The third-highest mountain on Earth, sacred enough that climbers stop a few metres below the true summit.
The Savage Mountain: 8,611 m, harder and deadlier than Everest, with no easy route to the top.
Sperm whales all year, dusky dolphins and crayfish, where the mountains meet the sea.
The lone tree in the lake, the Roys Peak hike and the quieter alternative to Queenstown.
The sunniest city, craft beer and the gateway to the golden beaches of Abel Tasman.
Rebuilt entirely in Art Deco after the 1931 earthquake, in the Hawkeโs Bay wine region.
The Edinburgh of the south: the steepest street in the world, albatrosses and yellow-eyed penguins on the peninsula.
Four Mile Beach, reef boats and the Daintree, the quieter northern base for the reef.
Tasmania's second city: the Cataract Gorge in the middle of town and the Tamar valley wineries.
Camel rides on Cable Beach at sunset, pearling history and the Staircase to the Moon.
Perth's port town of a convict prison, a weekend market and the ferry to Rottnest's quokkas.
The easternmost point of the mainland, a lighthouse walk, surf breaks and whales passing offshore.
The Red Centre town: the MacDonnell ranges, Aboriginal art galleries and the road to Uluru.
Tropical Top End: the Mindil beach sunset market, saltwater crocodiles and Kakadu three hours away.
The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree, the oldest rainforest on Earth.
One of the smallest capitals in the world, a clock tower copied from London and the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke market.
The resort bay of the north: catamarans to the islands, snorkelling and the nightlife of the island.
Diego Suarez: the second-largest bay in the world, the Emerald Sea and the Amber Mountain rainforest.
The Avenue of the Baobabs at sunset and the stone forest of the Tsingy de Bemaraha.
The rickshaw and thermal-spa town of the highlands, with crater lakes and semi-precious stones.
A sleepy Portuguese town, and Tofo beach with whale sharks and manta rays all year.
Dhow trips to the Bazaruto archipelago, dugongs and dune islands in turquoise water.
Wide colonial avenues, the railway museum and the Matobo hills of balancing rocks and rock art.
The Chobe river cruises with the largest elephant herds in Africa, where four countries meet.
The gateway to the Okavango Delta, mokoro canoes and scenic flights over the floodplains.
Flamingos on the lagoon, kayaking with seals at Pelican Point and the dunes of Sandwich Harbour.
A German Art Nouveau town on the wild coast and the ghost town of Kolmanskop swallowed by sand.
The Big Hole, dug by hand in the diamond rush, and the mining town preserved around it.
The French Huguenot valley of the Cape winelands, a wine tram and the best restaurants in Africa.
The best land-based whale watching in the world, southern rights from the cliff path June to November.
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