DESTINATION

SOUTH AMERICA

OVERLAND AND OVERWHELMED

South America's landscapes overwhelm. I saw them for myself on an overland trip from Colombia to Patagonia, and east through Brazil, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana.

The Atacama Desert's reds, yellows and pinks, home to strangely-shaped rock formations, plains, geysers and salt lakes. Salar de Uyuni's blindingly white salt plains and Perito Moreno glacier's breathtaking blues. Towering Torres del Paine; the power and vastness of Iguazu Falls.

Brazil's Lencois Maranhenses National Park, its white sand dunes dotted with multi-hued lagoons. The river life of the Amazon.

Wild guanaco roam the plains; magellanic, humboldt and king penguins waddle the coasts. But more memorable are native anteater, capybara, toucan, hairless Peruvian dogs, minute, colourful frogs and scarlet ibis.

Cities like Santiago, Lima, Buenos Aires – reminiscent of Paris - and Rio de Janeiro - a must-do during Carnival - entice. Colonial Spanish architecture remains - cathedrals, colonnades, convents, plazas; brightly coloured along Cartagena's cobbles, white sillar stone, back-dropped by the soaring Andes in Arequipa; stone from Inca fortresses in Cusco, whitewashed in Cuenca. Portuguese colonialists left their mark across Brazil; Ouro Preto, Salvador da Bahia, Sao Luis and Olinda; the Dutch in the wooden buildings and canals of Georgetown, Guyana.

Learn of the Nazca Empire flying over the Nazca Lines; pre-Incan at Chan Chan, Huaca de la Luna, and Cahuachi's pyramids; Inca amongst the ruins of Peru's Sacred Valley; indigenous in villages and city streets. Spanish, Dutch, French and Portuguese colonisation intertwine gold, sugar, cacao, silver and slavery to form a continent of unique cultures.

Captivating.
- Eleanor Hughes

OCEANIA

LUXURY AT ITS BEST

Early morning birdsong seeps into the subconscious. A zephyr of sea air, fragrant with frangipani, drifts through louvred timber walls. Diffused pre-dawn light barely illuminates the swimming pool, glimpsed through open bedroom doors, so I savour the morning coolness between crisp cotton sheets and return to slumber.

Life at Havannah Boat House (H.B.H), a private estate on Vanuatu's Efate Island, ebbs and flows with nature's rhythms – and the whim of guests. Sleep, swim, eat, snorkel, paddle, play, read, relax... and repeat. The beachfront location, on peaceful Havannah Harbour, exudes the serenity of a wellness sanctuary, perfect for calming the mind and nourishing the soul.

H.B.H is barefoot luxury at its best. Designed by Australian Troppo Architects, it respects traditional style, treading lightly on the landscape in a celebration of natural materials. Sliding wall panels negate the need for glass and garden bathrooms are bathed in sunshine and stars. Bespoke Ni-Vanuatu homewares come from the onsite studio, where resident artisans offer workshops in pottery, weaving, woodcarving and fabric painting.

Book the Residence for up to eight, the Boat House for two to four, or the entire estate for 12. Nothing is too much trouble for the unobtrusive Ni-Van staff; Pilates on the lawn, massages on the beach or sunset cocktails on the sand. With snorkelling, paddle-boarding and kayaking straight off the beach, there's no need to leave the estate, but for the adventurous, nearby islands offer diving, sport fishing, horse riding, ancient stone fish traps and walks on an extinct volcano.
- Briar Jensen

havannahboathouse.com

CRUISING IN COMFORT

Within hours of MV Reef Endeavour anchoring outside Fulaga, I was already planning my return to the most beautiful place I'd ever been. Deep cobalt blue waters ceded to swaths of bright turquoise in the shallows of Fulaga's lagoon. Limestone islets eroded over thousands of years resembled bouquets of coconut trees. My friend and I paddled our kayak to a stretch of white sand and had it to ourselves.

With more than 300 islands in its territory, the only way to see Fiji's most remote islands, like Fulaga, is by ship. Captain Cook Cruises offers a journey to the Lau archipelago on its 130-passenger ship, MV Reef Endeavour. Over the course of the trip, enjoy beaches barren of footprints, hike along a trail shared with coconut crabs to a saltwater lake, and make memories with the residents of the islands. Mail a postcard home from the island of Kabara, where a cargo ship comes to deliver supplies and retrieve mail up to twice per month.

With so few visitors cruising through the waters of Lau each year, the islands and the coral surrounding them are pristine. Reefs are vibrant, home to thousands of fish, sea turtles, and sharks, darting between coral bommies carpeted with sea anemones.

