Go to: Victoria's High Country The US and Canada are world famous fortheir autumn colours but, inconveniently, the Northern Hemisphere "fall" season is still six months away. To see a spectacularfoliage display a lot sooner, head across the Tasman to northern Victoria and former gold rush towns likeBright and Beechworth. European settlers planted their streets with exotic trees that blaze with colourin autumn, making the historical buildings even more photogenic. Bright's annual Autumn Festival takes place this year from April 27 to May 6, and is a 10-day celebration of the colours and produce of this alpine region. The highlight is the May 4-6 Gala Weekend, including a grand parade on Saturday, May 5, with markets, live music, open gardens and art exhibitions.
For good food...
Go to: Adelaide
With average highs of 16-22C and lows of 9-14C, autumn is a great time to visit Adelaide — a city that can be stifling in the heights of summer. It'saplace where good food is around every corner and the relatively small city centre, laid out on a grid system, is effortlessly walkable. To find the best local produce all under one roof, head straight to Adelaide Central Market, a wonderland of gourmet delights from market stalls to cafes and wine bars. Adelaide is also smack-bang in the middle of some of Australia's best wine regions — the Barossa, Coonawarra, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and more. southaustralia.com
If autumn leaves signify doom and gloom for you (next stop, winter), take a quick flight to somewhere that sunshine is pretty much guaranteed. April is the end of Fiji's wet season and the chance of cyclones is greatly reduced until November. It's also completely possible to spend a long weekend in Fiji without eating into much of your annual leave allowances. Hop on a Friday morning flight and in less than three hours your plane will be touching down on Nadi's tarmac. If you choose one of the excellentresorts in Denarau, you'll be sipping on a cocktail by the pool less than an hourlater. Then get a late afternoon return flight on Monday and you'll be back at your desk — glowing and boastful — bright and early on Tuesday morning. Two days leave equals a four-day mini-break you'll be thankful for when winterrolls around. fiji.travel
