Kassia Byrnes, Australian Traveller Journalist Profile

Articles

The world's favourite airline wins top rating (again)

2 weeks ago | internationaltraveller.com | Kassia Byrnes

Discover the airline most Australian customers rate as number one. There are many ways to judge an airline, and plenty of organisations that try to do just that. But what you really want to know when booking your flights is what other customers think - and that's where Roy Morgan's Annual Customer Satisfaction Awards come in.
You can now buy a bungalow at the real-life resort

2 weeks ago | internationaltraveller.com | Kassia Byrnes

The craze of season three continues with new villas that promise The White Lotus lifestyle (minus the drama and death). The White Lotus might be over, but that doesn't mean the dream has to be (or at least, a much happier dream than that finale, am I right?). Not when three new villas have been unveiled inside The Estates Samui - an exclusive enclave nestled within Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, where The White Lotus season three was filmed. And they're up for sale.
The Ultimate Guide to Cruising Tahiti

2 weeks ago | internationaltraveller.com | Kassia Byrnes

Explore Tahiti's breathtakingly beautiful islands, lagoons and villages with Windstar, the small-ship experts who have more than three decades of experience sailing in this pristine paradise. Tahiti is one of the most underrated island holidays. Flung across an immense stretch of the South Pacific Ocean, the French territory's 118 islands and atolls are so vast that it would reach from Russia to the UK.. So, what better way to explore than on Windstar Cruises in Tahiti?
Seven incredible Aussie destinations for the off-season

2 weeks ago | thenewdaily.com.au | Kassia Byrnes

If Australia was represented as a season, it would be summer. Hot, balmy days are what the world knows us for. But we know better. We know that in the off-season, some of the real Australian magic happens. Here are some of our favourite things that happen only when the weather starts to cool and the crowds start to thin out. It’s only right to start with a state whose entire marketing campaign is centred around the off-season. Tasmania really does know how to embrace chillier days.
Revealed: Australia’s most relaxing holiday destinations

2 weeks ago | thenewdaily.com.au | Kassia Byrnes

The feeling of needing a holiday from a holiday is not uncommon. Especially if, like me, you’re a chronic itinerary overstuffer. So, there’s definitely something to be said for a getaway destination that encourages you to completely slow down and smell the roses. But what’s the secret ingredient for a relaxing holiday destination? Tripadvisor might have just provided the answers we’re looking for.
everything we know so far

2 weeks ago | australiantraveller.com | Kassia Byrnes

A rare white penguin was found in poor condition on a South Australian beach. Here’s what we know. Yesterday, an adorable creature now known as Pearl the penguin washed up in a debilitated state on Boomer Beach along South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. While the occasional Little Penguin, like Pearl, is known to be washed up in this area in a sorry state, what makes Pearl so special is her extremely rare white colour, or leucistic condition.
The French have snubbed Australia's best vanilla slice

2 weeks ago | australiantraveller.com | Kassia Byrnes

Justice for Australia’s best dessert. Australia’s baked desserts have come a long way since the lamington (no disrespect to the lamington). We’ve got gourmet croissants from the likes of Lune and Prove Patisserie to the best baked cheesecake you’ll ever taste at Pasticceria Papa’s. But one tasty treat is still not getting its just desserts: Australia’s best vanilla slice.
What to expect on SA's luxe new wine tour

3 weeks ago | australiantraveller.com | Kassia Byrnes

Fly amongst the vines with the luxe new wine tour from Ascend Wine Odyssey. The ground gives way below as the roar of propellers fills our ears, despite the overhead earphones covering them. I’ve been to plenty of wineries before, even in South Australia, but I’ve never hopped between them via helicopter. Nor have I seen the vineyards from this height, or the country between.
350 million years caves hidden in WA

4 weeks ago | australiantraveller.com | Kassia Byrnes

Discover Western Australia’s oldest cave system. There are many reasons to visit The Kimberleys: The Bungle Bungles, Horizontal Falls and incredible helicopter rides over massive waterfalls, to name a small fraction. But a place that you probably haven’t heard about is Dimalurru (Tunnel Creek). What is Dimalurru (Tunnel Creek)? About 350 million years ago, the Dimalurru (Tunnel Creek) was underwater, forming part of an ocean reef system.
Australia’s first medical-grade bathhouse

1 month ago | australiantraveller.com | Kassia Byrnes

The delight of a bathhouse is no secret to Australians, but this Byron Bay offering is the first medical-grade option in the country. From Queensland’s Wellness Way to the Great Victorian Bathing Trail, Australians already know the love of a relaxing and rejuvenating bathhouse visit. But the country’s first medical-grade hydrothermal wellness bathhouse has been hiding in plain sight in Byron Bay since October 2024: The Byron Bathhouse.