There is sailing, jet-boating, sandboarding and helicopter flights, or more gentle outdoor pleasures like chasing the reflections on a mirror-calm Gordon River cruise, riding through the rainforests on a restored heritage railway or being driven to the heart of it all in a comfortable 4x4.

BBC: Tasmania's wild wild west

Starting from Nong Khiaw in the early morning, our guide Dhit sat quietly as we drifted around 10km downstream along the calm Nam Ou River in a narrow long-tail boat.

BBC: Northern Laos�� 100 Waterfalls Trek

In Chicago, urban kayaking has boomed thanks to the city's calm, easily navigable river surrounded by densely packed, scenic skyscrapers.

WSJ: City Kayak Tours Fan Safety Worries

On Wednesday night, as I sat having dinner close to the Team Froch hotel, he looked a calm, relaxed figure as he strolled hand in hand with his girlfriend Rachael by the river.

BBC: man Robin Chipperfield on Carl Froch-Watch

Canadian Virginia Bennett, who lives in one of the residential apartments facing the River Thames, was getting ready to take her dog Abby for a walk when the morning calm was shattered by "the noise of metal crashing".

BBC: London helicopter crash: 'Flaming debris' over Vauxhall