About Erin Parker – Travel From Australia

Melbourne-based travel writer, Finnish Lapland specialist and women’s adventure host. Six continents, two years in London, a family that travels and a deep belief that the right trip at the right time can genuinely change your life.

A life built on brave yeses

It started in 1996 with a three-week school exchange to France – a 16-year-old from Australia, a little out of my depth and completely hooked. That trip changed everything. It gave me the travel bug I’ve never been able to shake and honestly, I’m so grateful for it.

My dad moved to Thailand in 1997, which gave me the most wonderful excuse to explore Asia – Thailand, India, Singapore, Japan, Laos (and more) – over the years that followed. When I finished my teaching degree in 2002, I knew I wasn’t ready to stay put. By 2004 I was in London, working as a supply teacher by day and squeezing as much of Europe as I could into every spare moment and every spare dollar (or pound).

I slept in train stations. I stayed in dorm rooms with rats. I cruised the Caribbean, crossed to Morocco and trekked Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal on the way home in 2005. I got frostbite on my bum in Tibet (long story – it did not fall off). I ate everything, trusted strangers and made some of my closest lifelong friends along the way.

I met my husband Geoff in 2009. We married in 2010 and spent five extraordinary weeks travelling through China and Tibet on our honeymoon – a trip that was meant to be seventeen weeks but was cut short by illness (and a massive insurance claim – always get travel insurance!). Our boys Finn and Taj came along in 2012 and 2013 and we refused to let parenthood slow us down. Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Northern Thailand – our kids grew up with passports in hand.

In 2022, we finally made it to Finnish Lapland for Christmas – a trip that had been years in the making and pandemic-interrupted before it happened. We met Santa, chased the Northern Lights and drove husky sleds across the snow. I was completely, utterly hooked. In September 2024, I returned to Lapland solo to deepen my knowledge and sharpen my specialty in helping long-haul travellers plan their own Lapland adventures. That trip was everything I hoped it would be – and more.

In December 2023, we took off on an Asian adventure as a family – five weeks exploring Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, Johor Bahru and the beautiful Melaka, followed by the Golden Triangle of India – Delhi, Agra and Jaipur – for a cultural whirlwind of food, history and eye-opening experiences. Singapore rounded out the trip and left us already planning a return.

In October 2024, I flew to Sedona, Arizona for a week I can only describe as life-changing. Surrounded by the wild red rock landscape and a group of like-minded women all working in the travel industry, something shifted. The conversations, the connection, the landscape – it all cracked something open. I came home knowing exactly what kind of business – and life – I wanted to build.

The momentum kept building. Over Christmas 2024 and into January 2025, we explored the American Southwest as a family – Utah, Arizona, California. In April 2025, I took my first trip to South America on a women’s group trip, ticking off bucket list experiences I’d dreamed about for years. A few days in Santiago afterwards and I was completely smitten with a whole new continent. In September 2025 we did our first multi-generational international trip – exploring the North Island of New Zealand with family – a beautiful reminder that travel at every life stage is worth protecting.

August 2025 marked another milestone: I hosted my very first Women’s Weekender in Pomonal, Victoria. It was a huge success and it crystallised everything I believe about what women need – not just a break from the busyness of life, but a genuine invitation to step outside their comfort zone, try things they’ve always wanted to try and be in community with other women doing the same.

In January 2026, I led a small group trip to Kemijärvi – a beautifully off-the-beaten-track corner of Finnish Lapland – and used the trip to explore new regions and deepen my understanding of the indigenous Sámi culture and people. Travel From Australia is very much in full swing and the best chapters are still ahead.

Finnish Lapland specialist. Women’s adventure host. Long-haul travel expert.

Travel From Australia is a travel platform and media brand built for long-haul travellers and adventurous women who want to travel – really travel – whether that’s planning a Finnish Lapland holiday from the other side of the world, joining a small group adventure trip, or simply finding a community of women who get it.

I specialise in Finnish Lapland because it is genuinely one of the most magical places on Earth and one of the most complex destinations to plan from Australia, New Zealand, North America, or Asia. I’ve built the Finnish Lapland From Australia community, created the most detailed long-haul Lapland planning resource available, run a members-only planning portal – the Lapland Lowdown – and offer personalised planning consultations for travellers who want to get it exactly right.

Beyond Lapland, I create experiences for women who are ready to prioritise themselves. My Women’s Weekenders are closer-to-home adventures across Victoria and beyond – a chance to step outside your everyday, try something adventurous and connect with incredible women. My international group trips take things further: a Northern Lights Adventure for Women in Finnish Lapland, a Peru Andes Adventure through Cusco and beyond and (excitingly) more in the pipeline.

I also host the Travel Her Way community – a space for Australian women who want to travel – where I connect with incredible women in and around the travel world. It is warm, real, no-fluff and you are very welcome in it.

Whether you have been dreaming about Finnish Lapland for years, want to join a group of like-minded women on an adventure, or just need someone to tell you that yes – you can absolutely do this – I am here for it.

Want to see my full Lapland credentials?

If you’re planning a Finnish Lapland holiday and want to know exactly who you’re trusting with your trip – the operators I’ve worked with first-hand, the regions I’ve visited and the resources I’ve built – head to my dedicated Lapland specialist page.

Read Erin’s Finnish Lapland specialist credentials

Explore the Finnish Lapland Planning Guide – Browse Women’s Adventure Group Trips – Work with me – partnership and collaboration enquiries