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In short: Erin Parker is an Australian Finnish Lapland travel specialist and the founder of Travel From Australia and the Lapland Lowdown. She has travelled to Finnish Lapland multiple times in winter and autumn, hosted two small group trips there in 2026, and helps long-haul travellers from Australia, New Zealand, North America and Asia plan Lapland trips through 1:1 consultations, free guides, YouTube interviews and an 11,400+ member Facebook community.
If you’ve landed here, you’re probably planning one of the biggest trips of your life. Finnish Lapland from the other side of the world is no small undertaking, and you deserve a guide who has actually made the journey, not just written about it.
I’m Erin Parker, a Finnish Lapland travel specialist based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and the founder of Travel From Australia and the Lapland Lowdown. I’ve travelled to Finnish Lapland multiple times across winter (December and January) and autumn ruska (September and October), and I’ve hosted two small group trips there. I know this destination the way you can only know it when you’ve stood in it, navigated it and helped others experience it first-hand.
Erin Parker at a glance
- Specialty
- Finnish Lapland for long-haul travellers, especially first-timers and the lesser-known regions beyond Rovaniemi
- Based in
- Victoria, Australia (about 17,000 km from Lapland)
- Seasons experienced
- Winter (December, January) and autumn ruska (September). I haven’t visited Lapland in spring or summer yet, and I’ll always tell you when advice comes from research or a local partner rather than my own trip.
- Most recent trip
- September 2026: Helsinki, Rovaniemi, Ivalo, Lemmenjoki National Park, Nellim and Utsjoki
- Group trips hosted
- Winter trip from Kemijärvi (January 2026); Northern Lights Adventure for Women, Utsjoki (September 2026)
- Upcoming group trips
- Lapland in Autumn 2027: a women’s journey from Helsinki to Utsjoki (bookings open) and the Women’s Winter Lapland Adventure, January 2028 (register your interest)
- Community
- 11,400+ members in my Finnish Lapland Facebook group, plus the fortnightly Lapland Lowdown newsletter
- How I help
- 1:1 Lapland Travel Consultations, free planning guides, Lapland Lowdown on YouTube, Lapland discount codes
My Finnish Lapland credentials
Where I’ve been in Finland
- Lapland, first-hand: Rovaniemi, Ranua, Ruka, Kuusamo, Kemijärvi, Posio, Pyhä-Luosto, Levi, Sodankylä, Saariselkä, Ivalo, Inari and Utsjoki, plus Lemmenjoki National Park and the Nellim wilderness near the Russian border
- Elsewhere in Finland: Helsinki, Porvoo, Kivijärvi and Oulu
Group trips I’ve hosted
- A winter group trip based in Kemijärvi, January 2026
- The Northern Lights Adventure for Women in Utsjoki, September 2026
- Coming up: the Helsinki to Lapland sleeper train journey and Northern Lapland: Ivalo, Inari and Utsjoki, September 2027
- Coming up: the Women’s Winter Lapland Adventure, January 2028 (details below)
Lapland operators I work with
I partner with Lapland businesses across hotels, transfers, tours and gear, including Arctic City Hotel (Rovaniemi), Hotel Ivalo, Aurora Holidays (Utsjoki), Apukka Resort, Jauri Resort, Wild Kemijoki, Livo Arctic, Green & Blue Slow Travel, Bearhill Husky, Rather Chilly, Scandi Houses, Finnomenal (Ylläs), Wild About Lapland & Silver Birch Resort, and Lumia Wear. I’ve also worked directly with Karhu Kuusamo, Kotatieva Resort, House of Northern Senses (Virkkula, Ruka), Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos, Ranua Resort, Lapponia Tours and Kuukeli.
Every partner is personally vetted, and I’m transparent about which ones I’ve experienced first-hand. You’ll see that marked clearly on my Lapland discount codes page.
What I’ve created
- The Lapland Lowdown: my YouTube channel of practical planning advice and interviews with the people behind Lapland’s hotels, guides and experiences
- The Lapland Lowdown newsletter, written for travellers actively planning a trip
- The My Lapland Adventure travel journal series on Amazon, the Junior Elf Journal and Lapland colouring pages for families
- A Lapland winter clothing bundle, co-created with Rovaniemi-based outdoor brand Lumia Wear
- A Finnish Lapland Facebook community of 11,400+ travellers, plus newer groups for travellers from North America and Asia
What my travellers say
“The actual holiday was everything I hoped for and so much more… It was the best introduction for my first time in Finland.”
