So ‘like’ the Australian Traveller’s Facebook page before this Sunday night (midnight on 26 May) and we’ll reward one of our new-found friends with an armful of goodies, starring a one-year free subscription to Australian Traveller magazine (six issues).

Also coming the lucky person’s way is an X-Doria iPad 2 cover, two cool coffee table books and some While Away guides.

(Please note: The subscription is for friends with an Australian address only)

Affordable:

Sydney Harbour YHA, The Rocks: The most awarded hostel in the world redefines the concept with clean, spacious rooms (some with harbour views), a focus on sustainability, and a rooftop view of the harbour that’s worth a million bucks alone. Double/twins from $148 per room.110 Cumberland St, The Rocks; yha.com.au

TheAltamont, Darlinghurst: This little gem feels oh-so Darlinghurst. Shades of grey, white and timber are cool and classic, and some rooms have courtyard access. The lobby boasts a bar, pool table and breakfast area – and some rooms are pet-friendly, too. Rooms from $125 per night.207 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst; 8hotels.com

The Bayswater, Kings Cross: Virtually next door to Hugo’s in Kings Cross, The Bayswater offers clean, attractive accommodation in a buzzy location – a great-value base if you’re planning to be out exploring most of the time, anyway. Rooms from $130 per night.17 Bayswater Rd, Kings Cross; sydneylodges.com

Comfortable:

Harbour Rocks Hotel, The Rocks: Sleek boutique accommodation in a heritage building in the historic Rocks district. Rooms from $299 per night.34 Harrington St, The Rocks; harbourrocks.com.au

Kirketon, Darlinghurst: All plush carpets, jewelled tones and dark, mirrored hallways, you’ll feel like a bit of a rockstar here. One ofSydney’s most-awarded bars, Eau de Vie, is downstairs if you really want to get your rock on. Rooms from $175 per night.229 Darlinghurst Rd; 8hotels.com

Adina Apartment Hotel, Surry Hills: Modern, spacious 1- and 2-bedroom apartments with kitchen, and access to a garden oasis with swimming pool, provide the ideal base for exploring Surry Hills. One bedroom apartments from $230 per night.359 Crown Street, Surry Hills; adinahotels.com.au

Splashing out:

The Darling @ The Star, Pyrmont: The Darling’s fast becoming the… erm, darling of discerning celebrities and those seeking a slice of the glamorous life, if only for one night. Darling Rooms from $399. The Star,80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont; thedarling.com.au

Intercontinental Sydney, CBD: A classic, ‘no-detail-too-small’ approach to hospitality in a beautiful building ensures The Intercon’s consistent ranking as one of the best hotels in town. ‘City Escapes’ package including room, full buffet breakfast for two and car parking from $350 per night.117 Macquarie Street,Sydney; interconsydney.com.au

The Park Hyatt, The Rocks: Sydney’s most iconic, luxurious hotel has seen Elton John, Bette Midler and Jerry Seinfeld stay here, and the harbourside hotel just seems to get better. Its recent multi-million-dollar refurb basically rebuilt the hotel from the ground up, and the result is a modern but classically elegant, airy, five-star retreat. Rooms from $795 per night.7 Hickson Rd, The Rocks; sydney.park.hyatt.com

Shopping hot spot: Paddington

Oxford Street has suffered in recent years but there are two areas still worth visiting. Side street,William Street, is a postcard-perfect boutique-lined street where lazy cats loll in the sunshine. You’ll find The Corner Shop, Jac + Jak, Nudie and amazing second-hand designer threads and treads at Di Nuovo. The Intersection at Glenmore Road is home to labels beloved by all self-respecting Sydney fashionistas: Scanlan & Theodore, Kirrily Johnston, Willow, Zimmerman, Marnie Skillings, Ginger & Smart and Alannah Hill, all within spitting distance (not that any self-respecting fashionista would, mind you).

Long lunch hotspot: Woolloomooloo Wharf

For long, lazy, boozy lunches, you can’t beat this stretch of prime harbour real estate. Settle in at China Doll or Otto for an afternoon. Designer duds and large, dark sunnies for celebrity gawking optional.

