Some Kind Of Bliss: Internet radio gaga

It was after hearing one local commercial radio announcer trying to regale me with yet another story about a drunken night out that made me switch off.

But in truth, it was a long time coming.

It had started to feel as though my local radio choice had become limited to tolerating boring bogans with their sexist and narrow-minded mutterings ("Battle of the Sexes" anyone?), or listening to holier-than-thou "family" radio delivered by "mumsy" presenters trying to convince me what amazing parents they were.

I just wanted to listen to some good music and be entertained.

Enter internet radio. Rather than be geographically confined to what my FM radio would pick up, suddenly the world had opened up.

Through iTunes' radio feature and free apps like TuneIn, I'm listening to '80s pop in Denmark, new releases in Dubai, and disco classics in the US.

It's changed my world. (And whether they like it or not, it's changed my work colleagues' world as well.)

I prefer "real" radio stations that stream online, as opposed to internet-only radio stations. This is because in between the songs you get a real sense of their place of broadcast, helping to whisk you away from the daily humdrum and almost feel like you're there on holidays.

The only trouble is there are thousands of internet radio stations to choose from.

To kick-start your audio journey of discovery, here's five of my favourites:

1. BBC Radio 2

There are many reasons why this is one of the world's most popular radio stations, and the fact that there are no ads is the least of them. It plays one of the most diverse selections of music you'll come across, from the '60s to today, with fun programs by Graham Norton, Chris Evans and Ken Bruce. Ideal for the Australian afternoon/evening when their breakfast and morning programs get going.

2. Pop FM

I discovered this station with a friend while driving on the wrong side of the road in Denmark. If you feel music went downhill after the '80s, this is your station. It's like the world ended in 1990 as you won't hear anything after this date. Whitney is still wanting to dance with somebody on this station.

3. Radio Sunshine

Beaming all the way from Switzerland, this German-speaking station plays a great blend of tracks from the '70s to today. Even better, because of the time difference, you're usually listening to this station when it is Switzerland's night or early morning so there are less ads and more music.

4. NRJ Norge

Transporting you to a Scandinavian club, NRJ Norge is great if you're looking for some high energy to get you moving. And no, you don't need to understand Norwegian. It's light on talk, but heavy on beats from around the world.