Sights and adventures abound down under

A north-to-south flight to Melbourne, the cooler and proud capital of the state of Victoria, gave us a sweeping airborne view of the Outback, its orange terrain etched by access roads and dotted by an occasional settlement.

If Cairns is where Australians play, Melbourne is where they work. The metropolis has 3.2 million people — the country's second-biggest city — and even shopkeepers can't hide their sense of competition with Sydney, which is the most populous. Melbourne is a city of tram cars, one of which offers free rides around a perimeter downtown with stops at sites such as Fitzroy Gardens, where Capt. Cook's cottage has been relocated. The waterfront along the Yarra River is lined with restaurants and shops and, for those so inclined, the grand Crown Casino.

A few extra bucks — $60 — gave us an evening look at the city from a 1927-vintage tram car converted with burgundy carpeting and velvet seats into a rolling restaurant. Dinner started with champagne and wine and a choice of entrees. I tried pepper-crusted kangaroo — not bad, but I went heavy on the spicy sauce.

If you're flying from Australia to New Zealand (less than three hours) and you don't have a window seat, try to swap for one. Beg if you must. I lucked out. The clear day offered breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountains of "The Lord of the Rings" land below as we flew toward Christchurch on the South Island.

The English influence is unmistakable in this tidy, garden-happy city tucked into the island's east coast. Like Australian cities, it is built for walkers, with pedestrian street-crossing control buttons. Looming majestically over a pedestrian-only square is the city's centerpiece, Christchurch Cathedral. Inside, lookout balconies offer great views of the city.

No visit is complete without a walk through the Botanical Gardens, whose paths lead walkers along the Avon River. If you want to ride, punting is the answer; you can glide along the river in a flat-bottomed gondola guided by young men outfitted in straw boaters who propel the craft along with long poles, Venice-style. School had just let out as we strolled along, and the paths streamed with young boys in striped jackets carrying cricket bats.

If you go ... AUSTRALIA australia.com NEW ZEALAND Newzealand.com Adventures in Queenstown Web site Source: The Associated Press

But Queenstown, inland and to the west, is where the action begins. The road trip there is one visual exclamation point after another: Huge "stations" or ranches in the flatlands lead to rolling highlands, dense forests and finally towering peaks that even in the summer shed their snowmelt into countless cascades spilling down the mountainsides.

Our drive into this small city — about 15,000 year-round residents balloon to several times that during busier seasons — took us past a row of booking agents offering rafting, river surfing, sailing, jet boat riding, paragliding, hang-gliding, canyon hiking, cycling, sky-diving and more. Up for nude (or semi-nude) bungee jumping? They'll book you here, the world's bungee-jumping capital. I chose to leap with clothes on, from a platform 400 meters (1,300 feet) above the city and gleaming Lake Wakapitu. Their advice as I peered to the ledge below: "You don't need to look where you're going."

The step over the edge was worth the price — about New Zealand $150.

If you've gone this far, book a ride to Milford Sound, the glacier-carved fjord about five hours from Queenstown. Tour boats give you breathtaking vistas of tall peaks and close-up looks at sheer rock face and cascades splashing to the inlet.

Moviegoers taken by the scenery in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy can take any of a variety of tours through the spectacular filming locations.

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