Australien

Snart kan unga backpackers som reser till Australien för att jobba stanna längre i landet. Detta efter nya regler som införs för att möta efterfrågan av arbetare hos landets jordbrukare.

If the vast expanse of Western Australia (WA) was a separate nation, it would be the world's 10th-largest (bigger than Algeria, smaller than Kazakhstan). Most of WA's population clings to the coast, yet you can wander along a beach here without seeing another footprint, or be one of a few scattered campers stargazing in a national park.

From Kakadu to Uluru, from Darwin to the outback, the Northern Territory has stirring landscapes, abundant wildlife and a soulful Indigenous story.

Sophisticated, cultured, neat-casual − the self-image Adelaide projects is a nod to the days of free colonisation. Adelaidians may remind you of their convict-free status – and of the Kaurna Aboriginal heritage of this land – but the stuffy, affluent origins of the 'City of Churches' did more to inhibit development than promote it.

Chances are Sydney will be your introduction to Australia's east coast and there simply isn't a better one. The city’s spectacular harbour setting, sun-kissed beaches and sophisticated sheen make it unique in Australia, and its outdoorsy population endows it with a confident charm that every city yearns for but few achieve.

Once a whaling and sealing station, Warrnambool is booming these days as a regional commercial and whale-watching centre. It's an attractive city, with heritage buildings, beaches, gardens and tree-lined streets, but the major housing and commercial development at the city fringes has rendered these areas much like city suburbs anywhere in Australia.

Across this diverse region, the Southern Highlands, just south of Sydney, offers the chance for weekend getaways packed with good eating and stylish accommodation.

Standing above the waves and cliffs of the rugged south coast is an exhilarating experience. On calm days, the sea is aquamarine and white-sand beaches lie pristine and welcoming. Even busy summer holiday periods in the Great Southern are relaxed. Winter months bring pods of migrating whales, while the spectacular tingle trees of Walpole's Valley of the Giants are more super-sized evidence of nature's wonder.

When it comes to Byron these days, cries of 'Paradise lost' echo in the surrounding hills, while nearby unassuming beach towns puff out their chests in pride of being dubbed 'the new Byron'. Sure, this is a place suffering under the weight of its intense popularity – traffic-choked streets, no car spaces and lengthy cafe queues – but while it might not be what it used to be, it's still pretty special.

Tasmania’s east coast is sea-salted and rejuvenating – a land of quiet bays and sandy shores, punctuated by granite headlands splashed with flaming orange lichen. The sand is white-blonde and the water is gin-clear. It looks as inviting as a tropical postcard, but when you strip off and plunge in, you'll probably be quickly out again – even in summer the water temperatures here can leave you breathless.