There’s something to be said for travelling close to home, as Sydneysiders discover when they holiday in and around the Hawkesbury to rediscover some of life’s simple pleasures.

Dreaming of a break fuelled by great food and wine, interspersed with nature-based activities and accommodation that feels like home? Here are some of the best Airbnbs on Kangaroo Island.

Australia’s next-gen bathhouses blend Japanese and Scandi influences with local design flair to create refreshingly neutral canvases for relaxation. Clare Acheson explores the reclamation of communal bathing.

Christmas Island is seeking a more sustainable future, with its first commercial food forest, dedication to marine rubbish clean ups and novel efforts to safeguard its red crabs; all on island initiatives worth celebrating.

Air travel is a notorious guzzler of fossil fuels, which should make offsetting a no-brainer for conscious travellers.

Knowing that you are travelling responsibly can be a vexed proposition, but a clutch of organisations are determined to make it much easier to journey with a clear conscience.