation-building process of modern Israel and how it remains a useful and clarifying way to discuss how Israel reached its current political impasse.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

From primary school, all Australian school children learn about the sacrifice of the first Anzacs at Gallipoli. However, it's sometimes surprising to learn that Australians have served in battles and wars in every corner of the globe for over 200 years, participating in some very unexpected conflicts.

From the tale of Sub-Lieutenant Dick Pirrie, the first Australian killed during the D-Day Allied assault on the Normandy beaches of France, to the story of Pilot Officer Frank Mathers from Pagewood Sydney, tasked with his crew to bomb Mulheim in Germany, Military Historian and Museum Curator Brad Manera joins us for our latest episode as he recounts some of the more unusual stories of Australian Servicemen caught up in unexpected places around the world.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

There are two great theatre districts of the world – The West End in London and Broadway in New York. It can be argued strongly over which is the more dominant or important, but in popular culture Broadway shines brightest. So iconic did the lights of Broadway become that when they were dimmed during World War I, public demand forced the federal government to increase the city’s coal ration so that the lights could be restored.

In this episode, professional actor Peter Eyers joins us to discuss all things Broadway... What is it exactly?... How did it become so dominant in the theatre industry?... and what are some of the highlights of ‘The Great White Way’. Peter is also the producer and host on his own podcast, STAGES - where a host of creative artists and practitioners reflect on their careers.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) is one of the most significant figures of the Ancient World, whose legacy is both far reaching and profound.

His 13-year reign as the king of Macedonia forged one of the largest empires in history and is said to be the start of the Hellenistic period. Mythologised as a classical hero and considered a military genius by many, there are now quite divergent opinions on his rule and its lasting legacy.

Archaeologist Dr John Tidmarsh joins us to discuss the life, conquests and legacy of this iconic figure in history.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

At is heart, Vienna is city of palaces and gardens, museums, music and tradition. For more than 400 years it was the jewel in the glittering imperial crown of the Habsburgs.

However, there is also another side to Vienna - one that is less well-known and less visited. The Wiener Moderne refers to a short cultural era around the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries that saw an astonishing period of creativity in Vienna's art, design, architecture and other fields, bringing forth such names as Klimt, Schiele, Loos, Wagner, Hoffmann and many more.

In this episode, art historian Christopher Menz introduces us to this piece of Modernism in Vienna today.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Straddling the fabled Silk Road, Uzbekistan has undergone enormous transformations throughout its long history. The most recent has been the emergence of a thriving independent republic coming out from under Soviet rule.

To tell us about this fascinating land, and how it fits into the story of Central Asia, Chris Bradley joins us in this podcast. We journey along the now famous Silk Road to the five 'stans of Central Asia as Chris highlights the exotic ambiance, vivid histories, impressive architecture and network of trade routes, all of which have left a profound impact on the modern world.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Morocco is a country that has fascinated travellers for centuries, and just its name conjures up impressive kasbahs, exquisitely decorated medersas and bustling medinas, waiting to be explored.

At a crossroads of the African and European continents, the Kingdom of Morocco has been, for centuries, a meeting point for the Arabo-Islamic culture and civilisation. In this episode, archaeologist Ben Churcher takes us to Morocco’s four imperial cities - Marrakesh, Fes, Meknes and Rabat - to uncover their vibrant blend of Roman, Arab, Byzantine and Berber heritage.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

The President is no doubt the most powerful political figure in the United States, but make no mistake: the First Lady is just as influential in her own right. In addition to the many appearances she makes and the causes she champions, she is also one of the most-followed people in the country, especially when it comes to her fashion choices. What they wore was not only a reflection of their husbands' politics, but their sartorial choices also had the ability to capture the public's attention, unlike any other official. In this episode, fashion historian Dr Anna Lebovic looks beyond the stylish power suits and elegant ball gowns to uncover how fashion choices can send a message to the American people.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

A diminutive country tucked into the south west corner of the Iberian peninsula, Portugal is somewhat of an anomaly, almost forgotten in comparison with its cousin Spain. However, Portugal is one of the most innovative and diverse countries in Europe. In this episode, Dr Jeni Ryde takes us through Portugal's impressive history and culture, from remnants of the past with dinosaurs, standing stones and rock paintings, to the legacy of the Knights Templar during the reconquest and the establishment of administrative powers, and on to Portugal’s contribution to the Age of Exploration, which enabled it to become one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

When we think of Ancient Rome, we automatically think of the strong male characters – figures such as Caesar, Pompey or Augustus – but what about the women of Ancient Rome? Recent study is emphasising the agency that Roman women enjoyed. To help us understand what this newly researched area examines, we are joined on our latest podcast by Dr Kathryn Welch.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Everybody knows the story of Romeo and Juliet. They are arguably the most famous lovers in literature. Their story has been told and retold through countless interpretations, from classical Shakespearean tragedies to Stephen Sondheim's West Side Story! But what is the real story behind these star-crossed lovers?

