New Zealand makes Best in Travel guide top 10

NEW Zealand has been named one of the top 10 countries in the world to visit next year.

Australia didn't make the grade in the Lonely Planet's new popular Best in Travel guide, although the south-west of Western Australia won a spot in the top 10 regions worldwide.

The travel bible named New Zealand on the basis of the adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

The authors said the last time they checked, "the land of Maori and hobbits certainly didn't need repairing".

The annual guide, which drew on the knowledge of Lonely Planet's staff, named the country's most inspiring activities as flying over Fiordland, kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park and paragliding over Queenstown - all South Island activities.

But the North Island's Tongariro National Park, prized for its iconic one-day crossing hike, also rated a mention.

Other countries named in the top 10 were El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Portugal, Suriname and the USA.