It might take a whole day and a night to jet there, but sheer luxury is guaranteed once you arrive Down Under – and not a barbie in sight!

AUSTRALIA
Make the 10,000 mile journey to Australia, and it’s bound to be worth your while at the other end. A poll run in 2006 by Lonely Planet billed it as the country most Brits would like to visit on their next holiday, and it’s no surprise. Australia’s biggest attraction is its natural beauty: think endless horizons, tropical rainforest and thousands of kms of sandy beaches…

De-luxe location 1

Melbourne, Victoria
Dubbed ‘Marvellous Melbourne’, this city might often play second fiddle to Sydney, but it has a huge amount to offer. Its shopping, theatres, restaurants, nightlife and sporting events tick all the boxes, and it’s said to be one of the most liveable cities in the world. Visit during autumn, from March to May, when days are clearer and you’re treated to a spectacular display of amber and gold leaves falling from the trees. First, take a seat on a City Circle Tram and admire the architecture. The route whisks you past the Old Treasury Building, Parliament House and the Princess Theatre among other sights – www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au

Traditionally, St Kilda was where the fashionable people used to come to be seen, but in the 1960s and 1970s its reputation was tarnished and a seedier crowd moved in. Now though, it’s enjoying a revival. Take a stroll or hire a bike along the strip, or just down an espresso in one of the many alfresco cafés and enjoy the views of Port Phillip Bay.

You won’t be disappointed by Melbourne’s restaurants either – and now even Jamie Oliver has moved in. In October 2006, he launched a Melbourne branch of Fifteen, his charity restaurant project which takes disadvantaged youngsters off the streets to teach them to cook – www.fifteenmelbourne.com.au

If it’s culture you’re after, check out the impressive Melbourne Museum in Carlton Gardens, open since 2000. It boasts an Aboriginal Centre and a Children’s Museum. Top marks are reserved for its amazing Forest Gallery, which displays 8,000 plants and 120 species of creatures including frogs, fish and birds – www.melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au

De-luxe location 2

Whitsunday Islands, Queensland
For a taste of paradise, check out the Whitsunday Islands. Find them just off the coast of Queensland, close to The Great Barrier Reef. There are 74 of them, and each is as breathtaking as the last. Use them as your base to charter a yacht, do a dive or five, book a helicopter ride over the reef or just lounge on the white sand with a good book.

On Whitsunday Island itself, Hill Inlet on Whitehaven Beach holds a magical secret. When the tide shifts, the golden sand slowly mixes with the jewel-blue water to create a jaw-dropping mosaic effect. Soak up the view from the lookout point high above the beach, or even from the sky in a helicopter tour.

De-luxe location 3

Sydney, New South Wales
Australia’s oldest and most famous city, Sydney, has it all – vast beaches, cutting-edge restaurants, hip hotels and bustling designer shops, not to mention jaw-dropping world-famous architecture.

Take the Sydney Opera House, for starters. One of the most famed buildings in the world, it’s home to Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Spend a morning cruising round Sydney Harbour, or for one of the best views of Sydney, climb Sydney Harbour Bridge on a clear day. To reach the summit by secure walkway takes three and a half hours. Up there, you’re 134m above the harbour but you’re attached to a safety cable, at least – www.bridgeclimb.com

Sydney’s beaches are legendary. You can swim, sunbathe or just do some good old people-watching at Bondi Beach, just south of Sydney. Or practice surfing at the spectacular Bronte Beach. Palm Beach, to the north of Sydney, has been called the most expensive stretch of sand in Australia. You might recognize it from TV as the soap opera, Home And Away, is filmed there.

On Castlereagh Street, you’ll find designer shops a-plenty. Afterwards, if all that retail therapy has worked up an appetite, you can choose from luxury beachside restaurants in Balmoral or Bondi, or hip eating spots in Darlinghurst or Kings Cross.

