The Trip - Kirsten Walla, Brazil

NAME Kirsten Walla and Jim Thomson

THE TRIP Chile and Brazil (mostly)

THE ITINERARY Our bucket-list trip started in Manaus, Brazil, with a short soft-adventure cruise on the Amazon, during which we went piranha fishing, caiman spotting and jungle trekking. After a stop in Brasilia to marvel at some of the capital's architectural wonders it was back to nature with a three-night stay on a remote fazenda​ in the southern Pantanal. From here we went on daily wildlife-viewing excursions by boat and truck. We saw waterbirds, hyacinth macaws, giant anteaters, giant otters, capybaras and even an elusive armadillo. Ecotourism-friendly Bonito was next. We snorkeled down the crystal clear Sucuri River and visited the nearby Buraco das Araras, a private reserve with a huge sinkhole that is home to 150 macaws.

We then traded the heat of Brazil for the cold of Chile's Atacama desert. Based in the backpacker mecca of San Pedro de Atacama, we went on a couple of highland excursions to acclimatise for a three-day trip to the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, in the Bolivian Andes. Scenery-wise this was the most spectacular part of our journey, and breathtaking in more ways than one, as we travelled at an altitude of between 3500 and 4500 metres. Under clear blue skies we passed snow-capped mountains, bizarre rock formations, lagoons with hundreds of flamingoes, and the occasional herds of llamas. And, of course, there was the huge, white expanse of the Salar de Uyuni, with the cacti-studded Incahuasi Island in its middle.

Next were Santiago and Valparaiso before heading to Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, to learn about its moai and the Birdman cult. From here we continued to Tahiti for a few days of rest and relaxation before finally returning to Australia via Auckland, where we celebrated the 105th birthday of Jim's dad.

BEST BITS Everywhere had its own attractions, but the highlights were the Pantanal and the Andes.

WORST BITS: The extreme heat in the Amazon and the extreme cold in the Andes at night.

BEST TIP: It helps to speak a few words of Spanish and Portuguese.

WHERE TO NEXT: A cruise to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands