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Recommendations

Few places can match Australia and New Zealand for adventure and natural spectacle. The beguiling isles of the South Pacific add their own remote depth and variety

Top 10 Australia, NZ and South Pacific travel experiences

Marvel at big heads, dive with big fish, wander round big rocks – you can do it all and more down under

1. Aboriginal Arnhem Land, Australia – venture into this rarely visited expanse of the Northern Territory for close cultural encounters with the Aboriginal owners.
2. Marvel at the moai, Easter Island – the stone heads on this far-flung outpost of Chile are as mysterious as they are massive. Trek around the island to see the various statues: some guard the coast, others lay fallen in the massive quarry from which they were hewn.
3. Meet a kiwi, Stewart Island, New Zealand – the nocturnal and shy kiwi can be hard to spot; for your best chance head out at night with a naturalist guide on New Zealand's little-visited southern island.
4. Watch the land-divers, Vanuatu – the original bungy jump: between April and June every year some of the men of Vanuatu jump from precariously high platforms with just vines to (hopefully) break their fall.
5. See Sydney Harbour, Australia – the world's most beautiful city? Take the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly to best appreciate the marriage of bridge, opera house and ocean.
6. Swim with whale sharks, Western Australia – from March to June large numbers of pelagics visit WA's Ningaloo Reef. Dive in with whale sharks, rays and a host of other marine life.
7. Explore Milford Sound, New Zealand – the headline act of New Zealand's Fjordland, Milford is a picturesque glacier-gouged inlet, dotted with waterfalls and wildlife. Drive from Te Anau, fly in for views over the mountains en route, or walk the Milford Track to arrive on foot.
8. Admire Uluru (Ayers Rock), Northern Territory, Australia – Australia's big red rock is the big draw, but while you're in the area don't miss King's Canyon and the Olgas too; for a true-blue bush experience, camp out in a swag under the stars. 
9. Raft the Franklin River, Tasmania, Australia – nearly ruined by a dam, the Franklin is a wild and wonderful waterway, best explored on a multi-day rafting trip; look out for the local wildlife as you camp by the riverbank.
10. Dive the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia – stretching for more than 2,600km along the east coast of Oz, this vast wall of coral offers great snorkelling and diving as well as island hopping (try the Whitsundays). Head to the outer reef for the best dive sites.

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