From the Taco Truck serving chicken and fish tacos around Carlton and Brunswick to the more refined Cali-Mex fare of Mamasita in the city or the Newmarket Hotel in St Kilda, the options have just climbed a notch from pub grub, pizza slices and late night kebab purchases.

This hipster foodie trend conveniently arrives in tandem with the advent of the “serious cocktail” revival. Chez Regine, Polly and 1806 areally lead the pack here, but anyone who’s been to Melbourne knows you can’t flick a cocktail olive without hitting at least 10 secret bars in the process.

Veal schnitzel sandwich in St Kilda – Photo credit

Mamasita
1/11 Collins Street

Debunking the bad rap Mexican often gets, this is authenticity at its best, and the truffle quesadilla sets the standard pretty high.

Where to stay: Sofitel Melbourne On Collins Hotel

Newmarket Hotel
34 Inkerman Street, St Kilda

A modern fusion take on Cali-Mex cuisine with fruity cocktails and dishes like Wagyu brisket, wood-roasted chicken and the tequila lime sorbet.

Where to stay: Cosmopolitan Boutique Hotel Melbourne

Los Amates Mexican Kitchen
34 Johnston Street

Still going strong after nine years, the décor may be Day of the Dead, but the food certainly doesn’t require any resuscitation.

Where to stay: Radisson On Flagstaff Gardens Melbourne

The Brix
412 Brunswick Street

Achingly hip but palatable due to the extraordinarily constructed fare, things just got very molecular.

Where to stay: The Langham Hotel Melbourne

Chez Regine
270 Russell Street

A 191 whiskey strong menu, but don’t let this intimidate you. The bartenders aren’t averse to a little handholding for newcomers to the brown stuff.

Where to stay: Rydges Hotel Melbourne

Melbourne City Guide

The Portuguese and Cantonese culinary pastiche see egg custard tarts sitting snugly alongside stir-fry curry crab on restaurant menus. Art Deco churches adorn fragrant green squares, so impressive in fact, that UNESCO has named 30 of them as the Historic Centre of Macau World Heritage Site.
But it’s the Coloane Village where the old Macau really lives on. Pokey back streets, ruins transporting you to Lisbon and colonial splendour all underpinned by that ubiquitous fusion cuisine this place is so famous for. Dietary guilt can be purged with a stroll along the black sands of Hac Sa Beach.

Photo credit

Macau’s Best Of The Best

Ruins of St Paul’s

Remains of a college and cathedral built for St Paul the Apostle, this landmark features Jesuit carvings with Asian themes – a medley so synonymous with this region.

Where to stay: Sofitel Macau At Ponte 16

A-Ma Temple

If you’re to see one Taoist temple in Macau, this is it. Replete with ancient texts and paintings, it was built for Matsu, the goddess of fishermen.

Where to stay: Pousada de Mong Ha Macau

Lord Stow’s Café

The authentic home of those pesky egg custard tarts. Lord Stow isn’t alive anymore but his memory lives on in his delectable pastries.

Where to stay: Four Seasons Hotel Macau

Guia Fort

Built for Chinese border defense in 1638, it’s part military compound, part church and part lighthouse.

Where to stay: Grand Emperor Hotel Macau

New Yaohan

Shrug off your cultural fatigue with this four storey department store, just minutes from the Macau Ferry Terminal.

Where to stay: The Venetian Macau Resort Hotel

Macau City Guide

Montreux, Switzerland – Photo credit

10. Locarno, Switzerland

Lovely Locarno has abundant sunshine, a picturesque townscape and sits at the northern tip of Lago Maggiore in Switzerland. Nine Swiss heritage sites dot the town of 15,000.

Where to stay: Hotel Il Perlo Panorama Bellagio

9. Verbania, Italy

Not to be outdone, the Italy side of Maggiore has the Piemonte jewel of Verbania, whose linchpin attraction, the Giardini Botanici Villa Taranto, is one of the best small botanical gardens in Europe.

Where to stay: Majestic Grand Hotel Lake Maggiore

Maggiore and Orta Lakes Guide

8. Lucerne, Switzerland

While far from small by Swiss standards, Lucerne (pop. 77,500) feels every bit the part of a lakeside hamlet set amid the Alps. You can hardly find a better backdrop anywhere, what with Lake Lucerne, Mount Pilatus and Rigi everpresent. A solid bet, whether you come for Carnival or the annual Cheese Festival.

