Often known as Straddie by the locals, North Stradbroke Island is the travel brochure beach holiday. Just 30 km (19 miles) southeast of Brisbane and the Gold Coast, it languishes at the southern end of Moreton Bay. At 30 km (19 mile) long, it is one of the worlds grandest, offering pristine beaches, a ragged coastline and inland freshwater lakes.

It lost its original name of Minijerribah in 1827, when Captain H. J. Rous, or Viscount Dunwich, Commander of the HMS Rainbow, named the isle after his father the Earl of Stradbroke, the main town after his own title, and Rainbow Beach after his vessel.

A cluster of three picturesque villages — Dunwich, Amity Point and Point Lookout — act as pleasant bases for many of the islands local and international visitors.

Dunwich was once a prison colony and quarantine station, and, as is often the case, its cemetery is a telling record of the islands interesting past. At Point Lookout, the aptly named Whale Rock is the best spot from which to scan the vast oceans in search of migrating humpback whales, dolphins and turtles.

In the 1960s, sand mining operations began to change on the fragile island eco-system, but by the 1990s environmental issues came to the fore and half of the island became a national park. Mining is still very active on the island, but mainly away in the restricted southern end.

Point Lookout on the eastern surf side of the island is a natural draw-card. Spreading across Straddies single rocky headland it overlooks a chain of bleached beaches. The western side enjoys the calmer waters of the bay and is safer for boating. The island is famous for its angling — with the annual Straddie Classic every August being one of Australias richest and best-known fishing contests.

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Tasmania certainly seems to move at a much slower pace than the mainland, affording visitors the time and space to relax. Over 360 km (224 mi) long and 306 km (190 mi) wide, it’s big enough to allow you to head for the hills on the back roads and escape everyday life. Along the way are magnificent peaks, old colonial settlements and empty beaches. It also purports to have some of the cleanest air in the world.

The first European to sight Tasmania was the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman in 1642, and from then on many explorers came this
way, including James Cook and William Bligh. But the arrival of these men was bad news for the Tasmanian Aborigines. They lost their traditional hunting grounds and sometimes their lives, and were resettled to Flinders Island to be “civilized”. Many Aboriginal sites are sacred, but on the cliffs around Woolnorth can be seen some of their unique art.

Corners of Tasmania are often likened to the green pastures of England, but here there are also vast wildernesses: the west is wild and untamed, inland are glacial mountains and roaring rivers.

For the less adventurous, there is the cosmopolitan capital Hobart, spread out over seven hills and with a waterfront location to match Sydney’s. In the heart of the countryside lies sleepy old Richmond with some of Australia’s finest and most pristine colonial architecture it’s now a Mecca for artists and artisans.

Tasmania is often overlooked by tourists to Australia. Yet this discreet island, roughly the size of Ireland, is both gentle and wild, charming and challenging.

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Fortunately, Phuket is a wealthy province, and today, thanks to a major re-building programme, the island is back in business, and visitors are unlikely to see any noticeable damage.

Phuket is largely mountainous, its highest point being Mai Thao Sip Song at 529 m (1,745 ft), and much of it is forested. From the 16th century until relatively recently, tin mining was important to the economy, and the culture of the Chinese workers has informed that of Phuket.

Other influences include Portuguese and Islam — some 35 per cent of the population are Muslims. Phuket has been known as a holiday island since the 1980s, and its beaches sprout new resorts, restaurants and dive operations with every passing year.

Most of the best beaches — huge swathes of white sand, or little sheltered coves — are on the west coast, but those towards the northern tip are much less visited. Patong, the most popular, is very highly developed, and Phuket City is awash with tourists shopping and partying the night away.

The island’s interior is worth exploring, with rubber plantations, rice fields and fruit groves providing employment for islanders who live traditionally, a world away from the international tourism scene.

Khan Phra Thaeo National Park, just 20 kin (12.5 mi) from Phuket City, is a must — its hills and valleys are covered with tropical rainforest, and it contains a Lar gibbon rehabilitation centre. These charming creatures are endangered, and this project is important to their survival.

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It supports a population that used to survive on fishing, copra and vanilla production, but nowadays tourism is the name of the game and the whole island is geared to providing a memorable holiday experience. There are several hotels and guest-houses that offer simpler accommodation and it’s also possible to see this magical place by making a day trip from nearby Praslin.

The beaches, especially Anse Source d’Argent and Anse Pierrot, are fabulous, often set off by tumbled rock formations that seem like dramatic granite sculptures. There are plenty of hidden coves to discover, too.

Getting around is a matter of foot or pedal power, as there are few vehicles and the locals use ox-drawn carts, which perfectly match the unchanging pace of island life.

Focal points are the harbour at La Passe on the west coast and L’Union Estate where traditional activities like copra production and boat building are still practised. A working vanilla plantation welcomes visitors.

La Digue’s interior rises to Eagle’s Nest Mountain (also known as Belle Vue), a peak that is 300 m (985 ft) above sea level and rewards the active visitor with wonderful views.

The densely forested Veuve Nature Reserve occupies much of the interior, and there are picturesque swamps, pools and inlets.

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The latter was originally uninhabited, but the Dutch named the island and established a colony that was seized by the French in 1715. They renamed the place Ile de France and built a prosperous economy based on sugar. But the British took the island in 1810 and it reverted to the original name.

Independence was granted in 1968 and this Commonwealth country is a stable democracy with one of Africa’s highest per capita incomes. This might be guessed by a visitor to Port Louis, who finds a sophisticated place with a cluster of high and medium rise buildings that might be mistaken from afar as the downtown area of a small American city, were it not for its location beside the azure Indian Ocean, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation.

Tourism has become an increasingly important sector of the economy, which had hitherto been based on sugar plantations and off-shore financial services.

The effort to attract visitors is proving successful, and might not even need the boost of a move to duty-free status. Mauritius is the most accessible island in the Indian Ocean, with wonderful beaches and crystal-clear waters.

Important though these essential ingredients of every tropical holiday destination may be, Mauritius has something extra, friendly people and a vibrant cultural mix that will leave a long-lasting impression.

There is a festival or fiesta practically every week and a tempting variety of ethnic food choices. The place must be good. Author Mark Twain remarked that Mauritius was made before heaven, and heaven modeled on Mauritius.

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Being the largest island at Aswan, it was easily defensible and at one time was thought to be a major ivory trading centre, possibly giving rise to its name. But rumour has it the name may also arise from the elephant-shaped granite boulders lying around its shores.

It is said that Khnum, the ram-headed god of the cataracts, dwelled in caves beneath the island and controlled the waters of the Nile. Nowadays, the southern tip of the island holds the ruins of the Temple of Khnurn, which was rebuilt in the 30th dynasty. Up until 1822, there were also temples to Thutmose III and Amenhotep III here, but the Ottoman government in their wisdom destroyed them.

Elephantine is an exquisite island, steeped in ancient history and blessed with significant artefacts. Transported instantly back in time, you wander under banana trees and date palms through colourful Nubian villages with narrow, dusty alleyways and mud houses painted or carved with crocodiles and fish.

On the edge of the island is one of the oldest Nilometers in Egypt. It is a stone `yardstick’ used to measure the height of the River Nile. It was last reconstructed in Raman times and was still in use as late as the 19th century. Its 90 steps, leading down to the river, are marked with Hindu-Arabic, Roman and hieroglyphic numerals, and inscriptions carved deep into the rock during the 17th century can be seen at the water’s edge.

Elephantine Island is a green, flower-festooned oasis of calm lapped by the turquoise waters of the Nile and clinging quietly to its exotic past.

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