Charters Towers, Australia

Once Queensland's second-largest city, and often referred to in its heyday simply as "the World", CHARTERS TOWERS is a showcase of colonial-era architecture.Good times to visit are for the May Day weekend Country Music Festival, and the Easter Rodeo.

The city centre has plenty of spruce old buildings along Gill and Mosman streets, including the 1871-established headquarters of the twice-weekly Northern Miner, one of Queensland's oldest surviving newspapers, the classical elegance of the post office and the World Theatre (guided tours $2; book at the visitor centre). Just down Mosman Street is the Charters Towers Folk Museum (daily 10am–3pm; $5), housing an absorbing jumble of everything from old wagons to a set of silver tongs for eating frogs' legs.The visitor centre is at Mosman St (daily 9am–5pm; Tel:07/4752 0314).