1. Wine tour south of Melbourne - Andrew Quested lifts the lid on the Mornington Peninsula, an area south of Melbourne, which has fine wine, gourmet tucker and beautiful beaches

2. Hopping over to Kangaroo Island - reader Phil Ellis asked for advice on Kangaroo Island, a wildlife paradise eight miles off the south coast of Australia. Sunday Times expert Richard Green offers his tips, plus a number of readers add their thoughts

3. Byron Bay: the surfers' St Tropez - the hippie hang-out has gained glamour, says Tony Perrottet, but without losing its soul - go there to discover surf, bike, and drink champagne

4. Paddling in Northern Territory - Stephen Bleach dodges ravenous crocs, venomous snakes and economy-sized spiders on a canoe trip down Australia’s remote Katherine River

5. The best brunch spots in Sydney - Barbeques may be what Australian cuisine is best known for, but in Sydeny brunch any day of the week is an event you can glam up or dress down for, says Will Hide

6. The outback by private jet - it’s the only way to see Australia, says Max Anderson, who took a three-night trip from Melbourne

7. Across Australia by the Ghan - alternatively, try the Ghan train. It may not be the height of luxury, says Mark Ottaway, but it goes to parts of Oz others can’t reach

8. A world of colour in the Australian outback - Robert Milliken turns an artist's eye on the Outback and finds a palette of colours to rival Uluru in the Flinders Ranges when he visits in the cooler, clearer light of winter

9. Ten reasons to visit North Queensland - a massage in a rainforest, reef scuba dive and hot-air balloon at dawn are just some of the suggestions from Holden Frith

10. The end of the world - A A Gill wonders at the bizarre wildlife and wild landscape of Tasmania on a ten-day trip to the island

Times recommends

• Oasis of the Seas: the Times review
• The 20 best new year party places to stay
• Green Spaces 2009: are you the winning writer?