Australia

What looks like a white roof is more than a million tiles, and the pattern shows up close. There are building tours even without a performance, and Mrs Macquarie’s Point gets both it and the Harbour Bridge in one frame. It reads completely differently when lit at night.

A single enormous rock, famous for turning red at sunrise and sunset. It is sacred to its traditional owners and climbing is prohibited; walking the base is the proper way to visit. Even the nearest airport leaves a drive, and summer daytime heat is dangerous.

More than two thousand kilometres of coral, entered by boat from Cairns or Airlie Beach. Bleaching has made condition vary a lot between sections, so it is worth asking which part a trip visits. You can see it without swimming, via glass-bottom boats or a snorkelling lesson.

A coastal route of cliffs and beaches running out of Melbourne. There are fewer than twelve Apostles now and the sea keeps taking them. It can be done in a day, but staying a night buys you the evening light.

Kangaroos turn up in parks on the edge of cities, and places like Kangaroo Island or the Grampians show them properly wild. They move at dawn and dusk, which is when collisions happen, so avoid driving at night. Feeding wildlife is generally prohibited.

A bus ride from the centre, with a clifftop path from Bondi to Coogee that takes a comfortable couple of hours. The surf is strong, so swim between the flags. Plenty of people walk it in winter too.

Aboriginal rock art tens of thousands of years old, and crocodile wetlands, inside one park. Which areas are reachable changes sharply between the wet and dry seasons, so check before choosing dates. About three hours by road from Darwin.

A large share of the island is protected, with long-distance walks such as Cradle Mountain. It is far cooler than the mainland and the weather turns quickly. Access is by road from Hobart.

Oil from the eucalyptus gives the valleys their blue cast from a distance. Two hours from Sydney by train makes it a day trip, built around the Three Sisters lookout and the valley walks. Sections close during bushfire season.

The largest sand island in the world, carrying forest and clear freshwater lakes on top of it. There are no sealed roads, so you need a four-wheel drive and most people go on a tour. Wild dingoes live here — manage food and keep your distance.

Listed partly because it realised a form widely considered structurally impossible when it was designed. The architect left mid-construction and never saw it finished. The building tour tells that story alongside the rest.

One of the rare places where the coral is close enough to reach from shore without a boat. Seasonal programmes run for swimming alongside whale sharks. It is a long way from Perth, so a domestic flight is needed.

The Opera House, the bridge and the beaches are all here, which makes it the straightforward first stop. Ferries are public transport, so crossing the harbour on a transit card is sightseeing in itself. The Blue Mountains are a day trip.

Narrow lanes full of cafes and street art, with a serious coffee culture. Trams run free within a central zone. The weather changes often enough that people joke about four seasons in a day.

Boats to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest both start here. It is tropical, so it stays warm in winter and rains heavily in the wet season. Stinging jellyfish appear in certain months — follow the local advice.

In a different time zone from the east and four or five hours away by air. Beaches, the river and nearby wine country are the draw, and the spring wildflowers are famous. It is a destination for when you have the time to spare.

Mild all year, so life happens outdoors, with surf beaches running south. The theme parks cluster here, which makes it a family option. Just over an hour from Sydney by air.

Deep in the desert, so you fly in from a city and give it its own leg of the trip. The night sky here is an attraction in its own right. Winter, June to August, is comfortable by day and below freezing at night.

Peak season falls over the new year, when the northern hemisphere is in winter. The southern cities are hot then, but the beaches and outdoor events are at their best. School holidays push accommodation prices up.

Mild temperatures and fewer people make these the best months for the cities. They also suit driving trips like the Great Ocean Road. Perth gets its wildflowers in spring.

The north runs on wet and dry rather than four seasons. The wet brings rain, humidity, flooded roads and stinging jellyfish in the water. The dry is the season to travel.

Around Uluru midsummer days exceed forty degrees and outdoor activity is restricted. Go in winter and the days are good for walking while the nights drop below freezing. Carry more water than you think you need, in any season.

Even a short tourist visit requires an electronic authority or visa arranged beforehand — you cannot simply arrive. Apply online and allow time for approval. The details must match your passport exactly.

Among the strictest biosecurity regimes anywhere: food, seeds and wooden items must be declared, and not declaring them carries a heavy fine. Declaring is rarely a problem, so declare anything you are unsure about. Some state borders also stop fruit.

A thinner ozone layer means the same time outdoors burns far faster than you are used to. Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are treated as basic equipment rather than advice. The index stays high on cloudy days.

Outside the cities there are stretches with hundreds of kilometres between fuel stops. Animals come onto the road at dawn and dusk and collisions are common. An international driving permit is required.

Police, fire and ambulance answer on 000. At the beach, swim only between the red and yellow flags set by the lifesavers — this rule saves lives. Rip currents do not care how well you swim.

Sydney to Cairns or Perth is three or more hours by air. Crossing the continent by road takes days, so plan around domestic flights. An over-ambitious itinerary turns into a trip spent travelling.