Australians and New Zealanders are friendly, the lifestyle is relaxed and informal, the sun shines and the beaches are golden: "Down Under" is a vacation paradise, especially for family travellers. The seasons here are exactly opposite those of the U.S. or Canada, making Australia the perfect place to spend the "winter" holidays in summertime splendor. Our summer - Australia's winter - months of June, July and August are great times to explore the rainforests of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef or the central continent's Outback. Neighboring New Zealand offers the same seasonal patterns, with slightly lower temperatures overall.