With over 300 days of sunshine a year, Townsville is a popular destination for sun seekers and provides easy access to the Great Barrier Reef. Situated in the dry tropical region, Townsville serves as a gateway to the Outback, wet tropical rainforests, and wetlands teeming with birdlife. A number of tropical islands can be easily reached from Townsville. Boasting a 2.2-kilometre beachfront area known as The Strand, it is an exciting and vibrant city to visit.

Rising majestically from the tropical depths of the vast Indian Ocean, and surrounded by the azure waters of Asia's southern fringe lies a stunning natural wonder — Christmas Island! Its name alone is intriguing and stirs interest. This tiny island in the Indian Ocean is a truly fascinating paradise, inviting you to uncover its remarkable surprises of nature in a one-of-a-kind environment. Venture to this awe-inspiring island for an unforgettable getaway.

Charismatic seaside Catania is a young, dynamic soul, inhabiting a body of narrow alleys and ornate Baroque buildings set atop well-preserved remains of ancient Greek and Roman settlements. Mount Etna defines the cityscape both in terms of the striking panorama and the building material — Catania is even referred to as the "grey city" for the colour of lava rocks used to construct many of its buildings.

Like so many of the towns and cities of Egypt, Hurghada, Luxor and Marsa Alam are living history museums. The three cities are positioned as corners of a triangle in the Eastern Desert. Hurghada, a former fishing harbour, stretches 24 kilometres along the waterfront and is the perfect area for water sports. Marsa Alam is found by the Red Sea coast and tourism is just starting to make an impact. The city of Luxor, with its jaw-droppingly beautiful monuments built by the hands of ancient craftsmen, lies 240 kilometres inland on the banks of the River Nile.