Josie - Travel Blogger & Creator of Josie Wanders & Exploring South Australia
- S2E16
- 30:49
- February 24th 2026
This week on The Travel Date, host Angelica-Hazel Toutounji is joined by the inspiring and adventurous Josie Wanders — travel blogger, South Australian explorer, and two-time cancer survivor.
In this heartfelt and energising conversation, Josie shares how she transitioned from structured spreadsheets to spontaneous itineraries, from financial planning to full-time exploration. She reflects on backpacking through Asia with her children in her late thirties, learning how to stretch a budget while still pursuing big travel dreams.
Her approach to travel is refreshingly real — budget-conscious, points-savvy, and experience-driven. One night she might be staying in a hostel; the next, redeeming points to fly Singapore Suites or stay at Marina Bay Sands. For Josie, it’s not about luxury versus budget — it’s about strategy, priorities, and making experiences happen.
A standout chapter of her journey was a 13-month family gap year. With careful planning, long-service leave, and a leap of faith, Josie and her husband packed backpacks and travelled from Europe back to Australia over nearly a year. Along the way, they navigated countries they once couldn’t have placed on a map — Albania, North Macedonia, and beyond — learning resilience, adaptability, and the art of going with the flow.
Threaded throughout the episode is another profound layer of Josie’s story — her experience as a two-time cancer survivor. Rather than dimming her spark, her diagnosis intensified her commitment to living fully. Within a year of finishing radiation treatment, she had travelled overseas five times. Travel, for Josie, is not escapism — it is reclamation, celebration, and gratitude.
She speaks beautifully about perspective — how the world is more similar than it is different, how expectations can shape experience, and how sometimes the most powerful journeys are the ones close to home.
DESTINATIONS FEATURED:
South Australia
- Ceduna
- Smoky Bay
- Kangaroo Island
- Flinders Ranges
- Port Augusta
- Robe
- Port Adelaide
- Painted Hills (Anna Creek Station)
- William Creek
- Lake Eyre
- Nullarbor
- South East SA
- Riverland
- Cooper Pedy
Australia
- Great Barrier Reef (Reef Suites)
- Sydney
Asia & Middle East
- Dubai
- Singapore
- Vietnam
- Southeast Asia
- Sri Lanka (upcoming group tour)
- Jordan (Petra, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea, Jerash, Amman, Red Sea)
- Istanbul
Europe
- France (including Paris & rural regions)
- Albania
- North Macedonia
- Sarajevo
Guest: Josie
🌐 Website: https://josiewanders.com
🌐 Exploring SA: https://exploringsouthaustralia.com.au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josiewanders/?hl=en
Host: Angelica-Hazel
instagram: @the_travel_date and @angelica_hazel_nutrition
website: www.angelicahazel.com.au
email: [email protected]
The Travel Date
The Travel Date is an inspiring and entertaining travel podcast hosted by Adelaide-based clinical nutritionist, writer, devoted foodie and passionate traveller Angelica-Hazel Toutounji.
Every journey begins with a story, and each episode of The Travel Date invites listeners to discover the people, places, cultures and unforgettable experiences that make travelling so special. Through warm, relaxed and engaging conversations, Angelica-Hazel speaks with travellers, travel writers, content creators, tourism professionals, business owners and fascinating guests whose lives have been influenced by their adventures around Australia and across the world.
The Travel Date explores much more than simply where someone has travelled. It discovers why people travel, what they learn along the way and how a destination can change their outlook on life. Guests share their favourite locations, memorable meals, unexpected challenges, hidden gems, cultural experiences and practical travel advice, along with the personal moments and meaningful connections that stay with them long after they return home.
From spontaneous overseas adventures and immersive cultural journeys to luxury escapes, regional road trips, family holidays, wellness retreats and budget-friendly experiences, The Travel Date celebrates the many different ways people explore the world. Whether it is a major international destination or a remarkable place closer to home, every location has a story waiting to be discovered.
Food, culture and human connection are at the heart of the podcast. Angelica-Hazel’s natural curiosity and love of storytelling encourage her guests to go beyond the usual travel recommendations and share the honest, funny, emotional and sometimes life-changing experiences behind their journeys.
Listeners can expect fascinating destination ideas, authentic travel stories, helpful recommendations and plenty of inspiration for their next adventure. The podcast also provides an opportunity to discover local communities, independent tourism operators, accommodation providers, regional businesses and extraordinary destinations throughout South Australia, across Australia and around the world.
The Travel Date is not simply about collecting destinations—it is about collecting moments, creating memories and developing a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. The podcast celebrates travel’s ability to inspire curiosity, build confidence and resilience, strengthen relationships and remind us to make the most of the time we have with the people we love.
Whether you are actively planning your next holiday, dreaming about a faraway destination, searching for practical travel ideas or simply enjoy hearing wonderful stories from interesting people, The Travel Date will leave you informed, entertained and ready to explore.
Take the trip. Taste the food. Meet the people. Collect the moments.
Subscribe to The Travel Date and join Angelica-Hazel for a new guest, a new destination and a new story.Host and contact details
Angelica-Hazel Toutounji
Adelaide, South Australia
Telephone: 0438 716 606
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.angelicahazel.com.au
The Travel Date Instagram: @the_travel_date
Angelica-Hazel Instagram: @angelica_hazel_nutrition