Just 60 miles south of Sydney, the Southern Highlands of New South Wales seem much farther from the city and resemble the English countryside in many ways. At an elevation of more than 2,000 feet above sea level, the Highlands also resemble the English climate when it's winter here and the classic Australian heat vanishes. The Southern Highlands ha...

Sydney – Australia's largest city – is made up of hundreds of suburbs, many of which are contained in three metropolitan areas that abut the central business district – the north shore, the inner west and the eastern suburbs. ​Although I used to live on the north shore, I was often drawn to the attractions of the eastern suburbs, given their g...

​New South Wales offers wildly diverse landscapes, dramatic scenery and a long stretch of coastline that all suit outdoor activities. The Blue Mountains Scenic World's 270-metre-high cable way goes across the Jamison Valley in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park. Beyond Skyway is the world's first rooftop cable car with guests ab...

Papua New Guinea, in the southwestern Pacific, takes in half of New Guinea and its offshore islands. It is a country of great cultural and biological diversity, known for its beaches and coral reefs. Inland there are active volcanoes, granite Mt. Wilhelm, dense rainforest and hiking routes like the Kokoda Trail. Papua New Guinea has a number of tra...

Less than three hours by air from Australia's east coast is the French overseas territory of New Caledonia comprising the main island of Grande Terre, where the capital, Nouméa, is situated; the Isle of Pines, Loyalty Islands and a number of smaller outlying islands. The Isle of Pines and the Loyalty Islands in particular are especially popular wit...

Jenolan Caves is one of the great natural spectacles in Australia, claimed to be the most ancient open caves in the world with arguably the most beautiful limestone formations. Scientists have dated the clay in the caves at 340 million years old. Tucked into a remote valley in the southern Blue Mountains National Park, this labyrinth of stalactite-...