AUSTRALIA & NZ

From urban verve to outback wilderness, Australia is a year-round sunny paradise.

A large island nation, Australia delivers the best of both the city and the country, the beach and the bush. The locals here are a laidback and friendly bunch, with a dry sense of humor and their own slang language. Explore cosmopolitan Sydney, home to Bondi Beach's turquoise waters and the architecturally unique Sydney Opera House. Cruise to Australia and visit Queensland to experience the Whitsunday Islands, where you can snorkel to see the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest living organism. For an authentic Australian adventure, head to the outback: Check out Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, with its red dome known as Ayers Rock.

Visit Australia and tour Sydney's urban attractions like the Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and Taronga Zoo. For outdoor fun, nap on the white sands of Bondi Beach or scale the magnificent rock formations of the Blue Mountains. Melbourne is a hipster haven and Australia's culture, coffee and sports capital. Grab a flat black (the Australian version of an Americano, with espresso and hot water) at Patricia on Little Bourke Street, then rent a car and start off on the Great Ocean Road, which will take you along sweeping views of Australia's southern coast. Snorkel, dive and swim along the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef — you can even charter a glass-bottomed boat to stay dry while seeing the only living organism visible from outer space. The reef is accessible from places like Cairns, Airlie Beach, Townsville and Port Douglas in Queensland.