Australasia
Australasia consists of Australia, New Zealand and the huge variety of islands that make up the Pacific Islands. Australasia is is an incredibly diverse region, both scenically and culturally, and features the contrasts of vibrant cities like Sydney and Melbourne, pristine beaches on islands such as Fiji, Tahiti and the Whitsundays, and breathtaking scenery, visible in the snowy peaks of Queenstown and the green rainforests of Cape Tribulation. Australasia is truly a destination to suit all types of travellers and holidaymakers, as well as all tastes and budgets.
Given its vast size, Australia has a huge variety of options for travellers. City lovers tend to gravitate towards stylish Sydney or the more cosmopolitan Melbourne, while laid-back Cairns, in the Tropical North, is gateway to the underwater jewels of the Great Barrier Reef and the superb driving opportunities along the East Coast. Blissful beaches characterise many of the country's coastal regions, with Western Australia boasting a whopping 2,500 miles of immaculate coastline, with the attractive, cosmopolitan, city of Perth nestling in its southern corner. The inland of Australia often called the Outback or Red Centre is the all-dominating feature of The Australian Northern Territory, home to Uluru, the massive granite monolith famous for its changing colours and more commonly known as Ayers Rock. the island ofTasmania, located 240 km south of the Australian state of Victoria, is all about beautiful landscapes, deserted beaches and friendly people. It's also famous for the Tazmanian Devil, made popular by the Warner Brothers cartoon.
The great outdoors dominates pretty much all proceedings in New Zealand. it is a country overflowing with craggy coastlines, incredible expanses of forest, snow-capped mountains, pristine beaches and glittering lakes, New Zealand truly is the natural world at its most unblemished, spread over both the North and South Islands. New Zealand has recently found fame as a centre for adventure sports, from white-water rafting to Bungee jumping. Indeed Queenstown is often referred to as the home of Bungee jumping across the globe. And of course it provided the backdrop for the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
If postcard-perfect, palm-fringed beaches are your idea of paradise, the island chains scattered across the South Pacific - including Fiji, the Cook Islands and Tahiti are arguably the closest thing to heaven on earth. Unspoilt retreats suspended in clear, warm azure waters, these islands offer excellent scuba diving, great relaxation and the chance to escape from all of your day to day stresses. They also posess some of the friendliest populations on the planet.
