It's a fascinating and friendly place to visit, and a must-do on your Outback holiday. Coober Pedy has some 1700 residents from more than 40 countries. Taking its name from the Aboriginal word "kupa" (uninitiated man or white man) and "piti" (hole), Coober Pedy produces most of the world's opals. Its opal fields, discovered in 1915 by 14-year-old Willie Hutchison, cover an area of 4,954 square kilometres and consist of over 70 individual fields. Try your luck at "noodling" (fossicking) at various spots around town; get a great insight into the history of Coober Pedy at many local underground mines and attractions, then find your very own special opal at one of more than 30 opal shops - many who mine, cut and set their own stones. There's also a host of awesome natural landscapes, including the Painted Desert, the Moon Plain and the Breakaways. Incidentally, these great desert locations have attracted filmmakers from around world, for movies including 'Fire in the Stone', 'Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome', 'Ground Zero', 'Pitch Black', Val Kilmer's, 'Red Planet', and the up and coming Mortal Kombat (2021 release). Visit late June for the annual Coober Pedy Opal Festival (featuring events from the fun to the outrageous), or in August for the Coober Pedy Races. Coober Pedy is one of the most fascinating, quirky, excentric places on (or under) the earth. So make it a must-do on your bucket list, GET outback, GET underground and just get to Coober Pedy!

The Snowy Mountains, also known as the Snowies, is an all-year-round adventure wonderland home to Australia’s highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko. The region is jam-packed full of experiences from ski resorts to mountain bike riding, trail rides, fascinating heritage, music festivals, and wine tasting.

Melbourne, the capital of the state of Victoria, is a warren of laneways that reveal buzzing bars, galleries, live music venues, acclaimed restaurants and designer boutiques to those who dare to delve. It's also a city with a passionate love of sports and relishes any opportunity to party, boasting an action-packed calendar of events. Set on the Yarra River and reaching to the shores of Port Phillip Bay, sophisticated Melbourne is, at first sight, a balanced grid of neatly angled streets. But beneath this sense of restraint lies a restless creative energy. The CBD comprises many precincts - enclaves with distinct charms. Some are just a lane or two, while others cover a suburb or a busy CBD street. Spend time experiencing the richness of Melbourne in the creative Flinders quarter, the city arcades, the arts and adjoining sports precincts, Chinatown and the Paris End of Collins Street. Visit some of the city's iconic streets in Fitzroy, St Kilda, Carlton, Richmond, Toorak and South Yarra. Melbourne's melting pot of cultures is reflected in its restaurants, cafés and bistros serving a dizzying spread of great cuisines, from the substantial and classic to the exotic. World-renowned restaurants plate up alongside cheap and cheerful ethnic eateries and cafés-cum-laboratories dedicated to the city's obsession with coffee. Explore the inner city shopping centres and venture down arcades and laneways to uncover locally designed originals and the best of international fashion brands in stores as notable for their design as the wares on show. Leave time to admire the elegant Victorian-era streetscapes and gardens, take in a film or food festival and add a visit to one of the many galleries and opulent theatres. Be sure to include a cocktail or glass of wine in any of Melbourne's famed bars.

Explore the beautiful Murramarang National Park near Batemans Bay on the NSW south coast. There are great surfing, swimming, walking, camping and fishing opportunities. Spanning 44 kilometres of dramatic coastline, Murramarang National Park is the ultimate spot to soak up some sun and explore the cliffs, headlands and pristine beaches of the New South Wales South Coast. Be sure to pack your swimmers to hit the surf, your binoculars to spot peregrine falcons and sea eagles that soar high above the cliffs and your fishing rod to catch your dinner. This is one of the rare spots in Australia where the spotted gums grow right down to the ocean, offering plenty of shade in the warmer months and a stunning backdrop for a nature escape all year round. It’s a great place to spend the day. If you’d like to stay longer, there is a choice of campgrounds, including caravan and motor home sites and a range of facilities. If you don’t feel like camping, you can book yourself into park accommodation at the Depot Beach cabins or Pretty Beach cabins.

The breathtaking beauty of Albany's rugged coastline creates a fitting backdrop to a dramatic whaling, convict and settler history and a sensational south coast adventure. The Albany Highway gets you there in just five hours from Perth, while a direct flight from Perth airport will whisk you there in one hour and 15 minutes. Or why not take your time and enjoy one of the world's greatest journeys, walking the Bibbulmun Track that runs from Perth to Albany. This charming city marks the spot where the first European settlers set foot in Western Australia, and much of their legacy remains today with around 50 colonial buildings standing proudly as museums, galleries and restaurants. From convict prisons, whaling ships and taverns to quaint cottages and grand National Trust residences, you can take in almost two centuries of history on a 30-minute self-guided walk, following the Amity Trail. Albany's King George Sound also marks the spot where the first convoy of ANZACs departed for the battlegrounds of the First World War. Today, you can follow their extraordinary stories through the National Anzac Centre's state-of-the-art interactive displays. You'll also find some of the town's biggest tales in the Historic Whaling Station at Discovery Bay, the only museum of its kind to be housed in a former whaling station. The industry met its end in 1978, creating a safe port of call for migrating humpback, southern right and blue whales. Spot them from the shore or join a whale-watching cruise for a magical encounter. One of the most scenic areas for whale spotting and cliff-top walks is Torndirrup National Park. Here, the Southern Ocean has sculpted the granite coastline into striking formations known as The Gap and Natural Bridge. For sensational views over King George Sound, head for Middleton Beach boardwalk trail. Or take a drive up to Albany Wind Farm and feel dwarfed by the towering turbines. As well as world-class hiking, you'll also find some top-notch spots for fishing, sailing and diving. A weekend visit also brings the iconic Albany Farmers' Markets. No imports here, just fresh and fabulous, locally-grown flavours.