Griffith, Australia

Citrus orchards line the way into GRIFFITH, 70km northwest of Narrandera, with a range of low hills in the background. It's known for its large Italian population, the descendants of immigrants who came in the 1920s, having already tried mining in Broken Hill, and again after World War II. Needless to say, excellent Italian cafés and restaurants line the tree-filled main street of Banna Avenue, and many wineries are run by Italian families.

The best way to get an overview of the area is to head for Scenic Hill, the escarpment that forms the northern boundary of the city, where the Sir Dudley de Chair's Lookout gives a panoramic view of the horticultural enterprises below. Immediately beneath this rocky outcrop is the Hermit's Cave, where Valerio Recetti, an Italian immigrant, lived alone and undetected for ten years, working only at night and early in the morning with Stone-Age tools to create a home in the caves.