LOOKING for a little romance this winter? Melbourne's Stamford Plaza Hotel could be the perfect place.

LIE back and think of nothing at this temple of sensuality, writes Sally Macmillan from tropical Port Douglas.

THE sky's the limit when it comes to a short good time on the Gold Coast, writes Sean Sennett.

MIKE O'Connor uncovers the best of Queensland's tropical north on a short break to Cairns, Australia's northernmost tourism bastion.

AT any time of year, WA's Rottnest Island seems to deliver the goods, whether it's on a day trip, a weekend escape or a longer beach holiday.

THE inner-city convenience is the attraction of the Hotel Causeway in the heart of the Melbourne's CBD action.

NEW Zealand's Bay of Plenty is a hot spot with a year-round holiday atmosphere that retains its charms, as Caron Dann discovers.

EXPLORE Shanghai, China's coolest metropolis, with Lonely Planet's Shanghai Encounter author, Damian Harper.

AS Moscow shrugs off the cobwebs of its communist past, adventurous tourists are turning their travel radar towards the Russian powerhouse.

CRUISING off the Thailand coast in the Andaman Sea on a fully-rigged barquentine is hard to beat, John Borthwick writes.

THERE is much to do and see in London but a visit to the bustling metropolis need not empty your wallet, writes Alison Cotes.

CRUISING off the Thailand coast in the Andaman Sea on a fully-rigged barquentine is hard to beat, John Borthwick writes.

HEAD for the ski fields, let your hair down and be a little kid with your kids again, says Brad Crouch.

PERISHER Blue and Thredbo have both clocked a season first with more than half a metre of snow ? but Victoria is not far behind.

THERE'S nothing fun about flying long-haul with children but these tips should help you survive the ordeal, writes Julia Carlisle.

AT any time of year, WA's Rottnest Island seems to deliver the goods, whether it's on a day trip, a weekend escape or a longer beach holiday.