I love discovering new places, from big cities to small country towns. These are some of the places I've visited, and what makes each one worth the trip.
From the Darling Downs to the Dandenong Ranges, these are the places around Australia I've been lucky enough to visit.
Canberra is Australia's purpose-built capital, designed around the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. It's home to Parliament House and the nation's great institutions, including the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery and the National Museum, which make it a wonderful place to discover Australia's story.
Bexhill is a small village in the rolling green hills just outside Lismore in the Northern Rivers. It's known for the Bexhill Open Air Cathedral, a simple outdoor chapel with sweeping views across the valley, and it makes a lovely, quiet stop in the region.
Dubbo is the major regional city of the Orana region in central west New South Wales. It's home to Taronga Western Plains Zoo, the historic Old Dubbo Gaol and the Royal Flying Doctor Service visitor experience, which make it a great base for exploring the region.
Lightning Ridge, in far north-west New South Wales, is world-renowned for its rare black opals. Its quirky mining-town character, hand-built houses, car door tours and natural artesian bore baths make it one of the most unique towns in Australia.
Moree sits on the Gwydir River on the north-west plains of New South Wales, surrounded by rich cotton and grain country. It's famous for its naturally warm artesian mineral baths, which have drawn visitors for generations to relax and unwind.
Newcastle is a vibrant harbour city at the mouth of the Hunter River, and the gateway to the Hunter Valley wine region. Its working harbour, historic Fort Scratchley, Nobbys lighthouse and revitalised foreshore and dining scene give it a character all its own.
Possum Creek is a small rural locality in the Byron Bay hinterland, near the village of Bangalow in the Northern Rivers. It's a peaceful valley of rolling green hills, farmland and pockets of rainforest, and a beautiful taste of the quieter side of the Byron Shire.
Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and Australia's largest city, set around one of the world's great natural harbours. The World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are icons the world over, and the historic Rocks precinct, the Royal Botanic Garden and its harbourside walks make it a joy to explore.
Amamoor Creek sits in the Mary Valley near Gympie, surrounded by the tall timber and creeks of Amamoor State Forest. It's best known as the home of the Gympie Music Muster, and the rest of the year it's a peaceful spot for bushwalking, camping and spotting platypus.
Brisbane is Queensland's sunny, relaxed capital, wrapped around the bends of the Brisbane River. The South Bank cultural precinct, the iconic Story Bridge and Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary are highlights, and its subtropical climate makes it a city made for being outdoors.
Charleville is the heart of outback South West Queensland, sitting on the Warrego River. It's famous for its clear night skies at the Cosmos Centre, the Bilby Experience and its little-known Second World War history, and it's a wonderful introduction to the outback.
Chinchilla is a friendly Western Downs town proudly known as the melon capital of Australia, celebrated with its quirky Chinchilla Melon Festival. The area is also known for its petrified wood, and it's a classic taste of country Queensland.
The Gold Coast is Australia's theme park capital, home to Dreamworld, Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World and Wet'n'Wild. Just behind the city lies a lush green hinterland, with the World Heritage-listed rainforests of Springbrook and Lamington national parks and the galleries, wineries and waterfalls of Tamborine Mountain.
Roma is the hub of the Maranoa region in southern inland Queensland. It's known for its huge cattle saleyards, its place in the history of Australia's oil and gas industry, told at the Big Rig, and its avenue of bottle trees planted to honour local soldiers.
St George sits on the Balonne River in south-west Queensland. Known for its cotton and grape growing, the riverside town and nearby Beardmore Dam are popular for fishing, especially for Murray cod, and it has a relaxed outback-river charm.
Stanthorpe is the heart of Queensland's Granite Belt, high on the Great Dividing Range near the New South Wales border. It's known for its cool climate, wineries and orchards, and the dramatic granite landscapes of nearby Girraween National Park.
The Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane, is known for its green hinterland, from the dramatic volcanic peaks of the Glass House Mountains to charming ridge-top villages. It's home to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo and the much-loved Eumundi Markets, while Noosa National Park offers lovely walks through forest and along its rugged headlands, often with koalas spotted along the way.
Toowoomba is Queensland's Garden City, perched on the edge of the Great Dividing Range above the Lockyer Valley. Famous for its parks and the Carnival of Flowers each spring, it's the gateway to the Darling Downs, with a lively food and arts scene.
Cowes is the main town on Phillip Island, south-east of Melbourne. The island is world-famous for the Penguin Parade, where little penguins waddle ashore at dusk, and it's also home to the Koala Conservation Reserve and the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Melbourne is Victoria's capital, famous for its hidden laneways, street art and a much-loved coffee culture. It's a city of the arts, from the National Gallery of Victoria to its theatres and live music, and a true sporting capital, home to the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Sassafras Gully, now simply called Sassafras, is nestled in the cool, misty Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne. It's known for its towering mountain ash forest, ferny gullies and charming village of tearooms, nurseries and boutique shops, which make it a perfect escape from the city.
Werribee, south-west of Melbourne, is home to the grand Italianate Werribee Park Mansion, built in the 1870s for the pioneering Chirnside family, and the Werribee Open Range Zoo, where giraffes, zebras and rhinos roam open savannah. Nearby, the striking red K Road Cliffs rise above the Werribee River, with views across the wetlands to the You Yangs and plenty of birdlife.
A Melanesian nation of more than 330 islands, independent since 1970, with rich iTaukei and Indo-Fijian cultures.
Levuka, on the island of Ovalau, was Fiji's first colonial capital. Its well-preserved nineteenth-century port town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, and it's where the Deed of Cession handing Fiji to Britain was signed in 1874.
Nadi, on western Viti Levu, is home to the colourful Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple, a landmark of Fiji's Indo-Fijian community. Nearby, the Garden of the Sleeping Giant is known for its orchid collection, set at the foot of the Sabeto Mountains.
Suva is Fiji's capital, on the island of Viti Levu. The Fiji Museum in Thurston Gardens traces the islands' long history, from early settlement through the colonial era, when indentured labourers from India were brought over from 1879, to independence from Britain on 10 October 1970. Traditions such as the yaqona (kava) ceremony and the meke dance are still a big part of Fijian life.
A French Pacific territory with a rich Kanak culture.
The Isle of Pines, known in the local language as Kunié, lies at the southern tip of New Caledonia and takes its name from the towering columnar pines that inspired Captain Cook. It's rich in Kanak culture and history, from the village church at Vao to the ruins of its nineteenth-century penal settlement, and the rainforest-wrapped Grotte de la Reine Hortense, a cave steeped in local legend.
A Melanesian island nation of volcanoes, rainforest and living kastom culture.
Espiritu Santo, commonly called Santo, is Vanuatu's largest island, with the town of Luganville as its hub. It's known for its jungle-fringed freshwater blue holes, its rich Second World War history, including Million Dollar Point and the wreck of the SS President Coolidge, and its authentic Melanesian culture.
Mystery Island, known locally as Inyeug, meaning small island, is a tiny uninhabited island just off Aneityum in Vanuatu's southernmost province, Tafea. It's said to have earned its English name after a royal visit in 1974, and it's ringed by protected coral reef, with palm-shaded paths and stalls run by Aneityum locals selling their crafts and produce.
Port Vila is the capital of Vanuatu, on the island of Efate. Its colourful Market House overflows with tropical fruit, vegetables, flowers and local cooking, offering a wonderful window into everyday Ni-Vanuatu life, and the friendly town makes a relaxed gateway to the rest of the islands.