Where to stay: Art Deco Hotel Montana Lucerne

Lucerne City Guide

7. Thun, Switzerland

It just feels like all the best small lake towns in Europe are in Switzerland. Indulge us as we add one more to the list. Thun, on the shores of Lake Thun, provides spectacular photo ops of the Bernese Alps and has old town charm galore.

Where to stay: Freienhof Swiss Quality Hotel Thun

6. Bregenz, Austria

Though only a fraction of Bodensee (Lake Constance) shoreline is in Austria, the country is home to our fave town on the eminent body of water. Bregenz has a beach, gorgeous architecture and a phenomenal observation summit in the Pfänder.

Where to stay: Best Western Premier Weisses Kreuz Hotel Bregenz

Bregenz City Guide

5. Keszthely, Hungary

No lake list is complete without mention of Balaton, Hungary’s divine giant. The foremost freshwater source in Central Europe teems with spas, bygone upscale resorts and leisure possibility. Keszthely (pop. 21,000), a gem of a market town with a Baroque masterpiece in the Festetics Palace, is roughly halfway between Budapest and Graz, Austria.

Where to stay: Lotus Therme Hotel & Spa Heviz

Lake Balaton Guide

4. Kuopio, Finland

Scandinavia is no stranger to lakeside beauty, of course, with notable hamlets and towns from Inari, Lapland to Karlstad, Sweden. Give us Kuopio, however, for its archipelago layout on pristine Lake Kallavesi, lively university vibe and delicious kalakukko.

Where to stay: Scandic Hotel Kuopio

Kuopio City Guide

3. Annecy, France

Aix-les-Bains on Lac du Bourget is a nice spot but within France Annecy is exceptional. Geneva is 35 km from the Haute-Savoie commune but why bother? Annecy has enough inherent charm to keep you busy for days.

Where to stay: L’Abbaye de Talloires

Annecy City Guide

2. Montreux, Switzerland

A world class jazz festival ensures Montreux is in the culture news every summer but sites like Crêtes Castle, Châtelard Castle, Villa Karma and the Swiss National Audiovisual Museum impress anytime of year.

Where to stay: Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

Montreux City Guide

1. Bellagio, Italy

George Clooney’s villa in Laglio and the villas of the Borromean Islands compete with a host of other landmarks for paparazzi face time on Lago di Como. Bellagio, the town of 3,000 at the Y intersection of the famous lake, is a paradisal place to start.

Where to stay: Hotel Il Perlo Panorama Bellagio

Como Lake Guide

The wine regions of New Zealand extend the entire length and breadth of the country, from Northland to Otago. As a land of stunning multiplicity, wine producers of different stripes cover vastly contrasting territories. For the Bacchanalian traveller, it’s a wildly exciting ride.

Marlborough sunset – Photo credit

Nelson

Nelson crowns the South Island, just northwest of Marlborough. The pocket wine region is home to about two dozen small-batch family producers. Don’t be too quick to judge on size, however. Nelson Rieslings, Gewürztraminers and Pinot Gris have garnered major kudos and the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc ain’t half bad either.

Where to stay: The Mudcastle B&B Nelson

Nelson City Guide

Wairarapa

No trip to New Zealand is complete without a visit to the sublime national capital. Fortunately, Wellington has Wairarapa, a proximate wine hub where vineyard-hoppers go to swirl, sniff, sip, savor and spit. The photogenic area is home to sub-regions like Gladstone, Martinborough, Masterton and Opaki, all of which excel at craft Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

Where to stay: Bolton Hotel Wellington

Wellington City Guide

Auckland

New Zealand’s premier metropolitan area is a vibrant wine dynamo with a singular gem in Waiheke Island. A short ferry ride from Auckland, the popular holiday spot boasts a Mediterranean climate most amiable to top-shelf Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.

Where to stay: Breakfast On The Beach Lodge Auckland Waiheke Island

Auckland City Guide

Central Otago

The most southerly wine region on the planet is close to the bottom of the South Island. More importantly, however, is the fact that Central Otago is the most vertical regional producer in New Zealand. A propitious altitude and continental microclimate makes for stellar, exemplary Pinot Noir.

