Arnhem Land, Northern Territory

Indigenous Culture, Art, Beaches

The best thing about traveling in Australia鈥檚 far north is connecting with the Aboriginal people who have roamed these canyons and coasts for some 65,000 years. Nowhere is their culture more alive than in , a 37,500-square-mile preserve with rusty red coastlines, rugged escarpments, and croc-filled oxbow lakes. You can camp on the Cobourg Peninsula with a permit, but it鈥檚 easier to leave the planning to professionals. On through the region, you鈥檒l camp and stay in lodges, eat bush foods like mud crabs and tart billy goat plums, and listen to Aboriginal guides tell Dreamtime stories about everything from creation myths to morality. After spending the last two nights in an oceanfront cabin on Bremer Island, a haven for sea turtle hatchlings, you鈥檒l head back to the mainland to explore the Buku Art Centre, home to the region鈥檚 most prized Aboriginal art.

Detour: South of Darwin, the territory鈥檚 capital, paddle the gorges of and take a dip in the plunge pools of Edith Falls.

Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

Surfing, Snorkeling, Diving

This reef compares favorably to its more famous sister on the east coast: it鈥檚 home to pumping surf breaks, migrating whale sharks, and healthier coral. Pack a spare can of gas for the 707-mile drive north from Perth and hold tight as you overtake road trains鈥攕emitrucks up to six trailers long that look straight out of Mad Max. When you reach the southern end of the reef, 78 miles north of Carnarvon, relax in a palm-frond surf shack on the sand at (from $22), and watch for breaching whales between sets on the legendary left-hand point break. Visit between March and July and will take you snorkeling amid docile whale sharks. On your way back to Perth, stop by the to taste the Thompson family鈥檚 renowned western rock lobster, grilled on the half shell.

Detour: Book a four- or seven-day stay at , a new eco-lodge on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, and you鈥檒l get a free outing to snorkel the reefs (from $1,983 for four nights, all-inclusive).

Northwest Tasmania

Trekking, Photography, Wildlife

Tasmania is in the midst of a cultural boom, thanks to innovative chefs, craft distillers, and a world-class modern art museum called . But head to its northwest and you鈥檒l find the , one of the largest, oldest, and least disturbed temperate rainforests in the world. Though home to such rare and endangered species as the orange bellied parrot and Tasmanian devil, most of the forest lacks protection from logging and mining. Discover why it鈥檚 worth saving during a four-day excursion at , a camp offering daily walks or photography workshops under giant stringybark gum trees. Hikers should tack on a jaunt along the 40-mile Overland Track in nearby Cradle Mountain鈥揕ake St. Clair National Park. End the trek with a stay at , a renovated 1940s hydroelectric plant that appears to float on the inky waters of the country鈥檚 deepest lake (from $213).

Detour: Take on the new and spend 37 days in the bush, including eight days rafting the Franklin River, one of the world鈥檚 greatest whitewater trips.

The Red Center, Northern Territory

Skydiving, Overlanding, Art Installations

, the sacred monolith formerly known as Ayers Rock, pulls massive crowds to the country鈥檚 geographic center, but it鈥檚 still worth your time to go there. Take the scenic route from Alice Springs along red-dirt roads, stopping at to swim in a shipping container turned pool before bedding down in a glamping tent at the base of the George Gill Range (from $945, all-inclusive; campsites and safari tents available from $18). When you finally reach Uluru, admire it from the air on a sunrise skydive booked through Ayers Rock Resort. At sundown, watch it fade from pink to purple as you enjoy lamb topped with native sea parsley at the resort鈥檚 , a mesmerizing art installation of 50,000 glowing glass stalks.

Detour: Book a cabin on the 聽for the world鈥檚 longest north-to-south rail journey, bisecting Australia from Darwin to Adelaide. It鈥檚 a four-day trip, but you can halve it by departing from Alice Springs (from $767, all-inclusive).