All-rounder hotel hotspot: The Shangri-La, The Rocks

Situated in The Rocks, you could actually spend a weekend here without setting foot outside the hotel. Start with a heavenly massage in the luxurious, zen-like cocoon of the Chi Spa, end your day with cocktails at the Blu Bar on level 36, where the experience is taken to another level (geddit?) with mesmerising harbour views from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Arrive early to get the best seats. shangri-la.com/sydney

Dining strip hotspot: Neutral Bay

Military Road and Grosvenor Street are now both teeming with hotspot restaurants and bars with Neutral Bay Bar & Dining, Pony, and Local Bar (backed by Sam Neill, David Wenham and George Gregan) leading the charge.

Outdoorsy hotspot: Cremorne Reserve

Catch a 10-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay to Cremorne Point and walk along Cremorne Reserve. Enjoy the view of the Opera House, city skyline, Harbour Bridge and Fort Denison to find a hidden harbour pool (MacCallum’s Pool) with timber deck, art deco plinth at the end, stunning views, and no crowds. The carefully manicured gardens here are divine, too. Bliss.

Improvements to the resort include a new day spa, swimming pool and revamped beach bungalow accommodation.

The resort pitches at the eco and luxury market, with a maximum of just 18 guests staying at one time and no children, with the option to arrive by helicopter.

See paradisebay.com.au

As far as I was concerned, life started once I crossed the Australian border and started exploring ‘the world’.

I was a fresh-faced, long-haired 18-year-old backpacker when I first travelled through Europe and the US. My round-the-world ticket cost $1800 and flew me via Colombo, Sri Lanka, on an Air Lanka jet where the rivets popped every time we took off and landed. But no matter.

I lived by the words of a weighty Let’s Go Europe guide that weighed a ton. It led me to the most flea-bitten, cheap accommodation I could afford. I survived a mate almost dying in Zermatt, a crazy Viennese slum lord, homeboys and bed bugs in NYC and several memory-impairing visits to Amsterdam. I survived my youthful wanderlust, in other words. Just.

I returned from my gap year not knowing that’s what I had done. Back then you merely ducked uni for a year and went travelling. Most people thought it strange and exotic and said things like, “Wow, you’re adventurous, aren’t you?” I just thought it was a better use of my time than studying.

I took a job in publishing with the hope of using it to fund my travel. It worked.

The boss deported me to Singapore for 18 months, then London for two and a half years. I hated Singapore and loved London.

The summer holidays in Italy were glorious – long days in Florence, the Tuscan coast,Rome and even a week-long sojourn in Venice. It was everything I had always wanted. I didn’t want to leave.

Unfortunately, I returned to Australia earlier than I had hoped to (thanks, boss), this time with a de-facto English girlfriend in tow.

To kick off the Australian leg of our relationship, I booked us a holiday in Broome. It was May 2004.

Flying over Roebuck Bay, I looked down and for the first time, saw the amazing aquamarine water lapping up against the pindan soil of Outback Australia. Why had I never been here?

I was embarrassed. I had seen the world and not seen my own country. Worse – I had never wanted to see my own country.

As the Virgin Blue flight bounced onto the tarmac, my brain synapses seemed to be aligning in one heightened moment. An idea lit up my brain, like a child on red cordial: Australian Traveller. A magazine for those who’ve travelled the world but not their own backyard. People like me. I was electrified by the idea.

I pitched the idea to my flatmate Nigel the night we returned from Broome. He asked one question: “is the web address available?”

And so, I became a website owner.

We spent the next six months having a few hundred beers and trying to figure out why people smarter than us had not yet sold their houses to fund the launch of a domestic travel magazine. I could tell you why now. It’s a lot of effort.

In what could be considered a miracle, we launched the magazine 25 May, 2005. We were mates, and now business partners.

On that day the Aussie dollar was buying 76 US cents, John Howard was two years away from Kevin ’07,Australia had held the Ashes for 16 consecutive years and Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl was on top of the charts. Social media was studying journalism at a uni with a decent student bar.

The launch was crazy – we never expected to get death threats. Someone hated us for publishing ‘the 10 ugliest towns in the country’, so much so that they emailed, promising to kill us if they lost a single booking! I was touched they thought we were so powerful.

Readers loved the magazine. Australia as a destination was resting on its post-Olympic and Rugby World Cup bottom whilst Kiwi luxury lodges were the hot topic in antipodean travel.

We were also lucky to have some powerful friends, with former Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer being our founding columnist. True to his great passion, almost every destination featured by Tim in two years of columns included a train somewhere.

