Sydney/ Bondi Beach

Sydney. I don't think I've ever been anywhere that so closely lived up to the image in my head of the 'ideal' destination like this metropolitan city does. Spacious, multi-cultural and teeming with things for the budget traveller to do, it's also perfect for simply wandering around. The clean, modern lines of the Opera House are as impressive in real life as they appear in photos, and it's made extra-special by being so close to that other marvel of Aussie architecture, the Harbour Bridge, spanning 3,700 ft across Sydney Harbour. And it gets better because the Botanic Gardens are another draw, with numerous species of Australian plants and trees, huge fruit bat colonies and bread-eating cockatiels.

..................................................Bondi.................................................

I also spent two days at Bondi Beach with friends, and Australia's most famed beach was so close to living up to its almost mythical reputation. It had amazing views from the clifftop walk down to the rocks below, beautiful sand, sun and a photogenic shopping centre. The waves were pretty good too, and even metres from the beach they came in higher than I am tall. In fact, the only thing that the iconic bathing spot was missing was warm water. Keen to embrace the Australian outdoor lifestyle, I enthusiastically rushed in - only to discover that the chilly ocean could equal any beach in Britain for coldness, and when waves crashed over your shoulders it was like having an icy shower. The water temperature improves the further you go up the East coast, and although it's not bath-warm in Australia, it will be more pleasant in sunnier Queensland. But pettiness aside, I doubt I could love anywhere more than Sydney, and I'm determined to take another visit there one day.