Where to stay: Minaret Lodge Wanaka

Wanaka City Guide

Marlborough

The most famous wine region in New Zealand is undoubtedly Marlborough. The auspicious area in the northern part of the South Island cuts a hefty swath flush with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling and more. Sauvignon Blanc, the archetypal Kiwi variety, dominates here and was the grape that made Marlborough what it is today. Try Gisborne Chardonnay, too, and, unequivocally, the plummy, tannic Cabernet Merlots and Syrahs of Hawke’s Bay. For a special thrill, time a visit to coincide with Harvest Hawke’s Bay, a three day bash that fetes area producers in Napier.

Where to stay: Bay Of Many Coves Resort Marlborough

Napier City Guide

With that, take a look at ten airports and airlines where perks like WiFi, iPad docks, luxe lounges and in-flight entertainment systems and shower spas come standard.

Munich Airport – Photo credit

Hong Kong International Airport

The airport that has won more awards over the last decade than any other is the high-tech hub exemplar. Hyper-efficient and spotless, Hong Kong International’s state-of-the-art rapid transit system makes the trip to Central in 24 minutes, with complimentary hotel and MTR transfers.

Where to stay: The Langham Hong Kong Hotel

Hong Kong City Guide

Singapore Changi Airport

Another Skytrax 5-star airport, Singapore Changi’s sleek high-tech bent looks like it came from the analytical wellspring of a crack operations management team. Clearly, this is an airport built for the upwardly-mobile 21st century leisure and business traveller.

Where to stay: Marina Mandarin Singapore

Incheon International Airport

South Korea is bound to make a star turn on any high-tech list and the realm of airports and airlines is no exception. Incheon International is a perpetual candidate for the best in the world with Hong Kong International and Singapore Changi. With a sci-fi look and WiFi ethos, it makes airports in North America and most of Western Europe look like dinosaurs.

Where to stay: JW Marriott Hotel Seoul

Munich Airport

While no secret that Munich Airport is one of, if not the best in Europe, that alone is insufficient to secure it a spot with the likes of Incheon, Changi and Hong Kong. Relatively new Terminal 2 tips the scales, however, and is up there with the best in Asia.

Where to stay: Mandarin Oriental Munich Hotel

Munich City Guide

Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Facility and amenity-wise, few airports eclipse KL International. The roomy, immaculate hub of Malaysia is one of only nine 4-star Skytrax airports in the world.

Where to stay: Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur By Shangri-la

Kuala Lumpur City Guide

Qatar Airways

The flag carriers of the Persian Gulf are embroiled in a fierce war of financial attrition for prestige credibility and moneyed, international executive-level business passengers. As a result, Qatar Airways and its ilk are equipping fleets with some of the most jaw-droppingly plush premium class cabins and amenities the airline industry has ever seen. The Doha company won the Skytrax Airline of the Year Award in 2011.

Doha City Guide

Singapore Airlines

Changi, as one of the best airports in the world, has a worthy, accolade-laden flag carrier. From economy to first class, Singapore Airlines pampers passengers like no other carrier in Southeast Asia.

Singapore City Guide

Asiana Airlines

With a Skytrax Airline of the Year win in 2010, Asiana Airlines took a lot of wind out of Korean Air’s sails. The Star Alliance carrier is the one to take from Incheon International.

Seoul City Guide

Etihad Airways

Etihad’s Diamond First Class is so legendary it has prompted dozens of YouTube tributes with hundreds of thousands of subsequent views. In a (hyphenated) word: ultra-high-tech.

Abu Dhabi City Guide

Emirates

From its fuel efficient Alliance GP7200 engines to its sophisticated Flex Track passenger load and flight routing technology, Emirates is on the cusp. Naturally, however, what dominates headlines is the carrier’s über-swank First Class suites.

Dubai City Guide

On the River Clyde, Glasgow – Photo credit

One Aldwych London Hotel
One Aldwych, London

A plush 5-star property in Covent Garden, One Aldwych is a one-of-a-kind hotel flush with original artwork from lobby to rooms. The pièce de résistance, however, is the fabulous pool.

The Savoy A Fairmont Managed Hotel London
Strand, London

The Fairmont catalog is full of stalwart icons and the Savoy is no exception. More fine arts museum than avant-garde gallery, a recent £100 million refurb gave the Edwardian and Art Deco classic a new shine.

