Southampton to Adelaide - 59 nights, January 2014

The United Kingdom's premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear. The port serves as your gateway to Southern England’s magnificent historic sites, national landmarks, charming villages as well as the great metropolis of London. Southampton is the ideal starting or ending point for a memorable voyage.

You’ll consider Madeira’s reputation as the ‘Garden Island’ well founded, swathed in lush greenery which bears all manner of tropical fruits. For a thrilling overview, ascend by cable car to Monte, from whose delightful palace and gardens you can survey the orange rooftops below. The best way down again is by wicker toboggan, expertly steered by two gondoliers dressed in whites.

Beloved for its beaches, Tenerife also offers a feast for the eyes – in its numerous art galleries and museums or an incredibly panoramic cable car ascent of Mount Teide. Your ears will appreciate the sounds of the timple, a distinctive element of Canarian folk music. Perhaps even catch a recital at the striking wave-shaped Auditorio, home to the acclaimed Tenerife Symphony Orchestra.

The 'Diamond of Africa' is a country of stark beauty and contrasting landscapes. It is home to the world’s oldest desert, the world’s highest sand dunes, and a diversity of people that have created an intriguing blend of cultures and traditions. Found between the sand dunes of the Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean, the large natural lagoon of Walvis Bays is home to prolific birdlife.

Not only is Cape Town one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but it is also surrounded by magnificent beaches, rugged mountains and bucolic vineyards. On a fine day savour an awe inspiring cable car ride up Table Mountain. Perhaps make the poignant tour of Robben Island or take a cultural trip to Stellenbosch and its surrounding wine lands.

Not only is Cape Town one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but it is also surrounded by magnificent beaches, rugged mountains and bucolic vineyards. On a fine day savour an awe inspiring cable car ride up Table Mountain. Perhaps make the poignant tour of Robben Island or take a cultural trip to Stellenbosch and its surrounding wine lands.

Head to the sandy ‘Golden Mile’ and its vibrant promenade, buzzing with brightly painted rickshaws and brimming with hand-woven baskets and intricate beadwork. Away from the coast set eyes upon the Zulu kingdom, the majestic Valley of a Thousand Hills or the Garden Route, draped in lush foliage and dotted with quaint villages.

Mauritius was uninhabited until the Dutch arrived in 1635. Their colony lasted about two generations – long enough for the settlers to hunt the native dodo birds to extinction. The capital of Port Louis offers shopping bargains at the old-fashioned central market. Go bird watching at Casela Bird Park. Or set out on a catamaran to admire the sun-drenched beauty of the island, landing on dazzling white beaches and snorkelling amongst shoals brimming with kaleidoscopic fish.

Perth’s explosive growth in recent decades has engulfed the old historic port of Fremantle. Eighty-percent of Western Australia’s population lives in and around Perth. This bustling port, known as “Freo” to the locals, sits on the Indian Ocean and offers a romantic, artsy ambiance to residents and visitors alike.

Originally part of New South Wales, Victoria became a colony in its own right in 1851. The discovery of gold and the development of agriculture propelled Melbourne’s rise to prominence and prosperity. Flower gardens and graceful, tree-lined boulevards add a refined air to Melbourne, regarded as the hub of Australia’s cultural, intellectual and financial life – at least by Melbournians!

Australia’s oldest and largest city was born in 1788 with the arrival of the "First Fleet" that transported 760 British convicts. Gold and sheep breeding propelled Sydney’s development; today it is the largest port in the entire South Pacific. Mark Twain called it “the wonder of the world”. James Michener wrote, “It is a thing of beauty, a fairy-tale body of water”.

The Brisbane River meanders through the heart of the city. Elegant Georgian buildings of native sandstone stand next to sleek glass towers. Brisbane is also a superbly landscaped city with jacarandas, flame trees, and bougainvilleas thriving in its semi-tropical climate. Come face to face with koalas, kangaroos and wombats on tours from this laid-back city.

This sprinkling of 74 verdant isles, fringed by white sands and turquoise skies present a vision of immense beauty beside the vast natural wonder that is the Great Barrier Reef. Whether you choose to bush walk, scuba dive or sail, there are a myriad of ways to experience the Whitsundays.

On the remote northern shores of Australia’s ‘Top End’, balmy Darwin has grown from frontier settlement into a multicultural modern city. Discover the region’s dramatic history – from Aboriginal heritage to World War II air raids and the devastating Cyclone Tracey – in the museums and galleries.

It is a vision of ethereal beauty, where ribbons of white unravel along an azure sea, emerald rice terraces and stone-carved temples pierce a jade landscape; and Hindu gods inspire the highest form of human creativity. Bali is a place of such physical, cultural and spiritual beauty; it can truly be called a paradise.

Perth’s explosive growth in recent decades has engulfed the old historic port of Fremantle. Eighty-percent of Western Australia’s population lives in and around Perth. This bustling port, known as “Freo” to the locals, sits on the Indian Ocean and offers a romantic, artsy ambiance to residents and visitors alike.

Connoisseurs of New World wines are in luck. Around a third of Australia's supply is produced an hour or less from church-sprinkled Adelaide, a legacy of German settlers in the early 1800s. Perhaps its best known is the gorgeous Magill Estate, a wonderful spot for a first-class tasting in the rolling South Australian countryside.