How much adventure can you take?

To us Australia seems custom built for our kind of travel: kaleidoscopic coral reefs, dazzling white beaches, dense rainforests, sun-baked interior and vibrant cities are only part of the story. There's also the rich and fascinating aboriginal culture (all 40,000 years of it), bizarre and wonderful wildlife, plus of course the landmark sites: Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kakadu National Park, Sydney Opera House, Fraser Island, the Great Barrier Reef - and so many more.

And as if all that weren't enough, there's the Aussies themselves - famously warm and welcoming (except to Pommie cricketers perhaps) and justifiably proud of this great country.

All the clichés are true! New Zealand really is stunningly beautiful: every turn of the road another chocolate box panorama and another excuse to whip out the camera for that inspired photograph. On North Island or South (and don't forget Stewart!) your overwhelming impression of New Zealand is one of unspoilt nature: rugged open landscapes, big skies, vast and empty beaches. Even the air tastes cleaner!

And for botanists, naturalists and ornithologists here's another world of fascinating animal and plant life. Isolated from the outside world for 100 million years, all kinds of weird and wonderful flora and fauna have evolved in New Zealand, including some direct descendants of the dinosaur era. As Time magazine said, these islands are the 'ultimate storehouse for discontinued zoological models'.

Filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy in New Zealand was an inspired decision. As you travel through those awesome, unspoilt landscapes, you really can imagine yourself in a different world - hobbits and wizards included!

Just how authentic do you take your adventure? For anyone looking for the ultimate return to a more romantic era of travel, look no further than our tallship, the Søren Larsen. Sailing under full rig from one idyllic Pacific atoll to the next is an experience like no other - but not for the faint-hearted: on a Søren voyage participation is half the fun.

Ranging from 4 days along the coast of New Zealand to 50 days from Easter Island via Pitcairn to Tahiti, Søren Larsen's voyages offer something for everyone.