Destination: Australia

Itinerary: Giant Loop

SIX MONTHS/SYDNEY TO SYDNEY

After bidding au revoir to Sydney and following your suntanned nose up the east coast into Queensland, veer west from Townsville towards the tunnel-threaded Queensland mining town of Mt Isa. Leave a vigorous trail of footprints (via Tennant Creek in the red centre, where you can inspect Alice Springs and the awesome splendour of Uluru (Ayers Rock) before doglegging it up to Darwin. Cross into Western Australia (WA) for a pit stop at pretty Kununurra, then negotiate the Great Northern Hwy to the cosmopolitan beachside getaway of Broome.

Take a peninsular sidetrack to the marine brilliance of Ningaloo Reef and snorkel-friendly Cape Range National Park, followed by a date with a bottlenose dolphin at Monkey Mia. Continue south to the 'life is a beach' city of Perth and the latte-flavoured enclave of Fremantle, then wine away the hours at Margaret River until you're ready to tackle the flat immensity of the Nullarbor Plain.

In SA bushwalkers can trudge towards the challenging Flinders Ranges, while tipplers can refuel their palates in the Barossa Valley. Beyond Adelaide it's a shortish trek into Victoria to check out surfboard-strewn Torquay and cultured Melbourne, from where there's a ferry to the stunning island highlights of Tasmania.

Further along the Victorian coast, enjoy the secluded wilderness of Wilsons Promontory National Park and spend a couple of days at Ninety Mile Beach, then cruise around Narooma on the southern NSW coast, and bask in idyllic Jervis Bay. After you've detoured to the national capital, Canberra, return to the bright lights of Sydney.