Tom Cockrem

Tom Cockrem brings some 20 years experience in serious international travel to his work. Encouraged by the unexpectedly frequent publication of his earlier less ambitious travel pieces, he decided to abandon his long-held post as a full-time English language teacher in favour of a far less secure, but hugely more colourful and rewarding career as a full-time travel writer and photographer. This was in 1992. Since then his work has appeared in numerous major daily newspapers at home and abroad - the Melbourne Age, the South China Morning Post, and the Straits Times among them. No fewer than 111 of his pieces have appeared in the travel pages of Melbourne?s major dailies. A similar number have been published in the various New Zealand dailies, 42 in the Canberra Times, and comparable numbers in Queensland, NSW and Western Australia. He is also a regular contributor to some of the world?s best known inflight and independent travel magazines. These include Emirates, Golden Falcon, Muhibah, Winds, Verve, Vogue Living, Australian Way, Hong Kong Tatler and Frequent Traveller. The consistent high quality of his photography has seen many of his images appear as magazine and travel brochure covers. It has also been a major factor in the elevation of many of his features to lead story status. A Bachelor of Arts and qualified secondary teacher, Tom also imbues his stories with a delightfully accessible educated edge that manages to instruct and at the same time entertain. He has a particular interest in vernacular architecture and native village life, which he writes about with a rare combination of analysis, humour and warmth. In truth, he can turn his hand to a wide variety of travel-related subjects including safaris, epicure, mountaineering, paradise resorts and cruises. He has developed a particular interest in exotic destinations, notably Africa, South-East Asia, South America and the Pacific.