Shirley LaPlanche
journalist / photographer / author
About me

Once settled in Australia I started writing as a freelancer covering everything that quirked my interest from sailing to real estate investment. My first foray into mainstream media was as a stringer for The Bulletin magazine (sadly now no more). Then an Editor at The Australian newspaper in Sydney followed by a 3-year stint researching and writing for the Australian Tourist Commission (now Tourism Australia). This steady part-time work gave me a regular income while allowing me the freedom to travel again, writing and selling stories on travel, photography, skiing and golf.
My passion for the outdoors led to my first book – Stepping Lightly on Australia, A Traveller’s guide to Ecotourism. It was published by HarperCollins in Australia and Globe Pequot Press in the US. It was a leader in the field of ecotourism and led to commissions to contribute stories to a Canadian book called Travel Unlimited – Uncommon Adventures and a book covering the South Pacific region called World Travel, A Guide to International Ecojourneys.
And now my first book of fiction – The Fatal Path – which is part The Dry with the relentless tension of The Girl on the Train and the cinematic drama of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane.





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