Australia

This great southern land is bonza mate, and just across the ditch too. Australia is a melting pot of vibrant immigrant and Aboriginal cultures, set on a stage of breathtaking natural beauty. From the ever-changing hues of Uluru to the technicoloured Great Barrier Reef, from whale parades off Hervey Bay to verdant rainforests, there’s a reason Aussies sing that their land abounds in nature’s gifts. The tables have turned on cultural cringe and this country-proud people have put their own antipodean twist on buzzy art, food and music scenes. Whether you’re stargazing from a swag in the remote ‘outback’, knocking back a flat white in one of Melbourne’s hidden laneways, riding the legendary Ghan railway deep into the country’s red heart, or watching the Wallabies try to nab the Bledisloe Cup at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium, Australia is that cool neighbour you really should make an effort to visit.