Joining us for this episode is Dr Eireann Marshall, who herself lives not far from fair Verona. Eireann explains the truth behind the story of Romeo and Juliet as she uncovers if they were ever even real...

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

For the past week (March 6, 2022), the world has looked on in shock and anguish for the people of Ukraine. Has Vladimir Putin gone mad? Or is there some rational explanation for this catastrophe? In this timely episode, we asked our resident Russia expert Dr Matthew Dal Santo for his views on this unfolding tragedy, to explain the possible thinking behind Russia's invasion, and what might be the outcome.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

This year's Canberra International Music Festival features the premiere of a new work by Melbourne-based composer Katy Abbott. As part of its partnership with CIMF, we interviewed Katy about her work Hidden Thoughts: Do I matter. 

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Very little was known about the fate of the small number of Anzac's taken prisoner during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915 until Dr Jennifer Lawless uncovered their story.

Undertaking a ten year study for her PHD, Jennifer trekked over 8,000kms across Turkey to locate Australian Prisoner of War camps. She also poured over Turkish manuscripts, which had never been translated into English before, and in the process found a vast divergence from the then accepted version of their internment by Ottoman Turkey. She channeled her research into a book called Kismet, an account of the experiences of 67 Australian soldiers captured by the Ottoman forces at Anzac during the Gallipoli campaign.

In this episode, Dr Jennifer Lawless is interview by Jo Litson to discuss her research and the subsequent real story of Australian Gallipoli POWs.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

The National Gallery of Australia is currently hosting a blockbuster exhibition from the National Gallery in London. Titled Botticelli to Van Gogh the exhibition surveys 500 years of European art, from the Renaissance to the early 20th century. Academy Travel has hosted several groups at the exhibition. Here is our expert review from one of our tour leaders, Dr Kathleen Olive.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

As part of Academy Travel's partnership with the Canberra International Music Festival, the Festival's 2021 composer-in-residence Brian Howard discusses the Festival's theme, 'the idea of Vienna', and his works which are being premiered at the Festival.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

The Medici family rose to prominence in 14th-century Florence, making a humble beginning as moneychangers but eventually becoming one of Europe’s most powerful dynasties and renowned arts patrons. Dr Kathleen Olive joins us today to discuss the rise and fall of the Medici dynasty – a 300-year history coloured by strategic powerplay, bitter rivalries and bloody intrigues.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

 In 2017, a painting of the Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci sold for a record-breaking $450 million USD at Christie’s auction house in New York. What drives art prices to such astronomical levels? Dr Nick Gordon discusses why the art market is so attractive to investors, the role played by auction houses, and how this is affecting artists. 

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Tucked away in the far eastern Himalaya, Bhutan is arguably the last bastion of the Tibetan Buddhist culture and religion in its truest form. Despite opening up to tourism in the late 70s, it has managed to minimise the effect of outside influences and the country remains virtually untouched. Judy Tenzing joins us today to discuss what she describes as “a modern Shangri-la”. 

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Palladio was the most influential architect of the Italian Renaissance, and his buildings were perfectly proportioned, intelligent and gracious yet unpretentious and practical. In our latest episode, Dr Nick Gordon explores Palladio’s life and career, and explains why his books and buildings continue to influence architects today.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Mayflower, the ship that carried the Pilgrims from England to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in September 1620. More than 30 million Americans can now trace their ancestry to the 102 passengers on that ship. On the 400th anniversary of that iconic voyage, Dr Matthew Laing explores the story of the Pilgrims and explains why the Mayflower looms so large in the history of the United States.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

In the lead up to the National Gallery of Victoria’s new landmark exhibition Pharaoh, we are joined on our podcast by popular UK-based Egyptologist Lucia Gahlin.

Ancient Egypt has been at the forefront of Australia’s cultural life during 2024, with three block-buster exhibitions visiting Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne – each with a different focus and unique artefacts. Undoubtedly, Pharaonic Egypt is an era of history that continues to fascinate and enthral. 

