Lord Howe Paradise

While the core of the red continent is mostly red desert, home to the world's most venomous snakes and spiders, the coastal areas and Tasmania couldn't be more diverse. From tropical to temperate rainforest, a ribbon of green meanders across the east of the country. So if you want both, you're in the right place on the fifth continent Down Under, which dabbles in the balancing act between casual surfer culture and dusty cowboy life. The profound culture of the Aborigines, on the other hand, has shaped the country over thousands of years and lies like a mystical veil over the elements.