Howzat! Scale new heights on a tour down under

spectacle of the glittering lights of Adelaide coming to life. It’s an exhilarating experience which, like the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb, enables you to get a very fresh take on a distinctive (and at AUS$535million/£312million, very expensive) piece of architecture and gain a much better sense of the breathtaking place you are in, irrespective of whether there is a match going on.

This being Australia, the experience entails an element of physical exertion, the frisson of danger (though climbers are firmly secured in harnesses), great possibilities for poms and Aussies to exchange good-natured banter about the relative merits of their teams, and a well-earned sense of elation at the end of the tour – particularly if, like me (and most of my hardy group of four men and four women), you have struck a dramatic pose by leaning backwards high above the ground, and shrieked with delight.

You don’t have to be a cricket fan to enjoy it – nor do you have to be a cricket fan to enjoy the incredible riches that Australia offers the tourist throughout the seasons.

Over the following six pages, our writers have mapped some of the very best experiences to be had across the length and breadth of this extraordinary country – or rather continent – from the wonders that can still be seen on the Great Barrier Reef to the compelling beauty of a new nature trail on Kangaroo Island; from the foodie havens tucked away in some of the most scenic spots of Victoria to the majesty of Australia’s stupendous “Red Centre”. We hope that, with this guide, you won’t be stumped for suggestions.

And we’d be more than happy if you got in touch with some ideas of your own (travelviews@telegraph.co.uk).

The roof climb at the Adelaide Oval costs from AUS$99 (£57) per person or $225 (£130) for the tour during the Test match. For further information, see roofclimb.com.au

It’s not just cricket: Adrian Bridge leans out into the abyss above the Adelaide ground