Andaz Hotel London
40 Liverpool Street, London

Yes, Andaz is a Hyatt brand, but the Liverpool Street gem is singularly stylish and has a quintet of fine restaurants to choose from.

Baglioni Hotel London
60 Hyde Park Gate, Kensington, London

Look over Kensington Gardens and Palace as you indulge in Italian hospitality and décor.

Halkin Hotel London
5-6 Halkin Street, Belgravia, Marble Arch, London

A perpetual candidate for the best boutique hotel in London title, the Halkin is discreet and elegant. Belgravia and COMO Suites all come with lavish appointments and a private balcony.

Dukes Hotel London
St. James Place, London

Another boutique star in the capital with arty airs, the Dukes is a sublime Mayfair address with one of the best hotel bars in London.

London City Guide

Abode Manchester Hotel
107 Piccadilly, Manchester

The former factory of a powerful cotton merchant, the tony ABode is one of the most notable real estate flips in Warehouse City. The eponymous restaurant of chef Michael Caines is the place to dine in the city.

Manchester City Guide

Malmaison Belfast Hotel
34-38 Victoria Street, Belfast

The Belfast Mal is a conspicuous arbiter of cool in the Northern Ireland capital. In typical fashion, an old seed warehouse provides the digs.

Belfast City Guide

Dakota Forth Bridge Hotel Edinburgh
1 Ferrymuir Gait, Queensferry

The most design-forward hotel in Edinburgh may not be in Edinburgh proper at all. The Dakota Forth Bridge is all the way in Queensferry, just minutes from the airport and 16 km from the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town.

Edinburgh City Guide

Blythswood Square Glasgow Hotel
11 Blythswood Square, Glasgow

Glasgow has made strong moves in recent years to establish a foothold in the hot realm of architectural, art and cultural tourism. The Blythswood Square Hotel is a gorgeous luxury spa property that sets the scene perfectly.

Glasgow City Guide

Mirima National Park, Western Australia – Photo credit

On the whole, Australia has just under 3 people per km2. Canada – massive, empty Canada – has a half a person more per km2. Colossal Russia? 8.3 per km2. Only Mongolia and Namibia, in fact, eclipse Oz for sheer barrenness. Aside from latent natural resource caches, what all this insinuates is a lot of covert, clandestine escapes for anyone keen to bolt from the grind. From the bush to the desert then, take a look at some of the best remote (or remote-ish) escapes in Australia.

Kununurra, Western Australia

Forget Broome. Hey, don’t get us wrong – we adore Roebuck Bay and will gladly take the white sand of Cable Beach anyday in the Dry. But if you truly want to get lost in the Kimberley, trundle for days down Gibb River Road – the Great Northern Highway is the easy, urbanite way out – to Kununurra. A 10 hour drive from Darwin, 27 hour drive from Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and 33 hour drive from Perth, the gateway to Mirima National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Purnululu National Park is sublime.

Where to stay: Kununurra Country Club Resort

Lizard Island, Queensland

Enjoy a singular natural world wonder from no less than paradise. Lizard Island Resort is a plush portal to the Great Barrier Reef but is so blissful some visitors never bother with the charter or dive kit. A gorgeous, immaculate coastline and all the hallmarks of a high-end chillout spot make it one of the world’s best remote resorts.

Where to stay: Lizard Island Resort

Lizard Island Guide

Esperance, Western Australia

The Shire of Esperance is hopeful the likes of a NASA Skylab never makes landfall close to town again. Some older residents probably came down with déjà vu recently when reports of hazardous space debris from a Russian space probe surfaced. Whatever the case, there’s a lot of charm in and around the town of 9,500 people in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. Try the Southern Ocean coastline for one and Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid National Parks.

Where to stay: Best Western Hospitality Inn Esperance

New Norfolk, Tasmania

A town of 5,000 people some 32 km outside of Hobart may not be all that remote per se. From Melbourne or Sydney, however, New Norfolk feels it. Take the Derwent Valley Railway and venture to Mount Field National Park, Franklin-Gordon Rivers National Park and the rest of the UNESCO World Heritage wilderness of Tasmania.

