Australia

Australia’s place on the traveller’s word map has been so firmly entrenched that it barely needs an introduction. There is a universal appeal to this developed, stable and wealthy nation that puts it at or near the top of countless dream destination lists across the globe. After all, there are scores of white sand beaches, a thrilling surfing culture and, of course, all those marvellous diving and snorkelling sites. Indeed, the 2000-kilometre-long Great Barrier Reef is worthy of a visit to Australia all on its own. Moving inland from the beaches and the surf, however, is a land rife with intriguing paradox: the population is relatively small, yet the island is a behemoth; much of the land is arid and seemingly harsh, yet biodiversity is through the roof. There are more reptiles (over 700 species) than any other country on Earth, bird species exceed 800, and rates of endemism are remarkably high across all life forms. This is all largely attributable to the great variety of distinct ecoregions that span temperate, tropical and sub-tropical; forest and grassland; lowland desert and montane highland.