Sydney

Growing up a shy Tasmanian, Charles harboured a secret, unspoken lust for Sydney's dangerous curves. When he finally plucked up the courage to ask for a date, she astounded him by saying 'Yes!'. The city's hip streets, cool bars and warm beaches washed over him like a tide... A lapsed architect, underrated rock guitarist and proud new dad, Charles greased the production cogs at Lonely Planet's Melbourne HQ for many years before becoming a freelance travel writer in 2005. Now ensconced in the Adelaide Hills, he regularly flees South Australia's calmer cultures for a walk on Sydney's wild side, and to visit his mum.