Australia and New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand built their reputations on the lodge: a handful of suites on a sheep station, a fishing river or a headland, with a chef, a guide and a helicopter pad. New Zealand's South Island has the densest concentration, from the lakes of Queenstown to the Marlborough Sounds, where some houses are reached only by boat. Australia answers with wilderness camps in the Kimberley and Kakadu, tented pavilions on the Great Barrier Reef, and vineyard retreats in the Barossa and the Hunter.

The cities are a separate proposition. Sydney's harbour hotels, Melbourne's laneway design houses and Auckland's waterfront conversions all put the water or the street within a few steps. Dogs are welcome in many country pubs and coastal cottages, and the ski hotels of Queenstown and Thredbo fill from July. Spring and autumn suit both countries best. Insiders plan around distance, rent a car and give each place three nights.