To the indigenous aboriginal Anangu people, Uluru is the center of the universe, and this vertiginous red-rock outcrop remains one of Australia’s greatest wonders for any traveller. But there are so many more in this country of cinematic landscapes and mind-boggling diversity.

To the south lies the Great Ocean Road, with its limestone crags rising from the waves, and Kangaroo Island, where koalas snooze in gum trees and rare Australian sea lions bask on the sand. To the west, whale sharks and manta rays cruise the coral gardens of Ningaloo Reef. The East Coast, meanwhile, has miles of white-sand beaches and the Great Barrier Reef for scuba diving. In Northern Queensland’s Daintree, home to wilderness lodges and rainforest safaris, the treeline blurs into reef and aboriginal elders tell visitors of the spirits that reside in every river, hill and cave. Storytelling is at the heart of this continent, from its creation myths to its legends of 19th-century trailblazing. Contemporary tales of pioneering spirit can be found, too, in ever-evolving cities like Sydney and Melbourne, where the innovative gastronomy is a constant revelation, and in the winelands of Margaret River, Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills, where wilderness has been transformed into a Garden of Eden.