AUSTRALASIA & PACIFIC ISLANDS
This extraordinary region covering an immense area of the globe packs in more adventure, natural wonder and cultural wallop than almost anywhere else on earth. Traveller-friendly with enormous depth and variety, Australia offers the classic ‘Sydney, Rock & Reef’ tour, taking in the obligatory world icons, but many equally rewarding experiences lie further afield. Western Australia offers a true wilderness experience of the outback and Aboriginal culture, while Tasmania boasts world class rafting, hiking and rainforest.
New Zealanders, like Yorkshire folk, call their home ‘God’s Own Country’ and if you have a taste for the great outdoors it is indeed pure heaven. The larger, craggier South Island grabs the headlines, but the North Island is quieter and no less beautiful. New Zealand’s Maori culture is fascinating and easily accessible with a wealth of museums, cultural tours and homestays.
Strung out to the north and east of New Zealand, the islands of Polynesia retain a strong seafaring culture. Most visited is Fiji, the hub of South Pacific air travel, with a wealth of luxury resorts, and for a chance to experience traditional Polynesian village life it’s worth exploring the more remote and less developed islands such as Tonga and Vanuatu by boat.
AUSTRALIA
An area 32 times bigger than the UK, Australia boasts all the ingredients for an unforgettable travel experience. Whether it’s your first or fifth visit, you’ll find once-in-a-lifetime experiences at every turn be it traversing wild Tasmanian cliffs, or soaking up the drama at Sydney’s Opera House.
Explore awesome UNESCO World Heritage wilderness areas inhabited by wildlife that has evolved in isolation for over 50 million years, dive the spellbinding Great Barrier Reef and marvel at the immense desert Outback. Drive to the Aboriginal sacred site, Uluru, for life-altering perspectives, ancient rock paintings and dwarfing red rock formations.
You’ll also find dreamy white-sand beaches, cosmopolitan cities, superb wine and fabulous dining experiences. For laid back city life and the best urban beaches spend some time in Sydney. Melbourne provides a fun and cultural hub with a distinctly European flavour after a dusty walkabout in the wild.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand holidays are all about the great outdoors. The stunning wild landscapes that provided locations for 'The Lord of the Rings' movies with sprawling mountain ranges and huge lakes, glacier-carved fjords and sweeping coastlines also provide plentiful opportunities for real-life adventure, especially in a camper.
Kayak down fast-flowing rivers; abseil off cliff faces and taste the salty sea air on sailing trips. For a more sedate escapade, enjoy wine tasting in some of the country's best wineries and a stay in a luxury hotel. Whether you are taking in hip city life in Aukland, seeking out cool coffee shops in Wellington, hopping through hot springs, enjoying Kiwi culture at Rotorua, stargazing, or hiking the hills of Hobbiton, New Zealand holds the perfect blend of adventure and indulgence.
SOUTH PACIFIC
Dreaming of life on a remote tropical island? Bring your castaway fantasy to life and follow in the colourful footsteps of Paul Gauguin through French Polynesia, snorkelling with manta rays, relaxing in hill-top spas and riding on horseback through lush green mountains. Island chains like Samoa, and the Cook Islands, offer luminous aqua lagoons, fish-rich coral reefs, and dazzling white beaches. Fiji, Vanuatu, The Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia offer the same, but with their own distinct native cultures. Palau is a topographic wonderland, while enigmatic Easter Island is rich in cultural and archeological attractions.
Whether you’re honeymooning, or simply seduced by the oceania cultures, this region provides a flawless location for a romantic hideaway, a memorable celebration and a paradise adventure.
