Complete the hop

COCOS KEELING ISLANDS, TERRITORY

Sitting even further out west in the Indian Ocean than Christmas Island is one of Australia’s most remote, and most beautiful territories.The Cocos Keelings are a collection of 27 islets where two adjacent coral atolls break the surface.They’re a little-known, untouched paradise of swaying palms and white sand beaches, coral reefs below sapphire blue waters, and it’s all ripe for exploration, the lush centres of the islands criss-crossed with trails and interwoven with the unique culture of the Cocos Malay people.Try to make it to all 27 islands; you can do so by hiring a motorised canoe, but during the doldrums from November to May you can kayak or even stand-up paddle board between the islands. Some of the smaller stretches can be made by snorkelling across or wading at low tide to find your own private islet for a spot of lunch; indeed, the Cocos Keelings lay claim to the world’s only atoll walk, whereby low tides at certain times of year enable you to walk the entire stretch of the main horseshoe-shaped lagoon. cocoskeelingislands.com.au