Founded by Jarrod Pickford, Storytowns was born from a decade of nomadic wandering and a passion for the hidden narratives that define our world.
"Every person who picked me up had a story that changed how I saw the landscape."
In my 20s and 30s, I spent much of my life on the road. Hitchhiking across continents, I realised that the true heartbeat of a place isn't found in a museum or a polished guidebook — it's held in the memories of the people who live there.
I met hundreds of drivers, and every single one had a story. Tales of local legends, forgotten landmarks, and the small triumphs of their towns. I wanted a way to bottle those tales and share them with every traveller passing through.
I wanted to give travellers that same intimate connection I had through hitchhiking, but without the thumb on the side of the road.
Cheers Everyone,
Jarrod
Moving beyond the static page to the living, breathing voice of the local.
I loved my Lonely Planet guides — who didn't? Sure, they were somewhat cumbersome to travel with, but my Europe on a Shoestring was a permanent resident in my backpack.
Back in 2018, while working on The Hitchhiker Podcast (available on Spotify), a brainwave hit me: what if Lonely Planet had audio guides narrated by local people? They'd share hidden nooks, local legends, and the real stories of cities, towns and neighbourhoods — making travel so much richer.
Lonely Planet took another path, but I was fuelled by the idea and ventured forth. From a small Aussie town, with heaps of regional pride, we started this audacious journey. It's incredible to see how far we've travelled (pun intended).
Our dream is that every town on the globe will eventually have its very own Storytowns audio guide — presented by the locals.
"Our goal is simple: to have every town on the globe have its own Storytowns audio guide. We are mapping the world's soul, one local legend at a time."
Curated journeys designed to showcase the diversity of our regional landscapes.
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