Nelson’s thriving arts and music scene has helped to establish it as a destination for free spirits and art-lovers. Festivals, studios, galleries, craft markets… Every cranny of this South Island city seems to buzz with artistic energy. Lord of the Rings fans will flip for the Jens Hansen workshop in Trafalgar Square—Hansen is the goldsmith who designed the “precious” guarded by Frodo in the LOTR films.

City slickers, culture vultures and beach bums alike fall in love with Sydney. Hang ten at famed Bondi Beach or stroll the calmer sands of Coogee.  Cash burning a hole in your pocket? You’ll find great shopping in the Rocks district and along George and Pitt Streets. Climb to the top of the Harbour Bridge or take a skywalk on Sydney Tower for a 360-degree view of the city. But whatever you do, don’t leave town without cuddling the koalas in the Taronga Park Zoo—they’re ridiculously adorable.

Many choose the Micronesian volcanic island of Saipan to tour the famous Grotto, an underwater limestone cavern plummeting seventy feet at its deepest point. The Grotto is home to a city of sea life, including turtles, coral, and reef sharks.  Land-lovers can find satisfaction in the Garapan Street market, a display of Saipan's unique food and craft tradition, or the World War II battlefields, a visual history of the Battle of Saipan.