Originally from South Africa, Lauren van der Merwe is a Sydney-based storyteller with a marketer’s instinct for a good narrative and a traveller’s habit of asking, “Okay—but what really happened here?” She’s lived in Sydney for the past nine years, travelled to 50+ countries, and still insists Sydney is one of the best cities in the world (even after extensive “research”).

By day, Lauren works in marketing, where storytelling is the job. Off the clock, it’s the joy: planning the next trip, learning the context behind a place, and turning those details into something you can actually feel as you walk around. Her style balances important history—including respect for First Nations peoples—with fun, human, often humorous tales about the moments and personalities that shaped Australia.

Lauren published her first VoiceMap audio tour in October 2024, sharing the icons people expect—yes, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge—alongside the places that carry the city’s true character. She has a soft spot for old pubs and historic corners, because if those walls could talk, they’d have better stories than most of us.

Lauren speaks English and Afrikaans and is happiest with a map open and a new place to fall in love with.