Australia’s highest peaks are in the Snowy Mountains, where there’s thrilling downhill skiing and snowboarding during the snow season. Lively towns and resorts in this alpine region in the Southwest NSW are also popular destinations in warmer months for hiking, horse riding, kayaking, mountain biking and fishing. When spring melts the snow into cascading waters and wildflowers bloom, streams shelter trout and attract many fly fishermen. Vineyards in this beautiful region produce excellent cool-climate wines, and fresh produce is on sale at farm gates.

More than 26 miles of lakefront frame Chicago's stunning urban skyline. Here in the heart of the Midwest, the nation’s third-largest city boasts soaring skyscrapers and colorful neighborhoods against a backdrop of sandy beaches and beautiful parks. This cosmopolitan playground bursts with things to do. Sightseeing options range from Chicago icons — such as Millennium Park’s Cloud Gate, Grant Park’s Buckingham Fountain and Navy Pier’s Ferris wheel — to fascinating history and architecture tours.

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.

On the coastline of Peru, fringed by the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, lies one of South America’s best-kept treasures. The vibrant city of Lima reveals itself to the world through the colours of its colonial facades, the flavours of its exquisite gastronomy, and most of all, through the hospitality and warmth of its people.

The city and the countryside, the old and the new, high culture and the downright gritty — whatever you are looking for, Taipei has everything today’s discerning traveller could wish for. Set in a natural basin amongst lush green mountains, the city is just a stone's throw away from unspoiled beaches and wild coastline, and boasts all the distractions a modern metropolis can offer while at the same time providing a glimpse into its ancient past.