The capital city of New Zealand rests between rolling hills and a rugged coastline on the southern tip of the North Island. As well as offering some of the best urban views in the country, the city is popular for its arts and culture. Wellington is home to the National Museum (Te Papa), the national opera and ballet companies, and is the heart of the nation’s film and fashion scenes. With more restaurants and cafés per head than New York, Wellington also offers a unique gastronomic experience.

Australia’s Gold Coast is a diverse city, offering action packed days and fun filled nights to over 10 million visitors each year. Families, couples, business delegates and solo travellers will all find an experience to suit their needs and budget, as the Gold Coast serves up more attractions and venues than any other destination in the southern hemisphere. Get into the Gold Coast’s easy living lifestyle with 70 kilometres of sun, sand and surf at your doorstep plus 100,000 hectares of world heritage-listed rainforest just a short drive away.

Visitors to Reykjavík are thrilled by the pure energy at the heart of Iceland’s capital city: be it from the boiling thermal springs, the natural green energy, or the lively cultural scene and fun-filled nightlife. The world’s northernmost capital is framed by the majestic Mount Esja, which keeps a watchful eye on the city, and the blue waters of Faxaflói Bay. On a sunny day, the mystical Snæfellsjökull glacier appears crystal-like on the western horizon, while mountainous moonscapes spread to the southeast.

“El diau, el diau!” “The devil! The devil!” It was in 1897 when mountain people from Sauze d’Oulx witnessed a red-faced man with a long white beard descending from the slopes, with long wooden skis attached to his feet. He was a Swiss engineer, Adolf Kind, and wooden skis were then first seen in Italy. Today there are more than a hundred ski-lifts and 1,500 km of slopes for all levels – as well as alpine skiing, sledges and huskies, telemark skiing and snowboarding.

Located in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of the country, modern Dortmund is vibrant and cultural, known for its good shopping, beer and football. But there is another, altogether gentler, side to this former industrial powerhouse. Dortmund has great theatres and cultural centres, a range of fascinating museums and, with half the city given over to parks and gardens, enough green areas to sooth the senses.