Australia

The 348-metre sandstone monolith of Uluru and the 36 domed rock formations of Kata Tjuta are the spiritual centre of the Anangu people, who have lived in the Western Desert for over 30,000 years. The Anangu's interpretation of the landscape — delivered on guided cultural walks — transforms these formations from geological curiosities into a living cosmology, and the changing colours of Uluru at dusk, from orange to blood-red to deep purple, are among the most photographed natural phenomena in the southern hemisphere.

The world's largest coral reef system — 2,300 kilometres of living structure visible from space — the Great Barrier Reef is home to over 1,500 species of fish, 4,000 types of mollusc, and 134 species of shark and ray. Private liveaboard expeditions to the Coral Sea's ribbon reefs and outer walls, far from the Cairns day-trip boats, offer diving in near-pristine condition at some of the finest reef walls in the Pacific.

Consistently ranked among the world's most beautiful natural harbours, Sydney Harbour's 240 kilometres of foreshore encompasses the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the Rocks historic precinct, and dozens of private beaches accessible only by water. A private sailing charter at sunset, with the two great landmarks of Australian architecture illuminated above the water, is one of the defining experiences of any visit to the continent.

One of the world's last great wilderness areas, the Kimberley region of Western Australia is a landscape of ancient gorges, red sandstone cliffs, waterfall-fed pools, and an Aboriginal cultural heritage stretching back over 50,000 years. The region is most accessibly explored by small-ship expedition along its 2,000-kilometre coastline, with landings by Zodiac at sites including the Horizontal Falls — a tidal phenomenon unique on earth — and the extraordinary Wandjina rock art sites.

The world's oldest tropical rainforest, estimated at 180 million years old, the Daintree is the only place on earth where two World Heritage sites meet — the rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef both reach the shoreline in the same location, with ancient forest growing to the edge of the coral-fringed sea. The forest harbours the cassowary — a flightless dinosaur-like bird — along with tree kangaroos, Boyd's forest dragons, and over 430 species of birds.

A plateau of deep sandstone gorges, eucalyptus forest, and dramatic escarpments two hours west of Sydney, the Blue Mountains are named for the haze of vaporised eucalyptus oil that gives the valleys their distinctive blue shimmer. The Three Sisters rock formation at Echo Point is the most visited natural sight in New South Wales, and the descent into the Jamison Valley by the world's steepest railway reveals ancient rainforest pockets in the canyon floor.