What country do you live in? Australia

Are you in an urban or rural setting? Beach - tranquil, small, pristine … an absolute paradise.

What is your home like? A simple beach house and a very different environment from the last 30 years of inner-city hustle and bustle. Rainbow Beach is a thriving small community and the pace is very laidback. It’s very easy to get distracted when the fish are biting, but I find it the perfect place for me to be creative.

Have you travelled much – what sort of locations have you visited? In my early years, I travelled to Singapore and Hong Kong etc. Then, more recently, my husband and I enjoyed visiting the UK; especially London and Ireland. France and Italy are always favourite places, and we’re looking forward to seeing Japan in the near future.

What’s still on your travel bucket list? Scandinavia, Spain, USA and Alaska.

Have you ever visited the USA? No we haven’t, as yet. I have friends who have and they loved it. I don’t know where to choose as it’s such a vast and diverse destination but, yes, I’d love to go there.

Did you learn anything new about the USA in your research for this design? I enjoyed learning more about early political life in America, especially Abraham Lincoln; the conditions that shaped him as a man, family life and the results he was able to achieve.

Any funny or memorable travel moments you’d like to share from any of your travels? On an early trip to Malaysia, our hotel staff had gone on strike and we needed to walk about a kilometre to the next hotel for meals. We were told to watch for guerrillas in the hill beside our route, as there had been recent activity. I was pretty excited thinking I might get a glimpse of a big monkey. Found out later that’s not what was meant.

More recently I fell in love with Florence and would love to go back and spend more time exploring the streets and visiting the artisan workshops that flourish there.

What are the three travel essential you’d never leave home without?
* My Ipad,

* Notebook and pencil

* Sunglasses.

What’s the best thing about returning home? Family and friends, my own bed and cooking for myself.