Tim wrote in to find

A location equidistant between Australia and the UK to holiday with relatives.

We have relatives in Australia and have come up with the idea of meeting them halfway for a holiday together. We are two families with young teenagers and would like somewhere roughly equidistant where we can hit the beach and hire a car.

California is hard to beat with a family, and a fly-drive trip is the best way to take in its diverse sights. There aren’t usually car drop-off charges within California either, and as there are nonstop flights from Sydney  and London to both Los Angeles and San Francisco, you won’t have to double back along the 400 miles between the two cities if you choose an open-jaw air fare — flying into one city and back from the other.

Game-spotting in the Kruger National Park would make for a great family trip

Another option is to combine the beach and a safari in South Africa. There are flights to Johannesburg from Sydney and Perth, as well as, of course, flights to the UK. It’s the perfect chance to drive over to the Kruger National Park and stay in a safari lodge for some big-game-spotting, or to fly down to Cape Town to drive the Garden Route. Kulula (kulula.com) has domestic fares from about £33 one-way. Or, for a cheaper option, consider Malaysia.

Travel companies that can help you plan your end of the trip include Travelmood (, travelmood.com), Trailfinders (0845 054 6060, trailfinders.com), Austravel (0800 988 4676, austravel.com) and Flight Centre (0844 800 8660, flightcentre.co.uk).