In this episode, Lucia guides us through the 3,000 year reign of the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt. Providing an overview of the Kingdoms, the iconography and the huge constructions which remain with us today – including the mighty pyramids, tombs and monuments that were built by the Pharaohs to ensure their immortality – Lucia answers many of the key questions about this captivating civilisation.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Royna McNamara joins us today to trace the footsteps of Giacomo Puccini and Maria Callas, and discuss the events that helped shape their musical lives. We begin on the picturesque shores of Lake Massaciuccoli in Torre Del Lago, where Puccini lived and composed for 30 years, before heading to the magnificent Arena di Verona. 

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Three months out from the American election, the polls have Joe Biden ahead of Donald Trump in every State. But can we believe the polls? Is Trump in trouble? Have COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement changed the dynamics of American politics? Will Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris for Vice President have a big impact? What will it mean for America – and the world – if Trump is re-elected in November? And is it the end of America’s world dominance whoever wins?  Dr Matthew Laing is here to answer these questions and many more about Trump, US politics and the 2020 election.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

It’s known as the Guggenheim Effect – the extraordinary impact that the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao had in revitalizing the Basque city into an international arts destination. Initially, the idea for the museum generated so much controversy and opposition that it nearly didn’t happen. Dr Jeni Ryde joins us today to explain why Bilbao, as she puts it, is a phoenix rising from the ashes. 

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

In the 1920s, a cultural movement emerged in uptown New York. For the first time in history, African Americans were living in large urban areas, economically independent, and becoming producers and patrons of the arts. Dr Matthew Laing joins us today to trace the rise and fall of the Harlem Renaissance, and explain its importance in the development of black identity in the United States.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Dr Estelle Lazer joins us today to discuss Sir Douglas Mawson’s colossus legacy in Antarctic exploration. Estelle was the first archaeologist to work at the site associated with Mawson's Australian Antarctic Expedition at Cape Denison on the Antarctic mainland. She has travelled to Antarctica seven times, including four summers camping and working on the ice at Cape Denison.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Lake Mungo, in outback NSW, is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Australia. One of the Willandra Lakes, listed by UNESCO as a place of world heritage, it has been described as “the land frozen in time”. Rich in Aboriginal heritage, Dr Chris Carter joins us today to discuss the history and importance of Lake Mungo and the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

When we talk about the Italian Old Masters we immediately think of Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto and Caravaggio. All men. But there were more women painters than you might imagine during the Italian Renaissance. Dr Kathleen Olive introduces us to some of them and explains how their work is now being revisited, restored and re-evaluated.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Tenzing Norgay Sherpa is a household name to many. In 1953, he and Edmund Hillary became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest. It was Tenzing’s lifelong dream and his seventh attempt. Historian Judy Tenzing joins us today to discuss the story of the illiterate, humble yak herder who rose to make his mark in history.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Known as the greatest American architect of all time, Wright’s iconic structures continue to attract visitors from around the world. From his beginnings in Chicago to his masterpiece in New York, Wright’s work changed the way we build and live. Social historian Stuart Barrie discusses Wright’s colourful career and the lasting legacy of this genius American architect.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Although he spent much of his career in Italy, Jeffrey Smart is one of Australia’s most significant artists, famous for his depictions of stark urban landscapes, often entirely devoid of figures. In this episode, art historian Dr Nick Gordon discusses Smart’s life, work and prodigious career.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

We all love going to the theatre, whether it’s a light-hearted musical or a deep thought-provoking drama.  But the term theatre encompasses so much more… From Ancient Greece to modern day West End, every civilisation has (or had) some form of theatre performance and each is quite unique.

In this episode we are joined by Dr Kate Foy to discuss the history of theatre, the various associated customs and the many experiences to be had. Kate's PhD studies focussed on world theatre history, whilst her final dissertation was a cultural history on aspects of colonial and post-federation developments in Australian theatre.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Garden design is an important Japanese art form which has been evolving for over 1000 years. Literary and cultural historian Dr Kathleen Olive tells us about the history of the Japanese garden, what makes it so different from Western gardens, and how to make the most of a garden visit.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Known during communist days as 'the Bloody', Nicholas is now more commonly known to Russians as the 'Tsar-Martyr'. Writer and historian Dr Matthew Dal Santo explores the changing attitudes in contemporary Russia since the collapse of Communism, and the rehabilitation of the Romanovs.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

The Norman Conquest of Sicily began in 1061, five years before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Cultural historian Robert Veel traces how the Normans came to rule in Sicily, why they were so important to Sicilian culture, and where to find Sicily's surviving Norman monuments.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Internationally acclaimed archaeologist, Dr Estelle Lazer, takes us to the ancient city of Pompeii, Italy, to uncover what is preserved under the ash. Estelle is now using CT scans and X-rays to investigate the unique plaster casts which encase many of the dead.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/