Australien

Chances are Sydney will be your introduction to Australia's east coast and there simply isn't a better one. The city’s spectacular harbour setting, sun-kissed beaches and sophisticated sheen make it unique in Australia, and its outdoorsy population endows it with a confident charm that every city yearns for but few achieve.

Like a paste jewel set in a tiara of natural splendours, Broome clings to a narrow strip of pindan (red-soil country) on the Kimberley's far-western edge, at the base of the pristine Dampier Peninsula. Surrounded by the aquamarine waters of the Indian Ocean and the creeks, mangroves and mudflats of Roebuck Bay, this Yawuru Country is a good 2000km from the nearest capital city.

Australia's last frontier is a wild land of remote, spectacular scenery spread over huge distances, with a severe climate, a sparse population and minimal infrastructure. Larger than 75% of the world's countries, the Kimberley is hemmed by impenetrable coastline and unforgiving deserts. In between lie vast boab-studded spinifex plains, palm-fringed gorges, desolate mountains and magnificent waterfalls. Travelling here is an adventure and each dry season a steady flow of explorers search for the real outback along the legendary Gibb River Road.

Snart kan unga backpackers som reser till Australien för att jobba stanna längre i landet. Detta efter nya regler som införs för att möta efterfrågan av arbetare hos landets jordbrukare.

Lantlig och otämjd. Avslappnad och trendig. Vi tar tempen på Perth, en av världens mest isolerade storstäder.

Once a whaling and sealing station, Warrnambool is booming these days as a regional commercial and whale-watching centre. It's an attractive city, with heritage buildings, beaches, gardens and tree-lined streets, but the major housing and commercial development at the city fringes has rendered these areas much like city suburbs anywhere in Australia.

Melbourne is food-obsessed, marvellously multicultural and a showpiece for Australian culture. Beyond the city limits, Victoria offers rich history, stunning wilderness and culinary excellence.

Just an hour from Hobart lie the staggering coastal landscapes, sandy beaches and historic sites of the Tasman Peninsula. Bushwalking, surfing, sea kayaking, diving and rock-climbing opportunities abound – all good reasons to extend your visit beyond a hurried day trip from Hobart.

Welcome to your holiday. Port Douglas (Port or PD) is equal parts flash and fun, from the million-dollar marina to the dreamy Four Mile Beach and the five-star resorts big enough to warrant their own postcode.

Welcome to Rockhampton (‘Rocky’ to its mates), where the hats, boots and utes are big, and the bulls are even bigger. With over 2.5 million cattle within a 250km radius, this riverside city, founded in 1858 on land owned by the Darumbal people, calls itself Australia’s Beef Capital with some justification. Despite rustic touches such as cane trains running down the centre of wide streets, it's the administrative and commercial centre of Central Queensland, with fine Victorian buildings reflecting the region's 19th-century mining and beef-rearing heyday.