Portland's Japanese Garden covers a sprawling 5.5 acres and has been deemed by many to be the finest outside of Japan. The garden's serene environment, defined by peaceful waterfalls, koi ponds, and abundant greenery, remains an inviting respite year-round, with free guided tours running daily at noon. There's also a delightful café here that puts on traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, with the tea itself and accompanying snacks imported directly from Japan.

The single-block Chinese Garden was constructed as a gift to Portland from its Chinese sister city, Suzhou, complete with decorative rocks brought from home by the Chinese workers. It's a pleasant green oasis in downtown Portland, with public guided tours (included in the admission price), rare plants native to China, a traditional tea house, and a rotating array of cultural happenings.

Portland's beer culture goes back to the 80s when the craft beer movement first began gaining momentum. What started as a handful of breweries has grown to be a crucial element of Portland's identity — one of its many nicknames being "Beervana" — with roughly 80 (and counting!) craft operations in the city. A great way to discover this side of Portland is by embarking on a bike tour of a few breweries, but if you want to squeeze a lot into a short space of time, we recommend Loyal Legion (99 local brews on tap) and Apex to sample the finest of local brews.

Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island is probably the most well-known freshwater lake in Australia. Located 100 metres above the sea level, it is classified as a 'perched lake', which means that all of the crystal-clear water comes from the rain. High levels of acidity in the lake and the fact that all nutrients have been washed out of the shimmering white silica sand make the water unsuitable for nearly all forms of plant and fish life. It is likely the purest water you'll ever dip your toes in. The Aboriginal name for the lake is Boorangoora, which means 'waters of wisdom'. It was and still is known as a place for decision-making.