Where to stay: Tynwald Willow Bend Estate

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory

The Red Centre of Australia lures a fair share of tourists of course but it is still as remote as it comes. The exquisite Longitude 131° Lodge is the ultimate platform from which to experience the peerless majesty of both Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Where to stay: Longitude 131°

Uluru (Ayers Rock) Guide

Eunice J., Darwin

Thomas Telford’s iron suspension bridge over the Menai Strait, Isle of Anglesey and Gwynedd, Wales – Photo credit

To be perfectly blunt, Eunice, it shocks me that someone visiting England for a few weeks, let alone a few months, would consider not going to Wales. It’s not like you’ll be in London for the weekend without an enormous amount of time to get out and about. You’ve got oodles of time. Moreover, England is relatively small and easy to cover. It takes just 10 hours, for example, to drive from Sennen in the South West to Berwick-upon-Tweed in the North East. Conversely, if you drive to Alice Springs it will take you almost double the time. So yes, absolutely, without question, visit Wales. And for the love of William Wallace, do make time for as much of Scotland as you can possibly manage.

But onto Cymru. What are the dos and don’ts? It’s simple really. Do not spend all your time in Cardiff, obviously. While the city is a little gem, the real Wales unfurls out in the countryside and on the coast, in national parks and tiny hamlets. With that, do make an effort to explore and immerse yourself in the local culture. Wales is not England, nor is it Ireland or Scotland. It’s a country with a distinct national identity and a vast cultural landscape that encompasses rich, vibrant traditions in music, the visual arts, literature, sport and cuisine. So pick up a Welsh phrase book. Catch a local rugby match. Eat some laverbread. Read some Dylan Thomas. Put on your old Badfinger, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey records and by all means, take in these wonderful points of interest.

National Museum Cardiff

Cardiff Central station is just two hours from Paddington. The capital of Wales is chock-full of attractions for the whole family, with none better than the extensive National Museum.

Where to stay: Park Plaza Cardiff

Cardiff City Guide

Tenby

Wales’ boundless charm begins in places like Tenby, a town of 5,000 people in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, South West Wales. The national park’s beaches have won 41 Blue Flag awards over the years.

Where to stay: Slebech Park

Portmeirion

Tourists may flock en masse to this achingly quaint and unusual town with myriad pop culture connections but you should take the husband and kids anyway. Portmeirion and the rest of Gwynedd, North Wales are well worth the crowds.

National Waterfront Museum

Swansea, Wales’ second city, is a bona fide treasure. Spend a few days here and be sure to visit the superb National Waterfront Museum. The kids will love it.

Where to stay: Swansea Marriott Hotel

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Isle of Anglesey

Just call it Llanfair PG. The town with the longest name in the UK is also the Welshiest of Welsh towns. A full three-quarters of the populace is fluent in the native brogue.

Conwy

Two diametrically opposed attractions highlight Conwy: The Quay House a.k.a. “Smallest House in Great Britain” and the grand 13th century Conwy Castle. The walled market town of 4,000 people is just 25 km from the heart of Snowdonia – a non-negotiable must-see – and very close to the seaside resort of Colwyn Bay.

Where to stay: The Quay Hotel & Spa Conwy

Blaenavon

The Blaenavon Industrial Landscape is a singular UNESCO World Heritage Site that enshrines the legacy of South Wales as the world’s major producer of iron and coal in the 19th century. The Monmouthshire town is now an open-air museum of sorts and pillar of the European Route of Industrial Heritage.

Oxwich Bay

Take in a landscape of heather, sand dunes, salt marshes and woodland in the most photogenic part of the Gower Peninsula. The beach at Oxwich is often cited as the most beautiful in Britain and is a mere 35 minutes outside of Swansea.

Swansea City Guide

Photo credit

10. Big Red Strawberry Farm
Brinchang

Agro-tourism is the straw that stirs the drink in the Cameron Highlands. As such, pick and pluck your own fruit and vegetable farms pervade. Big Red Strawberry Farm is duly popular as one of the best.

Where to stay: Cameron Highlands Resort Pahang

9. Brinchang Night Market
Brinchang

Brinchang Night Market takes over the small Cameron Highlands town of the same name on weekends and holidays, with bushels of vibrant local produce on display.

8. Kea Farm
Brinchang

Kea Farm is a harvest bounty of fruit, flower and vegetable stalls on the roof of the Camerons. Replenish the larder with organic goods and admire the phenomenal scenery.