Wollemi National Park, New South Wales

Glowworms, Villas, Hot Tubs

An hour and a half west of Sydney, you鈥檒l find the , a 2.6-million-acre Unesco World Heritage site known for its sandstone plateaus, undulating forests, waterfall-spilling cliffs, and mysterious blue haze that鈥檚 thought to be caused by droplets of eucalyptus oil. Get off the beaten path by setting out for the fern-filled canyons of . The villas at neighboring Emirates One and Only Wolgan Valley are splurge worthy, with private plunge pools, guided hikes, and binoculars for spotting resident kangaroos and wombats (from $1,955, all-inclusive). If you鈥檇 rather point your field glasses skyward, 鈥檚 three transparent domes, set 3,600 feet up the rim of nearby Capertree Valley, are perfect for stargazing or simply soaking in the wood-fired outdoor hot tubs (from $492 for two nights).

Detour: in the southern Blue Mountains are the world鈥檚 oldest known caverns. Access is easy with daily guided tours.

Gold Coast, Queensland

Surf Schools, Swimming Holes, Breweries

This surfer鈥檚 paradise, an hour鈥檚 drive from Brisbane, has a reputation for being a little too much like Las Vegas. To escape the glitz, head to the more soulful southern end of the Goldie, near Burleigh Heads. offers lessons from five-time Australian national champion Mark Richardson, who will put you on a gently peeling right-hander known as Currumbin Alley. Later, take a walk past secret swimming holes along the Ocean View Track in before grabbing a draft of award-winning extra pale ale at nearby , which was cofounded by local pro surfers. Stay at the , a Mediterranean-style boutique hotel right off the sand in Cabarita Beach, a mellow surf town 20 minutes south of the Gold Coast in New South Wales (from $436).

Detour: A two-hour flight from Brisbane will get you to Lord Howe, a volcanic island blessed with misty cloud forests, empty kite-surfing breaks, great scuba diving, and the , Australia鈥檚 newest Great Walk.

Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Camping, Camels, Pub Life

South Australia is known more for shorelines and Shiraz than untamed outback, but the state鈥檚 mauve and ocher interior features some of the most enigmatic landscape in the country. Begin your adventure at , a massive crater-like amphitheater 270 miles north of Adelaide, which is ringed by serrated mountain peaks that were once taller than the Himalayas. Be sure to hike the 4.3-mile for panoramic views of the inner basin before heading back to Wilpena Pound Resort, where you鈥檒l find a range of accommodations, including campsites (from $18). Then take to the sky on Wrightsair鈥檚 flightseeing tour of the Pound, the spiny Flinders mountains, and Lake Eyre, a salt lake that fills with water and shines pink after a deluge. Lunch is at , a 131-year-old Aussie pub and the lake鈥檚 closest settlement. For another truly Australian experience, keep an eye out for emus and yellow-footed rock wallabies from atop a camel during one of Camel Treks Australia鈥檚 multi-day expeditions out of Beltana Station (from $1,060).

Detour: Inspired by similar retreats in the U.S., tiny-house getaway Cabn recently opened , a diminutive Scandinavian-style home surrounded by the forests, farms, and wineries just outside the state鈥檚 capital city in the Adelaide Hills (from $138). The glassed-in hideaway is tough to leave, but nearby Mount Lofty might lure you out for a morning run or rock climb.

Poor Knights Islands, North Island

Paddleboarding, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling

Most people think all the fun happens on New Zealand鈥檚 South Island. They鈥檙e wrong. The waters off Poor Knights Islands, a small volcanic archipelago off the primeval , were ranked as one of the top ten dive sites in the world by Jacques Cousteau. Moray eels hide in seaweed-covered crevices, psychedelic sea slugs rest on fan corals, and snapper, kingfish, and trevally school in the hundreds around a labyrinth of underwater tunnels, arches, and coral gardens. Dive Tutukaka offers private charters to some 100 sites, including Northern Arch, where stingrays mate and hide from orcas. Decompress on the mainland at the 6,000-acre , which offers a hilltop infinity pool, fishing guides, horseback riding, and helicopter tours of the craggy coastlines (from $547).