Melanie W, Northern Lights Adventure for Women, September 2026Women’s Winter Lapland Adventure, January 2028: register your interest
My next hosted Lapland trip is a peak-winter small group adventure for women in January 2028, the darkest, snowiest and most magical time of year in Finnish Lapland. Think husky sledding, reindeer, frozen lakes and some of the best aurora conditions of the season, with every booking, transfer and detail taken care of so you can be fully present in it.
Dates, itinerary and pricing are coming soon. Register your interest now to be first in line when bookings open.
Want a taste of what winter with me looks like? My January 2026 group in Kemijärvi went husky sledding, rode a reindeer sleigh, snowmobiled across a frozen lake, tried ice swimming and sauna, and watched a starry Arctic sky from a kota. Read their reviews on the Lapland group trips page.
Why I built this Finnish Lapland resource
When I first started planning a trip to Finnish Lapland from Australia, I couldn’t find a single guide written for someone making the long-haul journey. Everything assumed you were flying in from London, Dublin or Stockholm. The flight connections, the Arctic packing reality, the cost of doing it from 17,000 km away, the regions that suit travellers who only get one shot at this: none of it was covered anywhere.
So I built it myself. What started as personal research became Australia’s most detailed Finnish Lapland planning resource, and it now serves long-haul travellers from Australia, New Zealand, North America and Asia.
How I keep my advice honest
- First-hand where I can, labelled where I can’t. I say clearly whether a recommendation comes from my own stay, an interview with the operator, or a vetted partner I haven’t visited yet.
- Seasons I haven’t seen are flagged. My Lapland experience is winter and autumn. For spring and summer, I lean on local partners and say so.
- Paid partnerships are always labelled. Sponsored content is marked “In partnership with [brand]”, and affiliate links and discount codes are disclosed.
- I share the mistakes too. I tell you what the glossy brochures leave out, including what I’d do differently.
Frequently asked questions about Erin Parker
Who is Erin Parker?
Erin Parker is an Australian Finnish Lapland travel specialist and the founder of Travel From Australia, the Lapland Lowdown and Travel Her Way. She helps long-haul travellers plan Finnish Lapland trips and hosts small group trips for women.
Has Erin Parker actually been to Finnish Lapland?
Yes. Erin has travelled to Finnish Lapland multiple times in winter and autumn, most recently in September 2026, and has hosted two group trips there: from Kemijärvi in January 2026 and in Utsjoki in September 2026.
Which parts of Finnish Lapland does Erin know first-hand?
Rovaniemi, Ranua, Ruka, Kuusamo, Kemijärvi, Posio, Pyhä-Luosto, Levi, Sodankylä, Saariselkä, Ivalo, Inari, Utsjoki, Lemmenjoki National Park and Nellim. Her specialty is helping travellers look beyond Rovaniemi to the quieter regions.
Can Erin help me plan my Lapland trip?
Yes. Erin offers paid 1:1 Lapland Travel Consultations for building an itinerary that works from the other side of the world. Her Finnish Lapland Resource Hub and newsletter are free.
Does Erin run group trips to Lapland?
Yes. Erin hosts small group trips for women. The next is Lapland in Autumn 2027, travelling from Helsinki by sleeper train to Northern Lapland (Ivalo, Inari and Utsjoki) in September 2027. A peak-winter women’s trip is planned for January 2028, and you can register your interest now.
Is Erin paid by the businesses she recommends?
Some recommendations involve affiliate commission or a hosted partnership. Every paid partnership is labelled, every partner is personally vetted, and Erin is open about which ones she has experienced first-hand.
Want to know the full story?
The credentials above tell you what I know. If you’d like to know who I am, how I got here and what kind of traveller I am beyond Finnish Lapland, my personal travel story is worth a read.
Read Erin’s full travel story →
Plan your trip or work with me
Planning a trip? Start here:
Subscribe to the email newsletter to download the free guide →
Explore the Finnish Lapland Resource Hub →
If you’re a Lapland operator, tourism board, travel brand or destination looking to reach long-haul travellers planning a Finnish Lapland holiday, I’d love to hear from you. Email partnerships@travelfromaustralia.com.au or visit Work With Me.
© Erin Parker — Travel From Australia — @laplandlowdown — Lapland Lowdown
Erin Parker is a Finnish Lapland specialist, women’s adventure host and founder of Lapland Lowdown & Travel Her Way. She has travelled six continents and brings first-hand experience to every destination she writes about – from the Arctic wilderness of Finnish Lapland to the high Andes of Peru. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Erin helps long-haul travellers plan extraordinary Finnish Lapland adventures and leads small group trips for women who are ready to explore the world boldly.