Life onboard MV Reef Endeavour is centred around spa services, indulgent meals, talks from the resident marine biologist, and nightly entertainment. Though the trip takes guests to islands once reserved solely for the most adventurous of travellers, it's now possible to cruise there in comfort.
- Chantae Reden

captaincookcruisesfiji.com

MANY HAPPY RETURNS

Often referred to as "The Rock", Uluru's cultural and spiritual significance to its traditional owners, the Anangu tribe, is recognised as the oldest in the world.

It only seemed fitting that I made the pilgrimage to the 550 million-year-old landmark for my milestone birthday. It's believed to be the largest monolith in the world and about 350 metres in height, but nothing could prepare me for its sheer size and aura up close. Meandering the many trails, rock art and watering holes along the 10.6km base, I marvelled at the range of hues morphing between burnt orange, gold, red, and even blue and purple.

You can't help but feel Uluru's spiritual essence, especially when entering the soaring gorge known as The Cathedral. It's as though a higher spirit commands silence as anyone within its vicinity automatically lowers their voice to a whisper.

In addition to walking the 10.6km perimeter, there are many other ways to experience this ancient landscape including camel, Segway, motorbike or helicopter. On the night of my birthday, the Tali Wiru gastronomic dinner at sunset was the ultimate gift made all the more special knowing that Uluru watched over us.

As Uluru faded into darkness, the Field of Light was a magical experience. Pathways emerged among thousands of glittering lights adorning 49,000sqm of the desert floor beneath a star-studded night.

Even if it's not your birthday, Uluru's magnetic presence looms large on the horizon as one of the most iconic destinations on Earth.
- Carmen Jenner

northernterritory.com

SO FAR, SO GOOD

The capital of the furthest Australian state from NZ — and the last to reopen — Perth has preserved its precious coastal lifestyle possibly more than any other city in the past two years. It must be why I visited for a week and ended up staying nine months.

After bouncing around every five-star hotel in town, I can reveal my favourites: COMO The Treasury for its restaurants, huge rooms and jazz club; and Crown Perth for a mini-Vegas indulgence. An affordable alternative is the Alex Hotel, in the heart of Northbridge's nightlife, where you can crawl between small bars in hidden laneways.

Ease into the day with breakfast at Cooee on the serene Swan River, then cross the street to Kings Park for a nature walk overlooking the water. Foodies flock to Wildflower, where the menu revolves around the indigenous six seasons, or the alfresco La Cabana, in South Fremantle, serving seaside vibes with your ceviche and mezcal. Next door is Madalena's, awarded for its wine list, where a jazz band follows happy hour on weekdays.

To watch the sun sizzle into the Indian Ocean, head to Scarborough's Sunset Hill or Cottesloe Beach. Rottnest Island is also worth the ferry ride to swim or dive in its dazzling bays, before snapping a selfie with a quokka or spotting a rare blue whale.

Other new things to see and do in 2022: Climbing the Matagarup Bridge and zip-lining back down, and the Art Gallery of WA's rooftop open-air sculpture park, with sweeping views of the CBD skyline.
- Louise Goldsbury

westernaustralia.com

SOUNDS BEAUTIFUL

I drift up close to Mitch, an experienced kayaker travelling with his dad. "Where would you find a place to paddle as wild and remote as this?" Mitch ponders. "Southern Chile, Alaska, the fiords in Norway. But this is about as untouched as any place on Earth."

Real NZ's Preservation Inlet cruise has you visit five of New Zealand's southernmost fiords (Doubtful, Breaksea, Dusky, Chalky, Preservation), and follows the route taken by that estimable navigator James Cook – his ship Resolution pulled into Dusky Sound in 1773, where a plaque points us up to Astronomer's Point. Cook's men spent five weeks here, brewing terrible beer and trying out a new chronometer that made New Zealand the most accurately pinpointed place on the globe.

During our seven days at sea, we spy fur seals, little blue penguins, albatross, rare Fiordland penguins and pods of Southern Ocean dolphins, and hear tall tales of (since disappeared) moose, gifted by then US President Teddy Roosevelt in 1901 and released into Fiordland as game for hunters. We take short hikes on Resolution Island and Anchor Island, and discover that islands such as these are being cleared of predators so endangered flightless birds can go about unmolested. And we visit beaches too remote and beautiful for words.

