South Pacific

Great Barrier Reef

You probably guessed - the Discovery Channel doesn’t do it justice. Snorkel, SCUBA and generally gawk at the world’s biggest, most totally unbelievable reef. Find Nemo - and thousands of his friends, plus an incredible thirty species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Life on land will never be the same again. Become a licensed diver or enjoy an easier snorkel trip with boats from the Queensland Coast.

Gold Coast

Tough job: the Gold Coast, Australia’s Miami, has 60km of beach to explore. And 500 restaurants to try. Where a cool and laid-back country meets beachy bliss, you have the Gold Coast. And it wants to steal your heart. Nearby Surfer’s Paradise, the sport’s antipodean capital, promises the Aussie dream: surf by day, drink by night. Pack only shorts and flip-flops, no matter how long you stay.

Sydney

Heaven on earth? So Sydneysiders claim. Beautiful beaches, one very famous harbour and plenty more besides. Ferry around the harbour for stops at the Opera House and the very cool Taronga Zoo, home to all the weird and wonderful creatures of Oz. Museums galore await on a rare rainy day - for the rest, there’s Bondi Beach.

Melbourne

An arts and music mecca with a beach backdrop, Melbourne ups the ante for cultural destination. Put on your trendiest shoes and jauntiest hat for gallery-hopping and festival-going. This arts scene doesn’t quit. As for the hat, bring another for the Melbourne Cup, a horse race that stops the entire city. This near-perfect climate means year-round outside dining, open-air concerts and spending the rest of your time at the beach

Ayers Rock

Let a sunrise over Ayers Rock be the only one you ever stay up all night to see. Watch it from a dedicated sun platform, from a camel - even a helicopter. You can’t take a bad photo of somewhere so gorgeous. Ayers Rocks is increasingly known by its traditional name, Uluru. The Aboriginal connection with the lands spans millennia, giving it a reaffirming and very spiritual side.

New Zealand

Water sports and nature enthusiasts are drawn to the end of the Earth by New Zealand’s sleepy seaside villages. Watch dolphins or try your hand at sailing. Visit the Bay of Islands for unforgettable scenery and perfect seafood, served with a wry Kiwi smile. Check out glaciers, or get your outdoorsy fix down south, whether in Milford or Marlborough Sound. New Zealand knows it needs to reward travelers for the time and effort of their journey. It does.

Auckland

All the lure of Sydney with a charming and much less hurried twist. Along with Vancouver, Auckland is often crowned as the city with the best quality of life - there’s something for everyone. Head from the harbour to world-class museums, galleries, or the Auckland Zoo. Just outside the city, it gets very rugged, very quickly - with perfect beaches, waterfalls and plenty of nature.

Fiji

Your picture-perfect island vacation. Sugar sand beaches ring an island of coconut palms and swaths of untouched rainforest. If you think there’s no such thing as too much beach time, Fiji’s got you covered.