My first trip away from my family aged 12 took me to Sydney with my very good school friend. We stayed with her grandparents in their most glamorous apartment in Kirribilli, with magnificent views overlooking the harbour. Luna Park was close by and would light up at night while the Opera House sparkled across the water. And sometimes, on warm still nights we could hear the faint strains of music floating across. For a little girl from suburban Melbourne, it was like escaping to fairyland.
Landing in New York for the first time was the most exciting experience of travel I have ever had. It was amazing to be there, to be inside those famous buildings, from the Chrysler to the Flat Iron to Carnegie Hall, or just walking down all those beautiful streets, to see the swell of yellow taxi cabs and hear the cacophony of their horns, an orchestra of traffic. Little did I know then that in subsequent visits I would be giving performances to the likes of Barry Humphries, Greg Norman and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was and will always be my favourite city.
My first experience flying first class was on the way to Paris, where I was to perform in French and English on behalf of Qantas at the Australian Embassy when it was launching direct flights from Sydney to Paris. I don't think I slept at all on the flight; I was too excited and kept busy sampling everything on offer. It wasn't my first time in Paris but it was still just as beautiful as I remembered. We stayed on the Boulevard Houseman in a grand hotel reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn's apartment in Charade.
I was given the opportunity to perform in Berlin and spent the entire week walking all over that amazing city. It had such a buzz to it – the richness of the overlapping cultures, the streets brimming with creativity, amazing shops, bars and cafes and a thriving music and art scene. We visited the remnants of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie among other memorable sites and saw the bronze memorial plaques to the many murdered Jewish families laid in the pavements out the front of their homes. The history is there in every building and every street.
The most relaxing holiday I've ever been on was in Bali with my two daughters. Having visited in the past without the girls, I thought a more secluded place would be loveliest for our little family holiday. A friend had recommended a low-key resort called Alila Manggis, right on the ocean in Candidasa. It was a truly magical experience, one the girls and I have repeated since and will no doubt revisit in the future.
Bernadette Robinson's one-woman show Songs for Nobodies, written by Joanna Murray Smith and directed by Simon Phillips, was a sellout. After a season with the Melbourne Theatre Company, it's follow-up, Pennsylvania Avenue, returns to Arts Centre Melbourne on January 21. See artscentremelbourne.com.au.
