Highlights of Australia: Sydney, the Red Centre, the Top End & the Great Barrier Reef

You will land in Sydney this morning and be privately transferred to an artsy hotel located in Pyrmont, a stone’s throw from the popular Darling Harbour, where you will be staying for the next three nights. Have lunch on Harris or Union Street, stroll around the Fish Market and hop on a ferry to the city’s iconic beaches. Included during your time in Sydney is also a guided tour with an expert, local guide – the perfect opportunity to share a small slice of life, talk about everyday life in Australia and gather a wealth of tips for the rest of the journey.

Today you will fly to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, where you will be staying for the next two nights. It's the only metropolis in the country that does not have glittering skyscrapers, which is probably what makes it so charming and authentic. It has an 'urban-meets-countryside' feel that makes it a great place to live. Enjoy the local food and the quality of the surrounding vineyards, as well as South Australia Museum (home to one of the largest Aboriginal collections), Rundle Mall and Chinatown. Stay overnight in a comfortable hotel close to historical monuments, museums and the botanical gardens.

Take a morning flight to Kangaroo Island and pick up your hire car for the next two days. Stay in a wilderness retreat built in perfect harmony with the natural environment. Enjoy the peace and tranquillity and watch wild kangaroos, possums, porcupines and parrots roaming and flying freely. On your second night you’ll move onto a seafront hotel.

A 20-minute flight from Adelaide, Kangaroo Island is one of the region's big draws. The Aussies call it KI, and it's a real Noah's Ark – koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, possums, dolphins, fur seals, sea lions… It's a bit like the Galapagos, but in southern Australia. The beaches are out of this world, with huge rolling waves breaking onto endless ribbons of white sand. Koalas sleep snuggled in giant eucalyptus trees (they sleep for 22 hours a day), sea lions chill out on the sand, between the sand dunes – each one has mastered their own take on relaxing and it's so tempting to follow suit – but there's so much to do on KI. Then, head for Little Sahara, a desert of white sand fringed by forest: running down the sand dunes is a thrilling experience and a lot of fun, and it's also guaranteed to wear out the children, so you can take in a calm evening on the beach looking out at the ocean.

You'll have another night's stopover in Adelaide in a centrally located hotel.

Today you’ll fly to Ayers Rock via Alice Springs. Pick up your hire car at the airport and drive to Uluru. After hours of driving hundreds of miles in a straight line on the Stuart Highway, with a dazzling, blue sky and an endless horizon, Uluru suddenly rises up out of the unending, flat expanse - a huge silhouette under an electric sky. Tonight, in the red light of the Outback, sit on the bonnet, facing the totem rock – the Australians simply call it 'The Rock' – the sun darkening in the desert, gradually turning the sky pink, purple and then scarlet. It's a truly bewitching beauty. Located in the heart of the Outback, the Sails in the Desert is the stopover for the next two nights.

See Ayers Rock from above on a helicopter flight, where you can also admire the Olgas, a series of 36 red domes and another unique site, owned by the Aboriginals. Our advice: the rock is so huge that it can easily be seen from several miles away. Yet, curiously, all visitors stop at the same place to admire the show. We'll help you find your own little spot to enjoy it in peace.

Return your hire car at the airport and then fly to Darwin. Pick up the second hire car and spend one night in a contemporary, seafront hotel that's ideal for strolling from the beaches to the centre. Spend two days meandering round Crocosaurus Cove, a museum park entirely dedicated to crocodiles and Darwin's Aboriginal museum. In the evening, stop at Mindil Beach Market, which boasts a laidback hippie vibe market and stunning sunsets.

Bid farewell to the Red Centre and fly off to Queensland aka 'the Sunshine State'.

Touch down in the humid tropical climate of Cairns. First spotted in 1770 by Captain Cook and pulled out of the mangroves to mine gold from its rivers, the main coastal town of northern Queensland can be seen by some as a little too quiet, but it's the gateway to two phenomenal natural treasures. Firstly, Daintree Forest, the oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest on Earth. Walk through 600-million-year-old ferns, catch sight of the brilliant vivid blue of the Ulysses butterflies and hear the song of the superb fruit doves. The Great Barrier Reef also lies just offshore.

In the morning, set sail for the coral Fitzroy Island for a two-night stay. Cut off from the rest of the world, it is a true Garden of Eden where peace and quiet reign. Situated off the coast of Cairns (just an hour by ferry), you’ll be treated to an idyllic stay in the middle of a beautiful turquoise lagoon. Laze on dreamy beaches with a book and a drink (or two) for the perfect peaceful round off to your great Australian journey.