Detour: In the Bay of Islands, north of the Tutu颅kaka Coast, parasail between isles and fill up on oysters and seafood chowder at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel in the village of Russell.

Mackenzie Basin, South Island

Stars, Vistas, Scenic Retreats

The peaks in this region served as Edmund Hillary鈥檚 training ground for Mount Everest. While you explore 12,218-foot Aoraki鈥揗ount Cook, starting from or the Mueller Hut, you might notice something that hasn鈥檛 changed since the Kiwi explorer trekked the area鈥攊ncredible stargazing. On a clear night, you鈥檒l see why the region was christened the first and largest Gold Tier reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association. Several companies run night-sky tours, but be sure to check out the planetarium and stargazing events at the and the local wine at the Pukaki Wine Cellar and Observatory. Then soak in a cedar tub before drifting off under exotic constellations in your glass-roofed bedroom at SkyScape, a guesthouse on a working sheep farm deep inside the reserve (from $383).

Detour: If you鈥檙e looking for stars in the country鈥檚 north, Great Barrier Island is the world鈥檚 only isle designated a Dark Sky Sanctuary.

Queenstown, South Island

Mountain Biking, Wine, Eco-Lodges

Queenstown, New Zealand鈥檚 adventure capital, has taken off as a cycling destination. Every November, the city hosts the Pioneer Mountain Bike Stage Race, where two-person teams ride 263 miles through the Southern Alps. If that鈥檚 not your style, rent a hardtail from Gibbston Valley Winery and cap off a nine-mile round-trip ride along the Kawarau River with a complimentary wine and cheese lunch. The winery also rents full-suspension rigs for shredding the 25 miles of trails at neighboring . When you鈥檙e cycled out, recuperate in heated spring water at , a spa just north of Queenstown that overlooks the rapids-filled Shotover River. Then check in to , a solar-powered lodge that opened earlier this year on the shores of Lake Wakatipu (from $161).

Detour: Riding the Roxburgh Gorge Trail in the Central Otago region, you鈥檒l wind past sheep farms, Gold Rush towns, and the Clutha Mata-au, the South Island鈥檚 longest river.

Taupo Volcanic Zone, North Island

Volcanoes, Hot Springs, Summit Views

Extending from Mount Ruapehu to White Island, off the northeastern coast, this active volcanic region steams and seethes with dozens of geothermal features, ranging from the waterfall-and-hot-spring-fed Kerosene Creek to the thermal pools of the . It鈥檚 also pocked with calderas and punctuated by snowcapped peaks, the most well-known being Mount Tongariro, home to the stunning 12-mile . The route can be crowded, so head out in the early morning under shooting stars鈥攐r go in winter, when crampons and an ice ax are required鈥攁nd you should have the trail all to yourself. If you need a guide, , founder of Adrift Tongariro, has completed the crossing more than 2,000 times. He鈥檒l happily rise at 12:30 A.M. to lead your expedition before the rest of the mountain even wakes up.

Detour: Want to really escape the masses? Barclay also leads climbs of 9,177-foot Mount Ruapehu, the tallest peak on the North Island.

Paparoa National Park, South Island

Mountain Biking, Hiking, Kayaking

The west coast of New Zealand鈥檚 South Island draws travelers in search of glaciers, rainforests, whitebait (tiny delicious fish that are fried whole or frittered), and 鈥攋ade stones that are an important part of Maori culture. Once the 34-mile Paparoa hut-to-hut track is finished in early 2019, it will be a hiker鈥檚 and biker鈥檚 paradise, too. The trail winds through beech trees and nikau palms that provide habitat for roroa, the iconic terrestrial bird better known as the great spotted kiwi. For another epic bikepacking journey, head to the 53-mile Old Ghost Road: this former mining track, which runs along the Mokihinui River and through the Lyell Range, is defined by steep climbs, exposed drop-offs, and long descents. The route is home to five huts that come with gas stoves, fireplaces, toilets, and bunk beds ($91).

