Tasmania, Australia

It is shaped like a heart and just as beautiful. It is the 26th largest island in the world, roughly the size of Sri Lanka and slightly smaller than Ireland. It represents less than 1% of the Australian landmass but contains 12% of the country's fresh water. It had almost its entire indigenous population wiped out during colonization and today is mostly populated by descendants of the "founding families" with British background. What is it?

Tasmania is a speck of land 240 km (150 mi) south-east of the Australian mainland. With a population of only 1/2 million and 7 people per square km, this Australian state is a sparsely populated, mountainous and remote place. Tasmania’s 3,000 lakes and vast areas of protected land also make it a dream destination for people who love to explore. It is home to the first environmental political party in the world and has designated 45% of its land mass to be either national parks or World Heritage Sites. Don’t you wish you could pack up your 4x4, your tent trailer and the kids and start exploring the remote parts of this paradise?

It is not without envy that I sit in Melbourne's harbor and watch one RV after the other being loaded onto the Spirit of Tasmania, the only ferry serving the island. The trip takes 10 hours but your patience is rewarded with clean air and water, curvy country roads, the largest remaining temperate rain forest in the southern hemisphere and beautiful beaches and lakes to enjoy.