Hi, I'm Rick Steeves, and today we'll explore a pair of fun-loving offbeat destinations, from

kangaroos to Carnival, it's Australia and New Orleans.

First, a pair of experts are joining us to tell us all about Australia, from its dynamic cities and stunning coastline to the splendid isolation of the outback and the underwater marvels of the great barrier reef.

The coastline is an absolute stunner.

They've got that frontier spirit that we have but with a dose of something zainy and we can

conquer whatever and we're going to have a good time doing.

Then to join in on the carnival celebrations going on all over the world,

we'll head to the biggest party of them all. New Orleans and Mardi Gras.

In the Big Easy, tourism is nearing pre-Katrina levels,

but the city still has a long way to go before it's fully back to normal.

Even so, Norland's has its arms wide open for visitors to enjoy this year's party.

We'll find out why Mardi Gras is so important to the city's identity and how the festivities are big enough

to include fun for all ages.

Stay with us, it's Travel with Rick Steeves.

Travel with Rick Steeves is brought to you by American Airlines with their new Advantage Award booking tool, it's easier than ever to book to

over 800 Advantage Award destinations online at AA.com.

American Airlines knows why you fly. We're commemorating two big

celebrations today on Travel with Rick Steves. For Australia Day, we're

getting an overview of the big country down under from a pair of

Aussie-loving lonely planet editors and later we'll get into the spirit of

Mardi Gras in New Orleans as the city continues to recover both economically and

emotionally from the devastation that Hurricane Katrina brought two and a half years ago.

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