Q&A: LAURA COOP

NAME LAURA COOP

OCCUPATION EMAIL MARKETING MANAGER

COUNTRY MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

What's been your favourite holiday… ever?

That’s a tough one! There are so many standout memories: road tripping through New Zealand in a classic VW Kombi, swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef and getting (quite literally) lost in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar…

If I had to pick a favourite though, I think I’d have to say a family holiday to Egypt when I was six years old. Even over 15 years later, I can still remember seeing the Pyramids of Giza for the first time and learning to snorkel in the Red Sea. I also remember being too scared to see any mummies and stubbornly refusing to enter the Egyptian Museum — but that’s just a reason to go back!

What are your must-have carry-on items?

A travel journal (I am religious about writing my first entry as soon as I start travelling), a great book (to pass the time), noise-cancelling headphones (to block out my neighbours), and my passport (embarrassed to admit I once left it behind so now I need to check it’s still with me every couple of hours).

Who would you love to sit next to on a plane for a long flight?

Ideally...no-one. I look forward to the journey just as much as the destination (sometimes even more so!) and I love to have that time to myself. That being said, I wouldn’t complain about spending a few hours chatting with Chris Evans!

What's the weirdest food you’ve ever tried?

Fried grasshoppers in Oaxaca, Mexico. Definitely a delicacy I never need to try again.

What is your favourite souvenir?

I have an odd tradition of buying a pair of earrings in each place I visit. My favourite is a drop set of South Sea Australian pearls I picked up during a pearl farm tour in Broome, but I'm absolutely terrified of losing them so they don’t get worn very often.

You’re Sydney born and bred. Where would you take a first-time visitor who only has 24 hours to see the city?

First thing we’re doing is walking across the Harbour Bridge to explore the city. After that we’d wander back through The Rocks, enjoy an afternoon cocktail in the sun at Opera Bar and then jump on a ferry to Manly for some time at the beach.

Where are you off to in 2022?

I’m very excited to have just booked a couple of months working in Vienna, Austria. There will be a lot of weekend trips from there to explore surrounding cities; Prague, Budapest and Venice are all on my list – not to mention the gorgeous Austrian countryside. I’m also trying to squeeze in a trip to Croatia on my way home, as well as a holiday to Sri Lanka later in the year.

Kooljaman Beach, Dampier Peninsula, Australia

MAIN IMAGE: Wandering the ruins of Tikal, Guatemala