Where to stay: Equatorial Cameron Highlands

7. Cameron Bharat Tea Plantation
Ringlet to Tanah Rata Road and Kuala Terla

The Cameron Highlands is the nexus of tea-griculture in Malaysia. No visit is complete without a proper afternoon cup and a scone or three. The Cameron Bharat Tea Plantation is a jewel set amid verdant highland scenery just outside of Brinchang.

6. Robinson Falls
Tana Ratah

In Tana Ratah, the heart of the highlands, Robinson Falls is a special spectacle throughout the soggy wet season.

5. Cameron Highlands Butterfly Farm
12-16 Main Road, Tanah Rata

The most kaleidoscopic array of holometabolous insects in Southeast Asia is a hot ticket in the Camerons.

Where to stay: Hotel De La Ferns Cameron Highlands

4. Cactus Valley
Brichang

Take in a terraced oasis of flowers, fruits, vegetables and, yes, cacti. A twist on the botanical garden standard.

3. Bertam Valley
Ringlet

This epicentre of flower cultivation is a top exporter of carnations and birds of paradise. A colourful spot, to put it mildly.

2. Restaurants

From traditional Malay to high tea, North Indian to Nonya, restaurants cover a lot of culinary ground in the Camerons. Some of the best include Restoran Ferm Nyonya and Restoran Sri Brinchang in Tanah Rata and Golden Win Restoran in Brinchang.

Where to stay: The Smokehouse Hotel & Restaurant By The Golf Course Cameron Highlands

1. Boh Sungai Palas Tea Estate
Brinchang

Boh Sungai Palas Tea Estate offers a singular peek into the nuts and bolts of tea, from cultivation to production.

Cameron Highlands Guide

Larapinta Trail, NT – Photo credit

10. Australian Alps Walking Track (VIC, NSW, ACT)
Distance: 683 km

From Walhalla, Victoria to Tharwa, ACT, trek through spectacular alpine wilderness and five national parks.

Where to stay: Burbury Hotel Canberra

Canberra City Guide

9. Great Ocean Walk (VIC)
Distance: 250 km

Why speed down Great Ocean Road when you can meander down Great Ocean Walk and admire awesome scenery and wildlife at a more carbon-neutral pace? Get up close and personal with the Twelve Apostles on foot.

Where to stay: Beacon Point Ocean View Villas Apollo Bay

Apollo Bay Guide

8. Mawson Trail (SA)
Distance: 890 km

Popular with mountain bikers, hikers can also make use of this lengthy network of country roads, state forest and national park fire trails, farm access tracks and furtive road reserves. The Mawson Trail starts in Adelaide Hills and ends in the Flinders Ranges.

Where to stay: The Majestic Roof Garden Hotel Adelaide

Adelaide City Guide

7. Six Foot Track (NSW)
Distance: 45 km

See some of the best parts of the UNESCO World Heritage Greater Blue Mountains Area, from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves.

Where to stay: Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains

Katoomba City Guide

6. South Coast Track (TAS)
Distance: 82 km

Another path to World Heritage glory, this time in Southwest National Park, Tasmania.

Where to stay: Salamanca Inn All Suite Hotel Hobart

Hobart City Guide

5. Cape to Cape Track (WA)
Distance: 124 km

While many trails in Western Australia extend for well over 500 km, the Cape to Cape Track is much more manageable and cuts through the heart of gorgeous Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.

Where to stay: Sienna Lodge Margaret River

Margaret River Wine Region Guide

4. Fraser Island Great Walk (QLD)
Distance: 90 km

Explore the coast, heathlands, subtropical rainforest and mangroves of UNESCO World Heritage Fraser Island.

Where to stay: Kingfisher Bay Resort & Village Fraser Island

Fraser Island Guide

3. Overland Track (TAS)
Distance: 73 km

The most famous track in Australia, let alone Tasmania, can get competitively busy. Best to book a spot on the Overland way in advance with the rangers at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

Where to stay: Cradle Mountain Lodge

Cradle Mountain Guide

2. Larapinta Trail (NT)
Distance: 230 km

Alice Springs and Mount Sonder bookend this gem in West MacDonnell National Park.

Where to stay: Crowne Plaza Hotel Alice Springs

Alice Springs City Guide

1. Bibbulmun Track (WA)
Distance: 961 km

It never hurts to start a monumental bushwalk on the periphery of a big city. The Bibbulmun Track begins in Kalamunda, a suburb of Perth, and ends in Albany.

Where to stay: Pan Pacific Perth

Perth City Guide