His role as Chairman of Tourism Australia at the time helped. Having a beer after we published issue #4, Tim was his usual honest self. “Congratulations boys, that’s three more issues than anyone ever expected.”

2006 was a breakthrough year. Our first annual 100 – ‘100 Things To Do Before You Die’ is still our best-selling issue of all time.

We followed that up with our first Outback issue, another cracker sale – and the first time I had returned to the countryside that had inspired me into this crazy venture. Shooting the cover on the Mundi Mundi plains, I felt I was living under ‘the big sky’ for the first time.

That year, a lot of relationships started and ended. The English girlfriend decided Australiawas a great place to visit but ‘old Blighty’ was probably a better place to live. I didn’t agree, but was in love with other things soon enough.

I had never met Aboriginal people who only spoke their native language until I went to Garma. At Cape Arnhem I was blown away and it dawned on me that most people’s mysticism is the same.

My new girlfriend didn’t like that I was out of contact for the whole 10 days, however. We moved in together when I got back.

For me qualia started a new era in Australian travel, the first world-class luxury lodge to take it to the Kiwis… And me. I took my now live-in girlfriend there eight weeks after the opening.

That stay wasn’t all smooth sailing. The activities guys had dropped us off for a romantic picnic on our own beach, but forgot to bring the picnic, the umbrella or water… let alone any champagne. The staff arrived just when we started to think panic would be the only solution.

My live-in girlfriend cried when we left qualia. (“I’ll never ever get to stay at a place like this again.”) We went back for five nights on our honeymoon. She didn’t cry when we left that time – we were headed for Longitude 131.

True to my reformed travelling self, our entire honeymoon was spent in Australia.

Since that moment, Luxury Lodges of Australia have become all the rage. I took my wife to Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa the day after our first son was officially conceived via IVF. She declared it the greatest bed she has ever slept on. “Even better than qualia.”

Now when I meet people and they ask, “How long have you been at Australian Traveller?” I only ever say, ‘from the beginning’.

They immediately want to know my favourite place. The answer is always the same. “Depends.”

It depends on what you like, what you want and how you like to travel – for there is only one certainty, as far as I can see. That around every corner I’ll be surprised and delighted by yet another piece of this amazing country.

I had passed it a few times and thought it would make a great photo. One morning before work I was passing it just before sunrise so thought I would take the chance to get a few photos.

All I had with me was my compact digital Canon IXUS 130 camera so I had to use that for this photo.

Usually I would use my Nikon D3100 for any scenery shots but of course didn’t have it with me!

This was taken at 6:05am as the sun rose over the horizon and was my favourite out of the photos I took that morning, so much so that we ended up getting it framed for our house.

By: Andrew LeGallez, Mount Barker, SA

Australia beat Italy, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States as part of the annual awards for Ultratravel magazine.

The magazine’s judges said Australia was the “perennial favourite of Britons” with “much to offer the luxury traveller”.

Especially noted were safari-style camps (such as the Karijini Eco Resort), wildlife, golf courses and award-winning chefs.

Fewer Brits have been visiting Australia recently, because of the country’s economic downturn over the past few years, but numbers are expected to rise this year, in part due to a number of major sporting tours.

“The timing couldn’t be much better either, with between 20,000 and 25,000 avid rugby fans from the UK set to hit our shores in the next few weeks for the eagerly awaited British and Irish Lions Tour,” said Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy.

“Together with the Ashes cricket series, starting in November, we’re expecting to see a big bounce-back in UK arrivals over the next 12 months.”

The UK is Australia’s largest source of visitors. In 2012, 593,600 people visited, spending $2.9 billion.

Hotham: The Getaway

Best for: The long getaway, or the ‘executive weekend’.

In a nutshell: Mt Hotham is a four- to five-hour drive from Melbourne… or a serious road trip from Sydney. So if you do make it there, it’s usually for a five-day stint. At least, it used to be! But with eighty-minute direct QANTAS flights from Sydney to Dinner Plain, Hotham is now the easiest ski field to access for a cheeky weekend. (Sorry Victorians, you still need to schlep it in the car.)

Once there, you’ll findVictoria’s most extreme terrain. The resort’s Orchard area is famed for Mary’s Slide, a long, steep double-black run to test the most extreme thrill-seekers. As one of the highest resorts in Oz (1862 metres), it has reliable snow quality and the 1740-metre mountain-top village means the first slide of the day is downhill, the best possible way in the world to wake up.

