How Getaway presenters are celebrating the show’s 30-year milestone
Can you believe Getaway has been on the air for 30 years?
The travel show was only supposed to last for 12 episodes but became a massive ratings hit and still has a loyal following three decades later.
Getaway launched the careers of much-loved presenters like Catriona Rowntree, David Reyne, Lochi Daddo, Jules Lund and Rebecca Harris who have taken Australian viewers to every corner of the world.
anniversary
To celebrate the milestone, Catriona, David and former Hi Five star turned Getaway presenter, Charli Robinson, sat down with A Current Affair host Deb Knight to talk about the many highs and occasional lows of having “the best gig on Australian TV”.
David, who has been with the program since episode one, reminisces about his first story about an indoor skiing arena in Adelaide … yes Adelaide … and about how Getaway set a mould for lifestyle television which dominated Australian screens through the 1990s and 2000s.
It was also recognised by Tourism Australia for its impact on the domestic travel scene and David recalls a story he did on a houseboat in the Murray River.
This guy built this luxurious houseboat in his backyard and it was fantastic,” David said.
“And I went back with my family several years later and he had something like 12 houseboats and he said to me, ‘This is all down to you putting us on the show’.”
Charli has also revisited destinations she has done stories on.
Fiji is her favourite.
“I went back to the same resort, the same room, did all the same things. I just thought it was the happiest place on earth,” she said.
Catriona claims she has never been anywhere that someone hasn’t recognised her.
“I was at base camp at Mount Everest and out of a tent come these guys from Geelong yelling out, ‘Catriona, how are the cats doing?’ Australians are just such passionate travellers,” she said.
Catriona and Charli were both in their early 20s when they first joined the show, so have grown up on the program, getting married and having children, so loyal viewers feel they know them.
And they have all had the opportunity to rub shoulders with the rich and famous.
Two of Catriona’s favourites – Sir Richard Branson and Donald Trump.
“I found Donald to be utterly charming and nothing like how he was portrayed after becoming President. I got such strong reactions talking about my experience with him I just stopped telling the story.”
David said he is still always excited to get the call from Getaway to find out where he is heading next.
There are no Aussies more desperate for COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted than the Getaway team
