Well, hello! It’s great to have you here.
Are you an aspiring writer who is looking for a life of adventure? Or an editor hoping to commission a story? Either way, welcome. You’re in the right place.
My name is Denise Cullen. I’m a globe-trotting storyteller who delivers copywriting and journalism to brand and editorial clients. My writing has appeared in a host of local and international publications, including Australian Geographic, The Australian (Travel + Luxury), Cosmos, Explore, The Guardian Australia, and Narratively.
My work has taken me all over Australia and the world. So far I’ve …
… and more.
Interested in becoming a freelance writer?
My goal is to help you succeed in the competitive and ever-changing world of freelance writing with tips, guides, tools and courses. Let me show you the way. Check out my blog or take a peek at some of the courses I’m creating especially for you.
Keen to commission a story?
While travel writing is my main gig, I can turn my skills to stories on finance, business, science, and more. (Basically, anything except golf). Do I have the chops for the writing project you have in mind? Take a look at my portfolio to get a sense of my writing style.
Just want to see where I’m heading next?
Follow my journey on Instagram.
Flying over Queensland`s Channel Country after a 4.63-metre flood last month meant witnessing this usually wide brown land all lush and green.
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This 30-minute flight gave me a bird`s eye view of the transformed outback landscape from Mitchell Grass Retreat just outside Longreach to Darr River Downs Station. ✈️
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@outbackqueensland
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@qld_heli
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@mitchellgrassretreat
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@darrriverdowns
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@the.australian
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#helicopter #helitours #flyhigh #Longreach #outbackqueensland #Queensland #seeaustralia #travelwriter #brisbanewriter #hosted #onassignment
From the big smoke to the outback.
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Last month, I travelled to Longreach aboard Queensland Rail’s ‘Spirit of the Outback’.
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This lumbering route takes around 26 hours from Brisbane’s Roma Street, hugging the coast north as far as Rockhampton, before heading west to Longreach.
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My feature on Mitchell Grass Retreat, located just out of town, along with a new tour and exhibition nearby, was published in The Australian (Travel + Luxury) today.
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Stay tuned for more Longreach content in future issues, including a new birding tour which practically turned me into a twitcher, a heritage-listed homestead accessible by helicopter, and a concierge service (plus much more besides) for those who wish to experience this rustic region in refined comfort.
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Thanks for having me.
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@outbackqueensland
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@mitchellgrassretreat
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@queenslandrail
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@qantas_founders_museum
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@outbackaussietours
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@longreachbirding
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@darrriverdowns
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@qld_heli
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#longreach #outbackqueensland #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #mitchellgrassretreat #glamping #queensland #brisbanewriter #travelwriter #traintravel #slowtravel #hosted #onassignment
Botswana, Kenya, Namibia?
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The answer is `none of the above`. These shots were taken at Mitchell Grass Retreat, located just a few minutes` drive out of Longreach in Outback Queensland.
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This retreat was named after some of the most significant native grasses in Western Queensland, which shaped the region’s grazing heartland.
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There are 16 bookable glamping tents and on those 40+ degree days, a dip in the pool is de rigueur.
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Stay tuned for my upcoming story in The Australian`s Travel + Luxury pages.
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Thanks @penny.h.hunter for commissioning this one.
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@mitchellgrassretreat
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@outbackqueensland
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@queensland
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#mitchellgrassretreat #longreach #outbackqueensland #queensland #seeaustralia #outbacklife #glamping #travelwriter #brisbanewriter #hosted #onassignment
This past week has brought back to mind a feature I wrote for Company Director magazine late last year.
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It concerned the work of former international aid worker Dr Jean Renouf, who was told his vision for a community resilience-building charity in the Northern Rivers region would be a hard sell.
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“One advisor said, ‘In Australia, we have such a good life, people will struggle to understand the value of it,’” he recalls. “(That person) told me, ‘What we need is a crisis’.”
