Every year thousands of young adventurers jet off to exotic corners of the globe in search of new friends and experiences.

But, for travellers like Caroline Stuttle, that dream trip can turn to a nightmare. The 19-year-old student was one of a succession of British backpackers in recent years who would never see their homeland again.

Australia has been the scene of some of the most high-profile tragedies of late, most notably the fatal hostel fire of 2000 and the apparent death of Peter Falconio the following year

Six Britons and an Irish woman were among the 15 victims of an arson blaze that swept through the Palace Backpackers Hostel in Childers, Queensland, in June 2000.

The man who started the fire, a fruit-picker named Robert Long, was portrayed at his trial as a loner with a hatred of backpackers. He received a life sentence for murder.

In July 2001, Yorkshireman Mr Falconio disappeared after he and his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, were flagged down on a remote Outback road in central Australia.

Mr Falconio’s body has never been found, but a man is due to stand trial next year accused of his murder.

Australia also attracted unwanted attention in 1996 when serial killer Ivan Milat was convicted and jailed for life for the murders of seven backpackers, two of them British, between 1989 and 1992.

More recently, in August this year the body of former Liverpool University student Sean Kennedy was found in Sydney less than half-a-mile from where he vanished 12 days previously.

It was thought he was involved in a row with fellow revellers at a rock concert on the night of his disappearance, but the cause of his death remains a mystery.

Also this year, two backpackers from Devon were shot dead near the famous bridge over the River Kwai in Thailand in September, just a day before they were due to return home.

More sad news here