Australia

What the rest of the world calls hiking or trekking, Australians call bushwalking. The term is used to describe both multi-day trails through national parks and wilderness areas, and leisurely walks through urban parks. Australia invites travellers to explore extremely diverse and impressive landscapes, including desert, rainforest, mountains and beautiful coastlines, and it is undoubtedly one of the best hiking destinations in the world.The most popular multi-day hikes in Australia include the Thorsborne Trail of Queensland, looping the beautiful Hinchinbrook Island; the Fraser Island Great Walk, exploring the UNESCO-listed sand island; the Wilderness Coast Walk along the coastlines of Victoria and New South Wales; the glorious Overland Track of Tasmania; and the Cape to Cape Track of Western Australia.Serious hiking enthusiasts keen on a real adventure should tackle the longer Australian treks, like the Larapinta Trail of the Northern Territory, a 16 to 20-day trail through the spectacular West MacDonnell Mountain Range, or the Australian Alps Walking Track, a 45 to 60-day trek through the mountains of New South Wales and Victoria.Those wanting something more leisurely will find that every state and territory of Australia offers pleasant, well-kept bushwalking trails.

The Great Barrier Reef off the Queensland coast is the most magnificent marine wilderness and natural reserve in the world, and as such draws divers and snorkellers by the multitude. Jumping off point for those coming to explore the Reef is the city of Cairns. As it is a vast area (the reef is approximately 1.2 miles/2,000km long) visitors need to choose their destination carefully and plan well. The northern reef section runs from Papua New Guinea to Townsville and is not so frequented by tourists. There are some resort islands, but only a few charter boats cover the area and these usually only on multi-day excursions. Most visitors find the most charter and tour options operate between Port Douglas and Townsville, where a multitude of operators offer day trips. All operators are strictly monitored and have to abide by rules and regulations to ensure diving in this region is safe.Although Queensland boasts many of the best diving sites, New South Wales also promises travellers several good dive destinations, most notably Byron Bay and Jervis Bay. Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory also have a lot to offer scuba divers and snorkellers.Australia is a year-round diving destination, but the water is warmer between September and April, making this the most popular time to explore underwater.

With no shortage of waves, warm waters, consistent breaks and a glowing reputation, the east coast region is the hub of Australia's surfing scene and the best place to hunt for waves. The only downside is that these waters tend to be overcrowded, but that is the price for popularity.Victoria is a surfer's dream paradise with world-renowned Bell's Beach, the point break of which, called the Bowl, is a must. Other popular breaks include Southside, Centreside, Rincon, Boobs and the popular location of Winki Pop, known to work better under more diverse conditions than other nearby waves.Superbank stretches from Snapper Rocks Point on the border of Queensland and New South Wales, through Rainbow Beach, the old Greenmount Headland, Coolangatta Beach, and Kirra, for around three miles (5km) and is a recognised and well-frequented break. Curl Curl, colloquially known as Curly, is renowned for some of the best surfing in New South Wales, together with the popular and overcrowded Bondi Beach and Avalon Beach.Western Australia offers Margaret River, the place where four times world champion Mark Richards experienced his first junior win in 1973, and close by is the notorious exposed right-hand reef break, The Box. Heavy, but amazing, this is the most consistent break on the west coast and works best with easterly offshore winds with southwest swell. At Gnaraloo, Tombstones is a heavy barrelling left-hander that is best surfed from August through February and definitely not for the faint-hearted.The southwest coast has some excellent offerings with fewer surfers to contend with, although the waves are heavy and the water cold and sharky, while Shipsterns and Clifton Beach just off the coast of Tasmania also boast some fun but gnarly waves.Dedicated surfers should take a road trip to discover the many secret spots found along this vast stretch of coastline while beginners can enjoy an unforgettable surf experience at one of the many highly-rated surf schools.