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Ironically, Renouf established the organisation Plan C just ahead of the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020 and, close on their heels, the 2022 floods which submerged almost half of the country’s east coast.
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And now, with clean-ups still continuing after the rampage of ex-TC Alfred off Australia`s east coast, the limitations of government bodies and emergency and essential services have been further laid bare.
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Plan C plugs the gaps by equipping communities with the knowledge and tools they need to manage crises effectively, whether they are supported by emergency agencies or not.
“(Recent events) made it very apparent that members of the community need to take their resilience into their own hands,” says Renouf.
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Thanks for the commission @aicdirectors
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@jean.renouf
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@our_planc
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#cyclonealfred #planc #northernrivers #brisbane #seq #brisbanewriter #nfp #companydirector #aicd
It feels like SO much more than just a week ago that Tropical Cyclone Alfred bore down on Australia`s east coast.
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As I ran around gathering up outdoor furniture, potted plants and gardening equipment, picking all the Tahitian limes from the tree so they didn`t turn into missiles, charging power banks, filling the freezer with ice, and stocking up on essentials like bottled water, tinned food, petrol, and (yes) toilet paper, I thought, `This feels a lot like freelance writing`.
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The slog, the not knowing what would happen next, the frenzied bursts of activity, the long wait (peppered with yet more preparations).
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Right before we lost power for a painful four days, I wrote a blog post about the parallels, and how freelance writers (and other gig workers for that matter) can better handle uncertainty.
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Confession time: I didn`t handle it well. I didn`t sleep. I was stressed. I defied orders to stay at home (Banjo still had to be walked) and I spent too much time sitting in the shopping centre carpark because that was the only place with a signal.
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Things are slowly getting back to normal now, but I still have a washing basket full of limes. G&T, anyone?
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https://denisecullen.com.au/lessons-in-freelance-writing-from-the-eye-of-the-storm/
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#travelwriter #brisbanewriter #freelancewriter #cyclonealfred #writermindset
There`s nothing like an al fresco soak and Outback Queensland`s new Wellness Way strings together several of them.
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I covered 5 of them for this story in @the.australian, published over the weekend (but not posted because we lost power for four days, thanks to TC Alfred`s handiwork).
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Thanks to @penny.h.hunter for commissioning the story.
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@outbackqueensland
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@saltbushretreat
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@cunnamullahotsprings
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@thelakequilpie
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@artesianmud
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@visitquilpieshire
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#hotsprings #outbackqueensland #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #longreach #experiencelongreach #shandonvalestation #cunnamulla #eulo #quilpie #barcaldine #brisbanewriter #travelwriter #hosted #onassignment
Want to experience the Australian outback without sacrificing creature comforts?
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Set against the backdrop of Longreach’s sweeping plains, Saltbush Retreat delivers the perfect balance.
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I stayed in one of 9 Homestead Stables, which are designed to replicate the look of a stableboy`s accommodation, with rustic touches like Tilley lamps, horseshoe hangers, and lashings of local timber.
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And I do so love a bath under clear blue (or starry) skies!
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Thanks for having me.
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@saltbushretreat
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@outbackqueensland
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@queensland
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#longreach #outbackqueensland #thisisqueensland #ExperienceLongreach #seeaustralia #travelwriter #brisbanewriter #hosted #onassignment
The opening night performance of Pride & Prejudice at the Playhouse, QPAC, brought the house down.
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This play is a fun-filled, witty reimagining of the Jane Austen classic - which has been described as `the mother of all romantic comedies`.
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Such a clever cast, crew, and costumes ... plus a contemporary soundtrack to boot.
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@qld_theatre
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@atqpac
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@queensland
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#prideandprejudice #queensland #theatre #playhouse #southbank #culturalcentre #travelwriter #brisbanewriter #hosted
Looking for travel inspiration?
I have a growing list of guides designed to take you deep into a destination. The link below will take you to my Thatch travel page.
Let’s keep in touch
Feel free to reach out and contact me if I can answer any questions.