Australia

Clear turquoise waters, ancient red desert and pockets of rainforest make Australia's scenery reason enough to visit. Add in cosmopolitan cities like Sydney and Melbourne, world-class food and wine, and wildlife found nowhere else on earth, and it becomes hard to imagine a more rewarding destination.

Highlights

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Walk Uluru at sunrise, then join a guide for stories and context from local Aboriginal custodians
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Snorkel or dive the Great Barrier Reef, where coral gardens shift colour with the light
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Sleep under outback stars, swags rolled out beneath starry skies
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Take in Sydney's harbour energy, markets, beaches and a buzzy restaurant scene
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Sail the Whitsundays, hopping between powder-white sand islands and anchoring in turquoise bays

Hidden gems

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Spend a few days in Kakadu, where wetlands, rock art and crocodiles outnumber people
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Reach the remote Kimberley, where the Bungle Bungles rise in striped beehive domes and gorges hide hidden waterholes
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Drive the Great Ocean Road past the Twelve Apostles and rainforest pockets inland
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Cross to Rottnest Island for cute quokkas, bike trails and empty sandy coves
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Explore the Flinders Ranges, ancient gorges and outback skies south of the Red Centre