If the Camino starts when you say YES, which I think it does, what are the implications of that? If the moment you decide you are definitely going to do this thing is when the journey begins, what can you expect to happen next, after you commit?

In my experience, when I say yes to something big, something bold, something that will take me way outside my comfort zone, I have to expect some plot twists along the way. And that’s exactly what has happened for my guest today, Dara.

P.S. Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

If you're planning to walk the Camino with a friend, family member, or a group, you may want to have some specific conversations before you get too far in your planning. Check out this episode of the podcast - season one, episode 12 to sort out who will you walk with and what you'll want to talk about beforehand.

#youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast

This week on the podcast I am delighted to be sharing a conversation I had with two very talented and Camino-spirit filled people, Bill Bennet and Jennifer Cluff. [See their bios below.]

You may know Bill as the director and lead character of the film The Way, My Way, and the author of the book of the same name, which tell the story of his pilgrimage on the Camino Francés.

You may know Jennifer as the actress who played Bill’s wife in the movie, but what you may not know is that Jennifer is also Bill’s real-life wife and they are solid partners in their creative endeavors.

And what a delightful and insightful pair they are.

Let's see where this conversation goes . . .

In this episode I am trying a new format: a "live" audience asking questions of our guests. Let me know what you think!

Join us in La Terraza, where pilgrims gather to share in the spirit of the Camino.

Bill Bennett studied Journalism at the University of Queensland before joining the ABC as a journalist. He moved into documentaries and stayed with the ABC for twelve years before going freelance as a documentary filmmaker. During this time he won two Logies, (Australia’s equivalent of the Emmy)for Television Reporter of the Year, and Most Outstanding Television Documentary of the Year.

He then moved into feature films. He’s made 17 feature films as writer, producer and director. He’s won Australian Film Institute Awards (Australia’s equivalent of the Oscar) for Best Film and Best Director and been nominated a further twelve times. He’s had two films in Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival and four films selected for the Toronto Film Festival.

In 2024 his movie The Way, My Way became the third highest grossing Australian film of the year. It was based on his best-selling Camino memoir of the same name. In 2025 the Spanish Government awarded Bill the 8th annual Malaspina Award for his outstanding contribution to furthering cultural ties between Australia and Spain through his book and film, The Way, My Way.

As an author, Penguin Random House has published his YA supernatural thriller trilogy, Palace of Fires.

Jennifer Cluff is a producer of feature films and a dramaturge who has taken her skills from theatre into literature and film.

She began her career as an actress, at the tender age of 17, starring in the classic ABC TV series, SEVEN LITTLE AUSTRALIANS.

Then followed more TV, some movies, and theatre – at the Sydney Theatre Company and the Queensland Theatre Company. During this time she worked with playwrights on the development of their material.

She later script edited Bill Bennett’s first feature screenplay for the film A STREET TO DIE, which was nominated for five AFI Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.

As Bill’s partner, she subsequently script edited all his screenplays, including the multiple AFI Award winner KISS OR KILL – a film which she also produced with Bill. Jennifer has since produced, along with Bill, 10 feature films, all of which were released theatrically.

#youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast

Let's find out!

If you are looking for your next big trip and you love the spiritual practice of pilgrimage, then you are going to love this episode of the podcast. But it’s not about the Camino, per se. It’s Camino-adjacent, but about something that, turns out, is totally different.

Chris from episode 142 is back! It feels like the blink of an eye since I talked with Chris the last time, but in the interim, he has completed the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage in Japan, which is no small thing.

So we are going to be taking a look at the similarities and differences between the Camino and the Kumano Kodo through the lens of pilgrimage.

Here is some information about this pilgrimage:

https://www.kumano-travel.com/en

https://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/kumano-kodo/

#youonthecamino #caminodesantiago #firsttimepilgrim #thecaminoexperience #caminopodcast