Steve Collins, Author at Steve Collins Travel Broadcaster

Pitch Black Open Day 2026

Pitch Black is an aviation military operation than is held every two years in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

For Pitch Black 2026, 20 different air forces from all over the world participated in a number of exercises over a period of about three weeks.

Whilst the skies over Darwin come alive with the sights and sounds of all types of military aircraft, a big event is the Open Day, for which many of the aircraft are on display and visitors can get up close to them, and speak to their crews.

It is a fantastic event!

Here is a TikTok video of what it’s actually like.

https://www.tiktok.com/@stevecollinstraveller/video/7669202465421593877?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7623309472514410001

9 August 2026

Cove 55 a luxury resort in Sarawak

Cove 55 is a luxury resort that is located about 50 minutes drive from Kuching, Sarawak near Damai Beach in Santubong. Close to where the naturally untainted foot of Mount Santubong gently welcomes the undulating South China Sea.

Situated in a very quiet location, Cove 55 is a magnificent property being an intimate retreat with 13 rooms, 2 suites and 13 villas.

The exquisite villas are built upon pylons so that they exist ,majestically above the wetlands.

When the tide is in, they seem to float above the water. At low tide you can admire the wetlands and the many creatures that inhabit it.

Cove 55 is Winner of ‘Luxury Boutique Retreat for the continent of Asia’ at the World Luxury Hotel Awards. And winner of ‘Unique Luxury Hotel of the Year Malaysia’ at the Luxury Travel Guide Awards, Asia Australasia.

https://www.tiktok.com/@stevecollinstraveller/video/7655889963971628308?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7623309472514410001

11 July 2026

Visit Sarawak

Sarawak is a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo.

I was there to attend the Rainforest World Music Festival which has been held in Sarawak for almost 30 years.

So, almost as soon as I returned to Australia I spoke to Phil O’Neil on Sydney’s 2GB.

8 July 2026

Australia Overnight Listeners’ Favourite Flights

As a frequent traveller I love flying, so on this episode of Australia Overnight with Tony McManus we asked the audience to nominate their favourite, or least favourite, flying experiences.

19 June 2026

Australia’s best pubs

Australian’s love pubs! Whether it be a favourite local, or to go out for a special meal. To celebrate a birthday or anniversary, pubs are just great for any social occasion.

In this episode of Australia Overnight, Tony McManus and Steve Collins discuss Australia’s best pubs.

19 June 2026

The Amazing Villaggio Mall in Doha

Doha is the capital of Qatar in the Middle East.

It’s an oil-rich nation that is modern, clean and quite spectacular.

With so much wealth confined to this small country, shopping is a popular pastime, and the city features a number of very exclusive malls.

Villaggio Mall is one of these. roughly based on a Venetian theme, it is a remarkable place to visit. If you can’t afford to shop, it costs nothing to gawk, and there is plenty to see there.

https://www.tiktok.com/@stevecollinstraveller/video/7547277085258091784?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7623309472514410001

17 June 2026

Easter and Christmas Island

What better way to commemorate a Good Friday show than by talking about Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean near Chile, and Christmas Island, an Australian territory located in the Indian Ocean near Indonesia.

Both these islands were named after the days they were discovered by European explorers.

Each is utterly unique.

Listen to find out more about Easter and Christmas Islands.

10 June 2026

Trains through Europe using a Eurail Pass

My wife and I recently enjoyed a long tour of Europe. We arranged it ourselves, and decided that in order to see much of Europe we should travel by train. The trains in Europe are fantastic, and we only travelled during the day so that we could enjoy as much of the countryside side as possible. As it turned out, we caught 22 intercity trains. We had a Eurail Pass, which was invaluable as it gave us great flexibility, and a Swiss Travel Pass when we spent some time in Switzerland. Travelling by rail through Europe is a fantastic adventure.

Travelling around Europe by rail, and using your Eurail Pass and Swiss Travel Pass.

8 June 2026

Breathtaking Zermatt in Switzerland

We had a brilliant time in Zermatt, Switzerland. This mountain village is famous for having the best views of The Matterhorn. The village itself is very pretty. Only electric cars are allowed in the town, so you don’t get any traffic noise. The main for visiting Zermatt are for skiing and for taking the three cable cars to the Glacier Palace, which is located at a height of over 3,000 metres. The Gornergrat cog railway is also a great experience, and the views from the train are spectacular.

5 June 2026

Discovering China

China is one of the most fascinating countries on Earth. With a population of over 1.4 billion, and a history going back thousands of years, China is full of surprises. Climbing the Great Wall, visiting the Forbidden City, enjoying the overwhelming site of the Entombed Warriors, and just wandering through this mass of humanity is a great experience. In this episode of Australia Overnight, we introduce you to one of the world’s most misunderstood countries.

In this episode of Australia Overnight with Tony McManus that’s syndicated through radio 3AW Melbourne, we chat about China

5 June 2026

Author: Steve Collins