For a few weeks early this year, the fate of two Australian drug smugglers in Indonesia gripped the nation.
Their execution and the chilling impact it had on Australia's relationship with Indonesia stands among the major stories from the year in foreign affairs.
Phillippa Carisbrooke has more.
Diplomatic relations between Australia and Indonesia were severely tested by the April executions of convicted drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
Tony Abbott's Government lobbied for the Australians' lives to be spared, the then prime minister standing firmly opposed to the death penalty.
"I've had a number of conversations with President Widodo on this issue. I'm not going to go into what was said, but I have certainly made our position very clear."
Emotional appeals by the men's families, including this one from Andrew Chan's brother Michael, were ignored.
"Somewhere in the legal system for Indonesia, there's got to be mercy. And the President needs to show that now, and he's the only one that can stop it. And it's not too late to do so. So I ask the President, 'Please show mercy.'"
After the executions, Australia withdrew its ambassador, and ministerial visits stopped for almost four months.
But since then, the Australian government has worked to rebuild its relationship with Indonesia.
New prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's first overseas visit in the role, to Indonesia in November, was seen as symbolic.
"My focus here in Indonesia and, indeed, wherever I am is on growing the Australian economy. And one of the places where there are great opportunities for mutual trade and investment in creating jobs, and Indonesia and Australia working together, is right here in Indonesia."
While that relationship was mending, a blistering speech by a defiant Julie Bishop at the United Nations in July, aimed at Russia, had commentators in raptures.
Ms Bishop was speaking after Russia used its veto power to block a proposal to establish an international criminal tribunal into the shooting down of flight M-H-17 over eastern Ukraine.
The Foreign Minister called it an affront to the memory of the 298 victims, their families and friends.
"It is inconceivable the Security Council would now walk away from holding to account those who brought down a commercial aeroplane. The veto only compounds the atrocity. Mr President, only one hand was raised in opposition, but a veto should never be allowed to deny justice. The recycle of discredited contentions and the anticipated excuses and obfuscation by the Russian Federation should be treated with the utmost disdain."
On the trade front, relations were warmer.
Australia's free-trade agreement with Japan came into effect in January.
The Abbott Government signed another with China in midyear after the Labor Opposition secured some key concessions.
Melbourne architect Stephen Evans was among those welcoming the deal, which he said would enable him to do more business in China.
"What it has allowed is the Chinese government to recognise our qualifications and our experience, which means that we can bid for larger projects and do the full documentation services that we would normally do here in Australia. Which means we can bid for more projects, larger projects, in China, we can take on some more staff here in Australia and hopefully open our Chinese, Beijing, office as well."
Not all was smooth between Australia and China, though.
China censured Australia after it expressed concern about the Chinese construction of artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea.
China said Australia should be promoting regional stability rather than adding what it called "fuel to the flames."
Meanwhile, Australia and the United States agreed to boost naval cooperation in the unsettled region.
But Julie Bishop insisted Australian warships would not join US vessels sailing close to the islands.
"We have no plans to do other than what we already do, and that is traverse international waters in accordance with international law. Indeed, we have joint exercises with the United States navy, we have joint exercises with the Chinese navy."
Ms Bishop also donned a headscarf to visit Tehran in April, becoming the first Australian minister to set foot in Iran in nearly 12 years.
She was unable to convince Iran's leaders to take back unsuccessful asylum seekers.
But she described her discussions with Iran's president and members of the Supreme National Security Council as productive.
"We talked about our common purpose in supporting the Iraqi government to defeat the terrorist organisation Daesh. I explained Australia's involvement and the limitations of it. So it was a very positive and informative discussion."
Lastly, in November, Australia finalised agreements with India and the United Arab Emirates to start commercial uranium exports.
Peace groups, along with environmental and public-health organisations, were critical of the deal with India, which has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
They described it as a dangerous move that put nuclear interests ahead of the national interest.
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