Meet our Guest Goddess, Helen McCabe, Australian Women’s Weekly Editor-in-Chief

Breaking News:  Former editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly, Helen McCabe has been confirmed as Channel Nine Entertainment Co’s new Head of Lifestyle for its recently relaunched web presence, nine.com.au.

Nine’s chief digital and marketing officer Alex Parsons said: “Helen will bring a wealth of content and commercial experience coupled with real leadership energy to our lifestyle business.

“I am really excited to be working with Helen to continue to drive and develop our already significant sites including 9Honey, 9Coach and the recently launched 9Kitchen.

“Our future offering will be vastly different to anything in the Australian market today and I look forward to making that a reality with Helen.”

Our Chat with Helen:

We last spoke with Helen when she was Editor-in-Chief of Australia's leading monthly magazine for women, The Australian Women's Weekly.

We asked her to tell us where she liked to escape too to relax and she shared her holiday notes, some personal travel tips and why Italy, Cambodia, Paris and of course, Australia are some of her favourite destinations…

"If I was to go away tomorrow I would go to Italy.  I'd start in Venice, because it is so visually breathtaking, and then I'd casually make my way to Florence and eventually onto Rome. I don’t really have a favourite Italian city. How could you?"

"My dream holiday would be the total cliché. A month with friends in a rambling villa somewhere in the Italian countryside – somewhere like Cortona or San Gimignamo in Tuscany – where our two most important elements would be a pool and a shady tree to eat under."

"In Australia, I adore a beach holiday and my preference is Noosa or Byron but, as I come from South Australia I am a big fan of a quiet, flat beach on a lazy hot day. So, I tend to spend more time at Henley Beach then I do at any of the bigger name Queensland spots. I am also really keen to check out the Great Southern Lodge on Kangaroo Island."

"In our region I have always enjoyed Cambodia as a totally different pace and it offers a really different travel experience. There is something about the people that sets it apart for me. But, as my life speeds up nothing beats a week near a pool in Bali where you can completely unwind without the hassle of a long flight home."

Helen's Hidden Holiday spot…

"My favourite hidden spot in Australia for an indulgent weekend away is Wolgan Valley.  Just outside of Lithgow in NSW it is not inexpensive but, for sitting by the fire or your very own pool in your private vila, while catching up on some relaxing reading, it is hard to beat."

Top Travel Tips from Helen…

"I think location is everything. I can happily stay in a dump if I am in the right part of town. So, do your homework on your destination- find the best location to sut your interests. The other thing is take the time to pack. I do everything too quickly so I have learnt this the hard way. The right combination of clothes and shoes is so important. It saves you money, time, angst and excess baggage charges. Don’t just throw everything in bag. There is a better way and it’s called planning.

Final words…

"If there was only one city I could see again before I die it would be Paris. I think for a one-off travel experience, nothing on earth beats it."

Editor's Note:

Remember to pick up your copy of The Australian Women's Weekly each month and why not follow Helen on Facebook

Helen has recently left The Australia Women's Weekly to pursue other interests – we wish her well x

                                          

Hi, I'm Alison Carmichael-Rulten the Publisher of Vacation Goddess, and I want to thank you for visiting Vacation Goddess – the one-stop shop for insider travel news, deals, 'Guest Goddes's stories, and of course our personal travel experiences. Plus, as we love to cruise we also try to find some amazing cruise deals for you too. From luxury, longer escapes right down to weekend breaks we know you love everything travel related. Here at Vacation Goddess, we hope you will find loads of inspiration and of course some amazing travel deals. We love a holiday at a great price and that's why we seek out what we call 'Champagne Experiences, on a Sparkling Wine Budget.' We constantly showcase a variety of special deals and offers and from time to time some very special competitions. Our recent 'Win a Trip to London' competition received over 24,00 entries. We invite you to visit us often, join our mailing list and please tell your friends

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