Australia

Do you think of Sea, Sun and Sand when you think of Australia? Unfortunately, that's all most people do have in mind.

But being Down Under means much more than that and I'm not just talking about the extensive rainforests or pristine ski slopes or the undiscovered beauty of the Outback.

Australia is a place where thinking is unconfined. Tradition is recognised, but does not limit the way Australians approach the future. There are no blind spots in the Australian approach to life, and everywhere people are encouraged to find solutions to problems, not just come up with more problems.

Australians have a tradition of calling bald men curly. It's part of the national sense of humour, but it also shows that people are thinking outside the box, are imagining what could be, not just seeing what is there.

When people limit Australia to Sun, Sea and Sand, they are showing their own constrained vision of the world, inherited from centuries of insulated culture. Australians have an unfettered view of their own country and potential. Anything they can think of doing can be done: the education, the environment, the cultural support - it is all there waiting. Think big.

Chris P., Australia