A trip to the Great Barrier Reef is second only to a visit to the Arctic Circle to see the Northern Lights as one of the world's great must-do travel experiences.
More than 2,000 adults took part in a poll for the Discovery Channel which ranked a trip to the North Cape in Norway to see the Aurora Borealis spectacular display as the ultimate travel high.
A panel including TV adventurer Bear Grylls drew up a "wonder list" which the public then voted on. Undersea exploration at the Great Barrier Reef was placed in second spot.
Third place went to the road journey, celebrated in song, along Route 66, starting in Illinois and heading through locations such as the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.
The list was prepared to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Discovery Channel. The highest ranked experience in the UK was a visit to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice at number 18.
1. Visit the North Cape in Norway to see the Aurora Borealis.
2. Diving/snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
3. A road trip down Route 66 in the US.
4. Climbing/hiking at the Grand Canyon
5. Gondola ride along the Grand Canal in Venice
6. The Forbidden City, Beijing, China
7. Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
8. Sunrise at Ayers Rock, Australia
9. A boat trip around the Galapagos Islands
10. Walking The Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, Peru.