Detour: In the South Island鈥檚 northwest corner, offers guided kayaking trips along the Abel Tasman Coast Track, where you鈥檒l stop for day hikes and sleep on the beach (from $1,060 for three days). Recuperate at the in the town of Onekaka in Golden Bay over pan-fried tarakihi fish, green-lipped mussels, and a house-brewed Captain Cooker鈥攁 malt beer infused with manuka tree cuttings that was inspired by the first ale ever brewed in New Zealand, by none other than Captain Cook.

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It鈥檚 early November, and head-high surf pounds the Pismo Beach Pier, on California鈥檚 central coast. But has solid footing on the railing. Without hesitation he bends his knees, pivots 180 degrees, and backflips into the great Pacific washing machine. I lose sight of him for what feels like a minute before he appears in the whitewash. Another monster wave rumbles in. Burkard catches it and bodysurfs to shore.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 not warm,鈥� he yells, shaking out his wet hair like a dog. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 drink coffee. I have a hard time focusing, but all I need to do is jump in the ocean.鈥�

鈥淣ot warm鈥� is hard to believe coming from someone who treads water next to icebergs. When the 32-year-old photographer isn鈥檛 working in eastern Greenland or Alaska, he鈥檚 here, dropping his core temperature at the beach where he grew up and his career began 13 years ago. With around 100 magazine covers to his credit鈥攑lus sponsors like Black Dia颅mond and Sony, prestigious awards, a TED Talk that鈥檚 been viewed almost two million times, a catalog of films and books, and three million Instagram followers鈥擝urkard could go freeze anywhere he likes. Yet, with his wife, Breanne, and two sons (Jeremiah, six, and Forrest, four), as well as a studio just down Highway 101, he鈥檇 like to spend more than about three months a year at home. 鈥淭his is one of California鈥檚 last funky beach towns,鈥� Burkard says of Pismo, peering through bloodshot blue eyes at tourist shops and caf茅s. 鈥淲hen I was a teenager, I turned to photography as a way to get out of here. Now there鈥檚 nowhere else I鈥檇 rather be.鈥�

We jump into his well-worn Transit Connect camper, and I spot his passport resting below the stereo. He used it 48 hours prior to get home from his 27th trip to Iceland, where he was hired to explore the West颅fjords with surfer Stephanie Gilmore and the band MGMT. 鈥淗ave you posted a 鈥檊ram yet today?鈥� I joke, to which Burkard throws his head back, resigned to the fact that he might be labeled an Instagram influencer for eternity. His posts often get more than 100,000 likes and hundreds of comments. 鈥淚 want to shoot photographs that will be here a lot longer than I am,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut my goal has always been to reach as many people as I can, so I鈥檓 really grateful that Instagram has taken my career and given it a megaphone.鈥�

Kingdom of Ice

In praise of wild and frigid places

For this photo, Burkard convinced his friend, big-wave surfer Keith Malloy, to hop on a last-minute flight with him and go hunt swells on the south coast of Iceland. Midtrip, though, they reached the glacial lagoon J枚kuls谩rl贸n and spent an hour paddling around icebergs.

We pull into Chris Burkard Studio, a renovated warehouse tucked behind the Pismo Beach Outlets, which he opened in July 2016. His images cover the walls. You know one when you see it: a surreally beautiful landscape is almost always the main character. 鈥淗e鈥檚 really good at placing small humans in big spaces,鈥� says Surfer magazine photo editor Grant Ellis, who has worked with Burkard for 12 years. 鈥淗e has a distinctive style of showing the beauty of a place through color and stillness. He steps back and lets the scene be.鈥�

It wasn鈥檛 until Burkard, at 19, borrowed a film camera from Breanne鈥檚 mother that he dis颅covered the power of photography. He eventually purchased a digital Canon 20D and a waterproof housing, and taught himself how to artfully combine energetic ocean颅scapes with surfers. In 2006, he landed an internship at Trans颅World Surf, the same year he was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Follow the Light Foundation, launched by the family and colleagues of former Surfing photo editor Larry Moore. Burkard used the money to fund a two-month road trip from Oregon to Mexico with his friend Eric Soderquist, resulting in a photo book called . By 2009, Burkard was spearheading feature expeditions for Surfer, where he鈥檚 still on the masthead as a senior photographer.

