From the beaches of Waikiki to the jaw-dropping volcanic action of The Big Island, Hawaii is a wonderful surprise. Forget comparisons with the Gold Coast, this is a place with its own heart and culture, a place where you'll find much to explore....

The Fleurieu Peninsula is South Australia's most popular and accessible holiday destination, famous for its wine, gourmet produce, breathtakingly scenic coastline and wildlife. The best way to explore the Fleurieu Peninsula is on a three or four-day circular drive that for the most part, follows the dramatic coastline, where grassy hills spill into the sea over sheer rocky cliffs...

The gold rush days may be long gone, but the legacy of Tropical North Queensland's Chinese pioneers lives on. In Atherton, you can visit the restored National Trust-listed Hou Wang Temple, built in 1903, and in Cooktown, a corner of the local cemetery tells the stories of the many Chinese who made their homes here.

Around 550km east of Port Macquarie, Lord Howe Island is one of the east coast’s best kept secrets.  Just 11km long and barely two kilometres at its widest point, the world-heritage-listed island is home to the just 280 lucky people, the world’s most southerly coral reef, pristine beaches, beautiful kentia palm forests, and a vast array of rare birdlife.

Every street's a stage at the World Buskers Festival in Christchurch during January. Every year, while the rest of the world pulls itself out of the post-Christmas torpor, the world's best buskers converge on Christchurch to set the city ablaze with a phenomenal line up of street theatre, comedy, acrobatics and downright weird and wacky stuff, keeping the city entertained for 10 days and 11 nights with more than 450 performances, all for the price of a few gold coins.

The Maori people call it Rakiura, or "land of the glowing sky", and Stewart Island does not disappoint. A 20 minute flight or an hour by ferry from the bottom tip of New Zealand's South Island, this is an island of pristine beauty, steeped in history and legend.

As the northern winter approaches, many Australians are starting to plan their ski trip to the USA. From the glamour of Aspen, to the country chic of Western towns like Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and The Canyons in Utah, there's much to discover both on and off the wonderfully groomed slopes of North America.

One of Port Macquarie’s unknown gems is the two-hour beach-to-beach walk from Lighthouse Beach to the centre of town.  Nowhere else will you find deserted beaches and such wild windswept headlands this close to a large town.

As Christmas school holidays approach, it's time to start planning some family time. Whether the kids are tots or teens, every parent needs a bit of inspiration when planning the ideal family holiday. Lee Mylne got some input from her own offspring and has plenty of ideas of her own to share, whether you're heading for the beach or the bush, staying put in Australia or taking the long haul overseas. We've also got tips on how to find great family accommodation everywhere from New York to New Zealand.

Pump up the adrenaline on your next Australian holiday with this round up of top 10 holiday adventures, from hang gliding in New South Wales, kitesurfing in WA, hot air ballooning, skydiving, white water rafting and more.

A great drive is one that has a little of everything – a circular route, so no backtracking; gorgeous countryside; little other traffic; fascinating history and plenty of attractions and activities along the way. The Twin Coast Discovery Highway in northern New Zealand is about as good as it gets, anywhere...

Quirky and colourful, Wellington is the centre of New Zealand's cultural life, where some of New Zealand's most creative minds are at work. Nowhere else will you find such a diverse range of artisans, creating the kind of momentos you'll find hard to resist. And you'll often find you can meet the artist - and watch them work.

Kapiti Island offers the chance to get up close to some of New Zealand's amazing wildlife, including the rare Little Spotted Kiwi. Maori guides take overnight guests on kiwi-spotting forays into the bush, but even a day trip from Wellington reveals why this pristine island is a special place to be.

Long overshadowed by the more popular Byron Bay to the south and the glitz and glitter of the Gold Coast to the north, the sleepy coastal village of Kingscliff has always been a slightly daggy kind of place.  But all that has changed since the opening of the 750 million-dollar master planned coastal village, Salt, on the southern outskirts of town.

It's said that Robert Redford has apologised to the people of Park City, Utah, for the influx of visitors and celebrities his Sundance Film Festival brings each January, when the population of 7000 almost trebles. But for those in the know there are advantages: while the festival is on the town may be crowded, but the ski slopes are almost empty.

Taking two days to travel between the beautiful seaside port of Vancouver, up, over and through the majestic Rocky Mountains to Jasper or Banff and Calgary, the famous glass-domed train, the Rocky Mountaineer, makes a great beginning, or end, to an Alaskan cruising expedition. 
It's just one of the many highlights of a trip to Canada's wild west. Check out our other Canada stories.

The Waterfall Way: Beyond the rainforest and beaches of the NSW mid-north coast rises the Great Dividing Range and the windswept Salisbury Plains of the New England tablelands, the jagged edge of which is split by countless jagged-edged gorges where, after rain, rivers rage and tumble over the edge, creating some of the most spectacular - and highest - waterfalls in the state. A spectacular two-day drive from Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour via the New England tablelands.

Where to stay? Appearances can be deceptive, so take our advice on some interesting, luxurious and quirky places to stay in Australia, New Zealand and around the world. Places like Wellington's theatrical Museum Hotel, the historic but cutting-edge Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart - or the luxury Islington, where the Queen's former footman will attend to you. Or maybe you prefer the skyscraper views from the Gold Coast's tallest tower, Q1, a luxury fishing lodge on the Tongariro River banks or a chateau perched on a live volcano. For reviews of these and more, check out our hotels page.