Underrated run: Drift offers views unavailable elsewhere in the resort, and you’ll usually have them to yourself.

Best spot for an après: The White Room (03 5759 3456) and Swindlers (03 5759 3436) are both great for slopeside vantage and views. And when the party has really started, hit ‘The Genny’, the General Store.

Local tip: Coming from Melbourne? Stop in at Brown Brothers’ Epicurean Centre in Milawa on the way to Hotham for local dining and produce. And to get your snow gear, Rays in Myrtleford has it all.

More info: mthotham.com.au

Mt Buller: Cool Days, Hot Nights

Best for: Those who like to be seen in the scene. Three hours from Melbourne, Mt Buller is where the social set come to play.

In a nutshell: Ahhh, this is a resort with it all. Over 30 bars and restaurants offer latte lovers ample choice to congregate. In fact, for a good time, you never have to step on-snow; take in an Art and Artefacts self-guided walk (contact the Information Office), catch a flick at Australia’s highest cinema, go rock climbing in Alpine Central, or nab a massage in the luxurious Breathtaker Spa, the highest in Australia.

That’s not to say the skiing is shabby – far from it, with 300 hectares of terrain, 22 lifts and three parks. In the morning, warm up on the sunny north facing slopes then follow the afternoon sun to south facing slopes; the more advanced will revel in the hard charging, thigh burning runs around Federation.

Underrated run: With a mixed group, head for Standard Run. While wide and long for the intermediates, there are plenty of options for the more advanced to ski off-shoots like Wood Run. Easily accessed off Bourke Street and Skyline, it has the bonus of the Bull Run Skiosk for post-run snacks. Hot chocolates all round.

Best spot for an après: If you can squeeze a place in between all the instructors, the appropriately named Après Bar (03 5777 6566) is the place to be. Sit outside at the Ice Bar and watch the world go by. Alternatively, rest your hooves at Snow Pony, overlooking Bourke Street, and get your après on with their delicious glühwein and famous fries.

What’s new? This season a brand new property launches smack bang in the Village Square. Buller Central will offer a restaurant, bar, retail space plus mid-range hotel accommodation.

Local tip: Feast on a homemade dim sim (or several) from Wok Worx (03 5777 6668) when the Kooroora Hotel (03 5777 6050) shuts their doors at 3am. During daylight hours, Jimmy’s homemade pasta at Tirol Café (at the top of the Shaky Knees Chairlift) is made to order – a bowl will keep you going all afternoon (03 5777 7969).

More info: mtbuller.com.au 

Falls Creek: Romance-arama

Best for: Europhiles and romantics ready for candle-lit dinners and moonlight walks with riding in between.

In a nutshell: This snow-bound resort is as close as one can get to the charm of Zermattor Chamonixlocally. Falls Creek is the quiet achiever of our resorts; its concealed weapon is its village charm. On a peak season snow day, it’s a white-blanketed Narnia; stroll along winding lanes shrouded by snow-laden gumtrees and feel stress melt away like spring snowfalls. On bluebird days, enjoy stellar views of Rocky Valley Dam and alpine peaks.

With 15 lifts and over 90 trails there’s enough room to explore to keep you entertained for a five-day stay. If fresh snow is about, frolic aroundValleyofThe Moon, Wishing Well, Le Plunge and Roller Coaster.

Underrated run: Taking a back country ski tour with former Olympian Steve Lee on his custom made skiddoo (modelled on the Club Med banana) adds access to an extra 450 hectares to the existing 450 hectares. Hit up runs such as Shangri-La and Rocky Knolls for fresh tracks.

Best spot for an après: The Astra Vodka Bar with moody interiors and over 70 vodkas on offer. Strike a pose and taste a ‘Girls on Film’ with cariel vanilla vodka, beechworth apple juice, lychees and lime.

Local tip: The Pass at Quay West, tucked away at the bottom of Falls Express, is a secret spot for a top coffee (mirvachotels.com). And if Falls Creek wins you over mind, body and soul, move here. With a year-round alpine school, there’s a strong community of like-minded skiers.

More info: skifalls.com.au

Nestled in the Adelaide Hills overlooking Piccadilly Valley, it is now available to guests as part of the historic Mount Lofty House estate – established in the 1850s by Adelaide politician and lawyer, Arthur Hardy.