鈥淎ll I really care about is shooting photos that make people want to be there and inspire action in some way, getting away from their desk or from school to see what the world has to offer,鈥� Burkard says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what images did for me as a kid.鈥�

Burkard was ahead of the class when it came to embracing digital photography. And when most surf photographers were jostling for position in Hawaii or Tahiti, he was scouring satellite swell maps of Kamchatka, Russia; Unstad, Norway; and Alaska鈥檚 Aleutian Islands. He assembled teams of assistants and athletes and joined Instagram early on to share behind-the-scenes footage and personal stories of what it took to get to those places. Grad颅ually, his audience and client list grew.

On Burkard鈥檚 first winter trip to Iceland, in 2012, he and some friends set out before dawn, hiked up a glacier, descended fixed ropes, and took a dinghy across a tiny river to get to this cavern by sunrise.

鈥淲hat separates Chris is his work ethic,鈥� says climber and photographer Jimmy Chin. 鈥淗e has built an incredible presence on Instagram, but it didn鈥檛 come easy. He has consistently put out great work, beautiful work, unexpected work, for years. People love his vision, but they also love his voice, which comes out in his captions.鈥�

Today, Burkard focuses on personal projects, commercial jobs for clients like Apple, the North Face, and Toyota, and photography workshops, which this year include a six-day course in Colorado and a sailing trip around northwest Norway. He provides students with a blend of theory, technique, and social-media tips. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really know how to get millions of followers,鈥� Burkard says. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 one thing I have noticed, it鈥檚 that the more I鈥檝e been able to be honest and open up and share the actual things that make me tick in captions, people seem to care about that.鈥� He also tries to post consistently, once or twice a day, and encourages students to draft a mission statement. His most emphatic advice: don鈥檛 tell viewers what they can already see. 鈥淭he worst thing you can do as a photographer is pair a beautiful piece of work with a crappy, regurgitated caption. If I read 鈥楾he mountains are calling and I must go鈥� one more time,鈥� he laughs. 鈥淪ocial media is the place where you make your own quotes.鈥�

Burkard鈥檚 captions range from honoring nature (鈥淭here are few places where you can feel precipitation rising upward. This is one of them,鈥� about an image in Kauai), to photography advice (鈥淎 good leading line not only pulls the viewer in but also helps them to focus on what is important in the frame鈥�), to personal disclosure (鈥淎 sad but real by-product of Social Media is that it can create an ever present need for recognition. It has become more and more obvious to me how important it is to be in environments that humble you, scare you, and ultimately challenge who you are鈥�).

After paddling seven miles with a friend on Maligne Lake, in Canada鈥檚 Jasper National Park, Burkard shot this photo of Spirit Island at sunset before camping out in the cold.

Burkard鈥檚 work has always steered toward environmental advocacy. Recently he teamed up with the National Park Foundation to raise the profile of lesser known natural playgrounds, like Colorado鈥檚 Great Sand Dunes and Arizona鈥檚 Canyon de Chelly; he鈥檚 also working on a book of aerial photography of the glacial rivers in Iceland鈥檚 central highlands. (Some of the proceeds will go toward a campaign to designate the threatened area as a national park.) Then there鈥檚 his growing interest in directing films, including last year鈥檚 Tribeca selection , about a quest to surf under the northern lights in Iceland.

How Burkard accomplishes all this is hard to fathom. Longtime colleague and Under an Arctic Sky cinematographer Ben Weiland says he has an uncanny ability to focus during high-pressure situations, like the 11-hour drive the crew took during one of Iceland鈥檚 worst snowstorms in 25 years. When their truck got stuck in a snowdrift on the edge of a sea cliff, Burkard jumped into the blizzard to guide the group out. 鈥淗e thrives in situations like that,鈥� Weiland says. 鈥淗e never stops.鈥�

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