Australia
in Australasia

Oh, Byron Bay. What began as a sleepy haven for surfers and a paradise for backpackers has blossomed into a not-to-be-missed destination. A chic hippie’s playground with a laid-back vibe, it's fair to say that this beach town has kept its free-spirited soul. For the ultimate slow-down, take it easy getaway, this seaside site is gorgeous any time of the year. 

It may by tiny, though the beauty of Lord Howe Island is unparalleled. Paradise on earth, to some the most perfect, this archipelago is a wonder of natural beauty. Secluded beaches, coral reef lagoons, untouched forests and the towering Mount Gower, if any journey is worth making it's this one. 

There's a reason that Melbourne has been ranked as the world's most liveable city six years running, so it's no wonder that we start looking at real estate every time we come for a visit. This city is unique and multicultural; it's the perfect place to spend a week or two down under.

The Top End operates on a scale and at a pace that takes some adjustment. Kakadu National Park alone covers nearly 20,000 square kilometres of floodplains, escarpments, and wetlands that hold Aboriginal rock art dating back 20,000 years alongside saltwater crocodiles that have not meaningfully updated their behaviour since the Cretaceous. Darwin is the gateway: a small, tropical, surprisingly cosmopolitan city that was bombed more times than Pearl Harbor in the Second World War and rebuilt with an informality that suits the climate. The Litchfield waterfalls, the Nitmiluk gorge carved through red sandstone by the Katherine River, and the Arnhem Land plateau, accessible only with a permit and a guide, form a landscape of extraordinary depth and cultural significance. Come in the dry season, listen to what the guides tell you, and resist the temptation to swim in anything that looks too inviting.