Ben Groundwater

Ben Groundwater is an Australian travel writer, blogger, journalist and former men’s mag hack. He began his writing career at age eight by penning a fake soccer magazine to impress his English teacher. It was a work that, 22 years later, he’s still yet to surpass. A professional writer for 10 years, Ben began his career at Brisbane News, before he decided to see the world, taking off to write freelance travel features for newspapers as well as various travel magazines. He now writes the hugely popular weekly travel blog The Backpacker for Fairfax Media. Ben has visited more than 60 countries, and has also worked as a sous chef in Colorado, a bartender in Edinburgh, a farmhand in Aberdeen, and an on-board cook for a tour company in Europe. He thinks he’ll stick to writing from now on. Ben’s parents would really appreciate it if he’d find a real job and settle down.