The vivid Red Centre of Australia’s Northern Territory is a region of breathtaking desert landscapes, rugged gorges, rich Aboriginal culture and an inspiring pioneering spirit. It’s best discovered from Alice Springs, which sits in the foothills of the majestic MacDonnell Ranges. John Taylor spent four days exploring Alice Springs and its surrounds on self-drive excursions from the Desert Palms Resort Day 1 .
Marseille has been designated European Capital of Culture for 2013. For film fans the Mediterranean city is where Gene ‘Popeye Doyle‘ Hackman hunted down drug lords in The French Connection II. Then there’s iconic St Tropez, a jetsetters’ playground, where actress Brigitte Bardot, one of the best-known sex symbols of the Sixties, was ‘discovered’. Think Cannes and it’s probably the .
The Grampians National Park, the historic gold-rush town of Ballarat, a renowned gourmet restaurant miles from anywhere, an amazing labyrinth of wine cellars and a night in a trendy spa town. They say a Victorian itinerary is like a jigsaw puzzle, where all the pieces fit together -- and it’s true, says John Taylor who travelled Australia’s Great Southern Touring .
New Zealand's majestic mountains, white sandy beaches, an ancient kaui forest and picturesque towns and villages -- every turn unfolds another magnificent view on a round-trip itinerary to the amazing Bay of Islands from Auckland, following the Pacific coast one way and the Tasman Sea the other. Total drive approx: 824 kms Day 1. Depart: Auckland O/night: Whangarei Approx: 176 .