Auckland, North Island
About a third of New Zealand’s population lives in the greater Auckland area. Its harbours are full of yachts, and the Hauraki Gulf, the marine gateway to Auckland, plays host to mariners a-plenty – fishermen, sailors, jet-skiers and even kite surfers.

The harbour front used to host fish-gutting warehouses but has recently been modernized and it’s where the best restaurants are now. For something lighter, take a 10-minute ferry trip across the harbour to Devenport and stroll down the Victoria Road cafés.

Wellington, North Island
Long used to being in the shadow of its neighbour Auckland, Wellington is now enjoying a second wind – it helps somewhat that the city was the nerve centre for the making of the Lord Of The Rings films. Check out its quirky cafes, sophisticated restaurants and hip bars. For a culture fix, the national museum, Te Papa, is said to be outstanding (www.tepapa.govt.nz), and there are also world-class theatres and galleries.

The city centre is compact and easily walkable. A stroll over the City-to-Sea bridge along the waterfront is bound to blow away any cobwebs, then brave Mount Victoria, a prominent hill in the centre of town, for the best view of all.

Rotorua, North Island
Rotorua boasts the spectacular landscapes you’d expect from a New Zealand town, but something else besides – it’s also one of the most active geothermal sites in the world and there are over 100 tiny earthquakes a day. The easily startled might find the jets of steam that whoosh from pavement drains a little off-putting, and there’s a definite smell of sulphur in the air, but there are plus points – hot mineral natural rock pools around the city mean you can pamper yourself silly.

Around Rotorua is also a good place to visit a Maori village and sample ‘hangi’ food – the method of cooking in the ground with hot stones.

Queenstown, South Island
If you’re up for an adventure holiday, head for Queenstown. The very first bungee-jumper threw himself 43m off the Kawarau Bridge in 1988 – and it’s still going strong with many more doing the same!

These days, the steelier-nerved traveller can also try a canyon swing, which involves being catapulted 60m above the Kawarau River. Nerves got the better of you? Then just take in the scenery. Queenstown overlooks Lake Wakatipu, and is spectacularly back-dropped by The Remarkables, the mountain setting for the Lord Of The Rings films.

Bridge & Wickers offers experience-led tailor-made luxury holidays to Australia and New Zealand, with unique lifestyle choice themes, from scenery and wildlife, family travel, rail and self-drive to weddings and honeymoons. Call 020 7483 6555 or see www.bridgeandwickers.co.uk

Kirra Tours is a New Zealand holiday specialist offering unforgettable vacations. Choose from coach touring, independent self drives, guided walks and city tours including the zest walking gourmet tour, exploring Wellington’s favourite eateries. Call 0800 856 5494 or visit www.kirratours.co.nz

De-luxe location 4

Daintree National Park, North Queensland
If you’ve ever watched TV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!, you’ll know what all the fuss is about – this is where the reality programme is filmed. Nominated for the World Heritage List in 1988, Daintree National Park (www.daintreecoast.com) takes the form of a vast coastline of lush rainforest, reaching from the Coral Sea into Queensland.

A must for nature lovers, it’s home to amazing animal and plant species including pandemelons (small wallabies) possums and countless varieties of birds. It’s also said to have more primitive flowering plants than the Amazonian basin. Take a guided forest walk, swim in its clear freshwater lakes or brave a night trek to look for glow worms.

NEW ZEALAND

Otherworldly New Zealand is a country of staggering natural beauty. Gaze at the rugged mountains, breath-taking glaciers and pure white beaches or become a thrill-seeker with daredevil bungee jumping, mountain climbing or even heli-skiing. Situated 1,000 miles from Australia, New Zealand consists of two main islands (North and South) and numerous smaller ones. Top choices for a luxury holiday include the following…

Sydney, New South Wales
Australia’s oldest and most famous city, Sydney, has it all – vast beaches, cutting-edge restaurants, hip hotels and bustling designer shops, not to mention jaw-dropping world-famous architecture.