The cottage once housed the property’s coach master, who sent carriages to the main house after dinner to chauffeur guests home.

But like Ms White herself, this charming treasure has an appeal that transcends generations, having undergone a clever reinvention ensuring it’s as fresh and modern as ever.

Within this light-filled three-bedroom abode is a slick new kitchen, iPod docking station and DVD collection… and a dedicated butler throughout the day.

Guess where we want to cosy up this winter? mtloftyhouse.com.au

That is the subject of one of the entries in the ‘One Day in Paradise’ film festival promoting Tropical North Queensland, launched on May 15.

Experienced filmmakers such as 2013 Tropfest Winner Nicholas Clifford are among the 20 contestants involved in the $75,000-first-prize competition.

All the two-minute films from the Youtube-based festival had to be made using wearable GoPro cameras.

The flying frogman, Gold Coast stuntman Gulliver Page, pictured, warned that scuba-sky diving isn’t just your run-of-the-mill weekend activity.

“Jumping out of a helicopter in snorkelling gear and landing on the Great Barrier Reef isn’t for everyone, but it’s certainly a novel way to experience this beautiful part of the world,” he said.

Other experiences captured in the promotional festival include a gymnastics display in the Daintree National Park and a bull riding youngster sporting a helmet-mounted GoPro.

One Day in Paradise will be judged in June by a panel including former Tropfest judge and SBS film journalist Sandy George.

For more see Cairns-BarrierReef.org

In 2007  the self-proclaimed ‘MotoGrapher’ rode 22,000km around Australia with another rider from India, but this time around he is solo on his trusty 1200cc Ducati Multistrada, after commencing his journey in Sydney on April 22.

Sunny is enamoured by the photographic opportunities and solitude that the open roads of outback Australia afford.

“People say it is a lot of nothing, however, even a board [road sign] in the outback stands out as a key element of photography when you look at it,” he said.

“I like the vast empty highways; they allow me to meditate while on the bike. Nothing is quite like it.”

But it’s not all solitude on the open road. The locals Sunny has met so far have been inquisitive about his journey and the bike. He in turn has stumbled upon some interesting characters.

“I met someone carrying almost as much stuff as I was – on a bicycle and cycling in the middle of a long, never-ending outback highway,” he said. “Made me rethink human limits and it put perspective on my own trip.”

He has spent some long days in the saddle, even riding at night, despite the inherent dangers from hazards such as wildlife.

“Everyone says don’t do it. I do it anyway because I have to; especially from Alice Springs to Darwin via Jabiru in Kakadu,” he said. “I had to do 1600km in 24 hours to complete a certification called SaddleSore. I managed 1700km in 16.5 hours.”

When he is not road tripping and snapping, Sunny runs his own motorcycling website, xBhp, and also manages a magazine back in India.

Sonny is not missing home but he sees the differences between India and Australia as well defined.

“Fewer people mean fewer troubles on the road: simple equation. But there is far less variety of landscapes and people than in India to ride in.”

Another inspiration for the journey has a distinctly Australian flavour.

“I wish I could have done the trip dressed like Mad Max and I wish my bike looked like one of his. The film one was off the charts. A keeper, a cult.”

His other road trips have included 7000km in New Zealand, 8000km in Japan and 10,000km overland from Dubai to Italy.

“New Zealand is an absolute photographer and motorcyclists’ delight, but Japan is my favourite so far. The people are very courteous and the stuff that they do despite being such a small country is amazing.”

Sunny is due to finish his round trip back in Sydney on June 26. So what’s he most looking forward to for the remainder of the trip?

“The road ahead.”

For more information check out MotoGrapher or The Grand Australian Roadtrip.

His Hardware:

The trip is sponsored so Sonny has to produce good photos to keep up his road-tripping passion. Here is some of the hardware he’s got strapped to his motorcycle:

1. Canon 5D M2

2. Canon 5D M3

3. Canon 24-105mm L

4. Canon f2.8 14mm

5. Canon 70-300 L IS USM

6. GoPro 3 Black

7. Gorillapod SLR

8. He had a digital slider and Manfrotto tripod, but he sent it home because it made the bike too heavy.

9. A Sennheiser wireless mic system to record video (he is also producing a short documentary).