My Travel CV: I've been to 51 countries, there's nowhere like Peru

The Australian Museum’s CEO has travelled the world, but it was Peru that surprised her most.

The director and CEO of the Australian Museum in Sydney, Kim McKay, is no stranger to exploring. This is her Travel CV:

The place that most surprised me was...

Peru. I’ve now been there four times and it has everything including Machu Picchu. It’s a great way to step back in time and experience cultural traditions in cities like Cusco but also to experience Lima which is a city with great architecture, food and fashion. It has the jungle of the Andes and beautiful surfing beaches, and the people are very welcoming.

I’m thrilled that the Australian Museum is hosting the Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru exhibition. It will feature more than 130 priceless artefacts, including stunning treasures from royal tombs and intricate objects of worship. There’s even a Virtual Reality experience that takes visitors on a bird’s-eye journey through Machu Picchu itself. If you’ve never been to Peru, this exhibition is the next best thing.

I got my first passport when...

I was five years old. I was on my mum’s passport along with my seven-year-old sister. It was a lovely group photograph of us. We were going by ship to England to live there for my dad’s work.

I’ve been to...

51 countries for both work and pleasure and lived in four for extended periods.

My favourite place in Australia is Sydney Harbour and Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

My favourite place in Australia is...

Sydney Harbour and Sydney’s Northern Beaches – nothing beats being on the harbour or in the surf on a sunny summer’s day.

My holidays are mostly devoted to...

Relaxing with friends, eating, drinking, reading, walking on the beach or if it’s a winter escape, visiting museums and galleries. I love being in Italy any time.

The place I’d rather be right now is...

Lizard Island at the top of the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian Museum has a world-class science research station there which focuses on reef health and ocean warming impacts. On the other side of the island is a beautiful world-class resort.

The destination on my bucket-list is Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

The destination on my bucket-list is...

Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

The most interesting person I’ve met on a plane was...

An African-American lawyer and academic. She and I were the same age and we spent the five-hour trip from LA to New York comparing our very different lives growing up, discussing common experiences, too. She was a commentator on MSNBC and I learned so much from her.

My most memorable travel experience happened in...

Morocco – I was flying in a military helicopter in the desert and in the High Atlas Mountains and we landed on the top of a ridge. Within minutes a Berber family emerged over the ridge and invited us down to their tent for tea! It was surreal.

My most memorable travel experience happened in Morocco. We landed on the top of a ridge in the High Atlas Mountains.

The advice I’d give to young travellers is...

Be curious and travel with a friend – someone to share experiences with and you’re able to look out for each other. And always walk around corners – you never know what you might find!

The sickest I’ve been was...

In Nairobi, Kenya. I was on business before heading out on safari and we were taken to an exclusive club in the city which the British elites used to frequent when they were in control. I had horrible food poisoning from eating local fish.

My go-to dish for room service is...

A club sandwich or a Caesar salad depending on jet lag.

The sickest I’ve been was in Nairobi, Kenya.

I manage jet lag by...

Always travelling with pawpaw ointment (in a red tube) – put it in your nose as soon as you board a flight and replenish throughout. Keeping your nose moist helps with jet lag. It works! I also switch to the destination’s time zone, drink water, eat lightly, moisturise, and sleep.

The travel tips I’d like to share are...

Put all the clothes you’d like to take out on the bed and then halve them. I always overpack but I’m working out how to travel lighter.

Travel has taught me to...

Go with the flow. You can’t always be in control and things happen outside of your power so it’s best to keep calm and see where the problem leads.

Travel has taught me to go with the flow. You can’t always be in control. Picture: Supplied.

How many flights have you missed?

Only two.

Passports/visas/wallets/luggage lost?

I lost my wallet in Rome when it fell off my lap getting out of a taxi. Two policemen found it and returned it to my hotel. The cash was gone, but everything else was there.

I lost my wallet in Rome when it fell off my lap getting out of a taxi.

Who is your favourite travel  companion?

Lisa, a friend from California, is always fun. We used to work together and now travel and have adventures.

Flight, cruise, car or train?

I like flying and arriving somewhere completely different. You can land somewhere that feels like the 12th century overnight.

The Australian Museum’s blockbuster Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru is now open. australian.museum

Originally published as My Travel CV: I've been to 51 countries, there's nowhere like Peru