Jessica Lockhart picks New Caledonia as a 2027 travel destination for Kiwis
Travel writer Jessica Lockhart discusses her career path, the realities of guidebook research, and her recommendation of New Caledonia as a top destination for Kiwis in 2027. She details the rigorous, fast-paced nature of updating Lonely Planet guidebooks.
Why it matters
Provides insight into the travel industry and the professional demands of guidebook curation.
Jessica Lockhart is an award-winning Canadian journalist, guidebook writer and Lonely Planet destination editor. Now based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, we caught up to talk travel writing, guidebooks and the next big destination for Kiwis.
Many would consider travel writing a dream job. How did you get into writing for Lonely Planet?
I was a freelance journalist for 15 years, writing for publications including the New Zealand Herald ,the BBC and Condé Nast Traveler .
I’m originally from Canada and when I moved to Australia in 2015 and then to NZ in 2018, there were a lot of cultural nuances to navigate. I felt like both an insider and an outsider. So I shifted my focus to writing stories about ANZ [Australia-New Zealand] for North American audiences.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in