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.
As people’s interest in locally grown food surges, so too does a troubling new form of food fraud – that is, dishonest marketeers slapping the ‘local’ label on produce that simply isn’t.
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It’s a charged subject for small-scale producers and growers in Queensland’s Scenic Rim, who are fighting just to stay afloat in a year that started with flooding rains that wiped out crops and animals.
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One of the best ways to assess whether `local` food claims is by asking the right questions. If the seller seems clueless, defensive, or refuses to give you any information at all, take it as a red flag (a really, really, big red flag)!
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For local producers LOVE talking about their food and how it’s grown. I learned this when I met Scholl and Tommerup at a behind-the-scenes dining experience hosted by Scenic Rim Food Ambassador Javier Codina at his Moda Restaurant at The Barracks in Brisbane.
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We were given a preview of the mouth-watering menu he’ll be serving at Javier’s Scenic Rim Table event on 14 June. Included in the many courses were Tommerup pork and Valley Pride’s beetroot and carrots (a small handful of which are pictured here).
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The full story is up at my new Substack. You`ll find the link in my bio.
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And do check out the Scenic Rim`s Eat Local Month program which kicks off next month. You`re sure to find something appetising.
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@eatlocalmonthscenicrim
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@visitscenicrim
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@kathrose
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@moda__restaurant
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@tommerupsdairyfarm
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@valleyprideproduce
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#eatlocal #scenicrim #farmer #freshproduce #scenicrimeatlocalmonth2025 #farmfresh #eatingwell #foodwriter #brisbanewriter #hosted
I`ve never flown Fiji Airways before and the country`s national carrier (formerly Air Pacific) was never on my radar.
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But after my recent Cairns - Nadi - Dallas Fort Worth - Nadi - Brisbane jaunt, I`ll definitely be seeking them out again.
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My flight review appeared today in The Australian (Travel + Luxury). I`ve popped a copy on my website for those who don`t have a subscription.
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To sum up, with direct flights to 27 international destinations departing from cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and now Cairns, there are many compelling reasons to choose Fiji Airways next time you fly.
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The airline also has an extended network of 108 international destinations through its codeshare partners, including Qantas, who also own a stake in the airline.
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One more reason to book your next trip. Where would you like to go?
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@fly_fijiairways
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@tourismfiji
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@the.australian
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#nadi #fiji #suva #fijiairways #dallasfortworth #brisbane #cairns #queensland #australia #flightreview #flighttips #longhaul #businessclass #brisbanewriter #travelwriter #hosted #onassignment
Welcome to The Kimpton Pittman Hotel, which is tucked away in the coolest and most colourful suburb in Dallas.
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Deep Ellum is sometimes described as ‘the soul of Dallas’, due to its influence on the city’s music, art, and culture.
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The building in which this boutique hotel is housed was originally designed in 1916 by African American architect William Sidney Pittman as a temple for the secret society known as the Knights of Pythias.
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After successive changes of ownership, and extensive renovations, The Kimpton Pittman Hotel opened in 2020 and she`s a beauty.
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@pittmanhoteldallas
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@ihghotels
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@visit_dallas
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@deepellum
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@traveltexas
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@the.australian
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#deepellum #dallas #texas #unitedstates #hotelreview #pittmanhoteldallas #ihghotels #boutiquehotel #travelwriter #brisbanewriter #hosted #onassignment
This Texan neighbourhood has a fascinating history, plus swags of personality. Come enjoy some of the colourful street art that has turned it into an open-air gallery.
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More to come in my destination feature on the Lone Star State, coming up in The Australian (Travel & Luxury).
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@deepellumfoundation
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@deepellum
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@deepellumtexas
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@traveltex
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@the.australian
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#deepellum #Dallas #Texas #unitedstates #lonestarstate #cowboys #streetart #murals #42muralsproject #artists #hosted #travelwriter #onassignment
If there was ever a tour to turn you into a twitcher, this is it.
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Earlier this year, I joined Chris Symmons on Leander Station just outside Longreach.
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His lifelong love affair with all things avian started when his parents, both doctors, ran a Baptist mission hospital in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea.
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As an eight-year-old, he loved to take visitors out to spot the showy Birds-of-Paradise in the surrounding rainforest.
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And although the cascading tail feathers, iridescent breast shields and fanciful head plumes of PNG birds are in much shorter supply among outback varieties, Symmons adores them all.
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Published in today`s The Australian (Travel + Luxury).
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Thanks @longreachbirding and @outbackqueensland for hosting, @the.australian for publishing, and @penny.h.hunter for commissioning.
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EDIT: As anyone who knows their birds will know (and there were a few in the comments section) there are no eclectus parrots in Longreach. This error was 100% mine, and my apologies to Chris for the blunder.
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#birdwatching #birdingtours #twitcher #twitchersofinstagram #longreach #outbackqueensland #queensland #australia #seeaustralia #hosted #onassignment
Fiji Airways` inaugural flight from Cairns to Nadi, then onto Dallas Forth Worth, was a dream.
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Stay tuned for a more formal review coming up in The Australian (Travel + Luxury).
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@fly_fijiairways
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@tourismfiji
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@traveltex
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@campaignlab
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@gtitourism
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@the.australian
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#fiji #fijiairways #flightreview #businessclass #travelandluxury #travelwriter #hosted #onassignment
FIRST PEEK at the new Plantation Bures at the Outrigger Fiji! 🍸🌴
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With the last of six new luxury bures nearing completion, I was given a sneak peek during a recent stay.
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The bures are gorgeous. They feature tapa ceilings, thatched roofs, and private plunge pools. And there`s talai (butler) service.
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This image was taken right before I crashed my drone into a coconut palm. It came hurtling back to earth, narrowly missing the pool (and me).
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Totally worth it. I loved every minute of my stay here.
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Thanks @nicole_tapster for making it happen!
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@outriggerfiji
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@pepr_agency
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@the.australian
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@fiji.tourism
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#fiji #nadi #outrigger #fijihappy #plungepool #bure #hosted #onassignment
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
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.
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Feel free to reach out and contact me if I can answer any questions.