On our last day we clamber aboard a decrepit barge to await an exhilarating 20-minute helicopter ride over Fiordland's majestic mountain peaks back to Lake Manapouri.
- Cameron Wilson

realnz.com

ENCHANTING ENCOUNTERS

Lord Howe Island is famed for its idyllic beauty and exclusivity (only 400 tourists may visit at a time). Trust me when I say that the moment you step off the plane is precisely like walking into a real-life nature documentary. The subtropical climate combined with limited human interference has created a marvellous marine ecosystem here. Think; crystal clear lagoons filled with a phenomenal array of sea life, colourful coral formations and swathes of verdant seagrass. The mountainous backdrop adds a Jurassic feel to this Unesco World Heritage-listed island and it's well worth taking a guided hike to explore the region from an elevated vantage point.

When I first arrived, I easily imagined Sir David Attenborough's voice narrating my visual experience. Watching the variety of birdlife at Ned's Beach was mesmerising to say the least. Many bird species migrate here plus there's a few endemic ones too. Who knew a flightless woodhen would prove to be my new best friend?

I had a preconceived notion that Lord Howe was the domain of wealthy city folk only but I was wrong. Sure, there are a few luxurious resort enclaves but by and large it's a relaxed nature haven, perfect for those who are keen to turn up, tune in and drop out of society. Which is exactly what I did at the aptly named Ebbtide Apartments. So, if seaside seafood barbecues, an unhurried local atmosphere, marine adventures and restful island afternoons appeal to you, Lord Howe Island will make those holiday dreams a reality.
- Roxanne Williams

lordhoweisland.info

GRAPE ESCAPE

Gewurztraminer, Symphony Hill Winery's signature white, may not be an easy name to wrap your mouth around, but it is certainly effortless to drink. Chief winemaker Abraham de Klerk is tasting with me at the cellar door and insists that he "guides" rather than "makes" his boutique wines.

Whatever he's doing, it's working, with the 2019 gewurztraminer vintage being awarded gold at the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards, and the 2018 vintage selected by Qantas for its Business Class passengers.

Symphony Hill Winery is just one stop on my personalised Wine Discovery Tour, showcasing the best of Queensland's Granite Belt wine region. The 50 or so local wineries have become renowned for their rare varieties, locally referred to as "strange birds", because they represent less than 1 per cent of the wine produced in Australia.

Next up on my bespoke tour, I opt for an antipasto picnic lunch and a bottle of award-winning Saperavi, surrounded by grapevines heavy with fruit in the Ballandean Estate vineyard, the region's very first winery.

It's tempting to take a post-lunch nap on the rug, but there is another delicacy I want to unearth: black French Perigord truffles at The Folly Truffles farm. In winter, you can join the hunt for these rich truffles that are sought after by restaurants around southeast Queensland.

Dinner in the Granite Belt can be a simple affair, cobbled together from an esky of fresh local produce you've purchased throughout the day, or it can be dinner-jacket-attire formal.

At Heritage Estate Wines, their seven-course degustation dinners engage all five senses by using a Nez du Vin smelling experience for the wine tasting, musicians playing strings, silent film projections, and a touch of class as you dine around antique tables lit by ornate candelabras.

You'll need somewhere luxurious to sleep off the day's indulgences. We suggest Azjure's cabins with vineyard views or the historic Braeside Homestead for country comfort.
- Cath Johnsen

granitebeltwinecountry.com.au

RIGHT ON TRACK

There's a reason so many songs wax lyrical about the rattle and hum of train travel. The "clickety-clack" is mesmerising; the motion soothing.

I'm on The Ghan, crossing the length of Australia from Darwin in Northern Territory to Adelaide in South Australia. This iconic rail journey follows in the footsteps of intrepid Afghan pioneers who explored the 2979km on camels. But we get to do it in style.

Sipping bubbly, I watch the Outback glide by in all its burnt-ochre glory in my little timber-lined oasis of design ingenuity.

My cabin is "intimate" but full of smart ideas using limited space … a long lounge, a tiny ensuite and perfectly placed cubby holes to store things. When I feel that irresistible urge to mingle, I'm off to the Lounge carriage … because we can.

Brace yourself for a busy four-day itinerary – a mix of watching the world go by, then getting out to explore it. Who'd have thought you could fit in cruising through ancient gorges, hiking to landmarks like Simpson's Gap or exploring Alice Springs, dinner in the Outback and going underground at Australia's opal mining capital of Coober Pedy?

A warning though, the Ghan is a mobile feast and you won't want to pass on any of the gourmet delights.

At the end of each day, while we have another nightcap, the cabin is transformed into a cosy bedroom. Then the "clickety clack" soothing mantra and the rocking motion has me sleeping like a baby.

This is slow travel at its luxurious best.

- Carolyne Jasinski

journeybeyondrail.com.au