Take the Sydney Opera House, for starters. One of the most famed buildings in the world, it’s home to Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Spend a morning cruising round Sydney Harbour, or for one of the best views of Sydney, climb Sydney Harbour Bridge on a clear day. To reach the summit by secure walkway takes three and a half hours. Up there, you’re 134m above the harbour but you’re attached to a safety cable, at least – www.bridgeclimb.com

Sydney’s beaches are legendary. You can swim, sunbathe or just do some good old people-watching at Bondi Beach, just south of Sydney. Or practice surfing at the spectacular Bronte Beach. Palm Beach, to the north of Sydney, has been called the most expensive stretch of sand in Australia. You might recognize it from TV as the soap opera, Home And Away, is filmed there.

On Castlereagh Street, you’ll find designer shops a-plenty. Afterwards, if all that retail therapy has worked up an appetite, you can choose from luxury beachside restaurants in Balmoral or Bondi, or hip eating spots in Darlinghurst or Kings Cross.

De-luxe location 1

Auckland, North Island
About a third of New Zealand’s population lives in the greater Auckland area. Its harbours are full of yachts, and the Hauraki Gulf, the marine gateway to Auckland, plays host to mariners a-plenty – fishermen, sailors, jet-skiers and even kite surfers.

The harbour front used to host fish-gutting warehouses but has recently been modernized and it’s where the best restaurants are now. For something lighter, take a 10-minute ferry trip across the harbour to Devenport and stroll down the Victoria Road cafés.

De-luxe location 2

Wellington, North Island
Long used to being in the shadow of its neighbour Auckland, Wellington is now enjoying a second wind – it helps somewhat that the city was the nerve centre for the making of the Lord Of The Rings films. Check out its quirky cafes, sophisticated restaurants and hip bars. For a culture fix, the national museum, Te Papa, is said to be outstanding (www.tepapa.govt.nz), and there are also world-class theatres and galleries.

The city centre is compact and easily walkable. A stroll over the City-to-Sea bridge along the waterfront is bound to blow away any cobwebs, then brave Mount Victoria, a prominent hill in the centre of town, for the best view of all.

De-luxe location 3

Rotorua, North Island
Rotorua boasts the spectacular landscapes you’d expect from a New Zealand town, but something else besides – it’s also one of the most active geothermal sites in the world and there are over 100 tiny earthquakes a day. The easily startled might find the jets of steam that whoosh from pavement drains a little off-putting, and there’s a definite smell of sulphur in the air, but there are plus points – hot mineral natural rock pools around the city mean you can pamper yourself silly.

Around Rotorua is also a good place to visit a Maori village and sample ‘hangi’ food – the method of cooking in the ground with hot stones.

De-luxe location 4

Queenstown, South Island
If you’re up for an adventure holiday, head for Queenstown. The very first bungee-jumper threw himself 43m off the Kawarau Bridge in 1988 – and it’s still going strong with many more doing the same!

These days, the steelier-nerved traveller can also try a canyon swing, which involves being catapulted 60m above the Kawarau River. Nerves got the better of you? Then just take in the scenery. Queenstown overlooks Lake Wakatipu, and is spectacularly back-dropped by The Remarkables, the mountain setting for the Lord Of The Rings films.

How to get there.
Bridge & Wickers offers experience-led tailor-made luxury holidays to Australia and New Zealand, with unique lifestyle choice themes, from scenery and wildlife, family travel, rail and self-drive to weddings and honeymoons. Call 020 7483 6555 or see www.bridgeandwickers.co.uk

Kirra Tours is a New Zealand holiday specialist offering unforgettable vacations. Choose from coach touring, independent self drives, guided walks and city tours including the zest walking gourmet tour, exploring Wellington’s favourite eateries. Call 0800 856 5494 or visit www.kirratours.co.nz

Whicker Says
‘I’ve been officially recognised as an honourary Aussie for my contribution to their tourism industry. My programmes gave a lot of people their first taste of life down under.’