South Pacific & Australia Circumnavigation

Seattle may be famous for its rainy weather, but the West Coast’s ‘Emerald City’ also boasts green parks, delicious coffee, and colourful neighbourhoods filled with music, artists, and farmers’ markets.

Follow in the footsteps of The Beach Boys and fall in love with incredible Hawaii.

Once the playground of Hawaii's royalty, Kona is synonymous with the famous coffee that grows on the slopes of dormant Hualalai. Here, too, is Parker Ranch, the largest privately owned ranch in the U.S. Sample shore excursions: Kona Outrigger Canoe Adventure; Parker Ranch; Big Island Helicopter Spectacular.

The remote Polynesian nation of Samoa, surrounded by dragonfly-bright seas, boasts a dramatic volcanic landscape with vibrant green jungles. The country has two major landmasses: Upolu, the most populous of the Samoan islands, and Savai'i, the third-largest Polynesian island. Samoa's capital, Apia, sits midway along Upolu's north coast. This sprawling metropolitan area features a waterfront promenade and Beach Road, an avenue curving along the harbor where the Royal Samoa Police Band marches and hoists the national flag at Government House on weekday mornings. Check out their sharp ensembles, which feature navy lavalava (kilts) and robin's-egg-blue dress shirts. Adventurers will want to make a splash at Palolo Deep National Marine Reserve near Apia harbor, while bookworms make a beeline to the home and grave of Robert Louis Stevenson. But perhaps the best way to experience fa'a Samoa (the Samoan Way) is by visiting the small villages scattered throughout the two islands. Here, you'll see locals still living in traditional fales—round thatched homes with no walls, all the better to enjoy the ocean breeze—and cooking on umus, "ovens" of hot stones placed in shallow holes in the ground.

Explore a lush rainforest, feast at a lovo before trying Kava, or simply unwind on an uninhabited atoll without a care in the world.

Welcome to paradise - white sand, clear turquoise waters and 50 luxuriant acres of orchids at the late Raymond Burr' s Garden of the Sleeping Giant. Sample shore excursions: Nausori Highland Village; Nadi Hinterland & the Garden of the Sleeping Giant; Shotover Jet Boat & Shopping.

Explore this tropical paradise of remote beaches, stunning coral reefs and crystal-clear waters.

From the Sydney Opera House to Bondi Beach, man and Mother Nature contribute in equal measure to this splendid city.

Cosmopolitan Brisbane attracts millions of visitors each year thanks to its eclectic mix of attractions, beautiful skyline and climate.

Airlie Beach, a coastal town in Queensland, Australia, is a vibrant hub nestled against the aquamarine waters of the Whitsundays.

A friendly city loved by residents and popular with tourists. More than just a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns offers plenty to do.

Surrounded on three sides by the turquoise Timor Sea, the Northern Territory’s capital is closer in both distance and temperament to Southeast Asia than it is to most of Australia’s major cities. The lifestyle here is tropical, which means a relaxed atmosphere, balmy weather, fabulous fusion food and vibrant outdoor markets. This cosmopolitan city has fewer than 140,000 residents, but they include some 50 nationalities. After heavy bombing in World War II and a disastrous cyclone in 1974, Darwin has been largely rebuilt, and it's modern and well planned. In the downtown area you'll find everything from great shopping to a crocodile park. You can trace the region's dramatic history at innovative museums and gallery-hop to see indigenous art. After your sightseeing stroll, have a late lunch at one of the many excellent restaurants. The food options range from authentic Malaysian dishes like laksa, a spicy noodle soup, to a plethora of fresh seafood—mud crab, barramundi and more. You may find it hard to leave this laid-back lifestyle, but there's much more to see close by. Darwin is the gateway to two famous national parks, Kakadu and Litchfield, as well as the spectacular Aboriginal-owned Tiwi Islands. Make sure you take the time to "go bush," as they say in Australia—that is, get out of town and relax. There's no better place to do it than this glorious part of the country.

One of 17,000 islands in Indonesia, Komodo Island is famous for its bright blue waters, steep sloping hills, and the four thousand giant lizards who call the island home.

Broome, Australia's exotic pearling town, emerges from the ochre-red dirt of the Kimberley region, offering a picturesque mosaic of culture, history and natural wonders.

Located on the North West Cape of Western Australia, the port of Exmouth is home to the wonders of Ningaloo Reef. Ningaloo Marine Park boasts hundreds of miles of beach fringed coast, where you can watch dolphins, manta rays, sea turtles and more. Away from the beach you’ll find an Outback range with caves and red rock gorges to explore. Sample shore excursions: Western Australia Scenic Beauty; Snorkel Ningaloo Reef; Top of the Range: Cape Range National Park.

This sun-washed coastal city in the Mid West region of Western Australia has roots that extend back 40,000 years through the Wajarri people. Their distinctive paintings, combining dots of ochre and earth-based pigments, are among the many treasures on display in the Geraldton Museum. You can experience the past and present of a working Western Australian farm at the Oakabella Pioneering Homestead, built in 1860. Tour the original homestead, cookhouse, shearing shed, stables and blacksmith shop. This is wine country, so you’ll want to stop by a local winery and sample the region’s award-winning sauvignon blancs, chardonnays and more. The pleasant Mediterranean climate is perfect for kitesurfing, windsurfing, saltwater fishing, boating and sailing, so take your choice. For outback adventures, head to Kalbarri National Park, where the Murchison River has sculpted deep gorges and breathtaking vistas

A welcoming destination, Perth has much more to offer than you would probably expect from an isolated Western Australian city.

Albany, Western Australia's oldest colonial settlement, beckons from its dramatic stance along the rugged southern coast.

Up the coast from Adelaide, Australia, the nutrient-rich waters and sheltered bays surrounding the Eyre Peninsula—bounded by the Spencer Gulf to its east and the Great Australian Bight, an enormous bay, to its west—support an abundant marine life. And that marine life, in turn, supports Port Lincoln, a town at the tip of the peninsula that's the seafood capital of South Australia. In addition to ensuring delicious tuna and plump oysters on local menus, the wealth of fish means there is a variety of wildlife here, including aquatic birds, sea lions, dolphins, whales and great white sharks. (For the particularly adventurous, there are opportunities to join the sharks in their natural habitat by signing up for a cage dive).Among the highlights of Port Lincoln are the spectacular views of Boston Bay (a natural harbor three times the size of Sydney’s), mansions built by local tuna millionaires and several interesting art and handicrafts galleries. Nearby Coffin Bay is home to oyster farms where you can sample one of the area’s most famous products, as well as a national park with wild ponies. The Eyre Peninsula also has several award-winning vineyards that produce wines to complement your visit to Port Lincoln.

Adelaide is fast becoming the cultural hub of Australia, with its famed wine region, exciting nightlife, bustling shopping centres, award-winning cuisine and breath-taking scenery and beaches.

The Australian continent’s third-largest island—Kangaroo—enchants visitors with its mellow rhythms, which seem to be coming from a quieter and much simpler time. Even Penneshaw, its main ferry port, has a population of less than 300 people . . . and farmers sometimes still advertise for spouses on bulletin boards. Long roads run arrow-straight through the fields, scrub and dense gum forests of this spectacular unspoiled destination. It remains one of the best places to see Australian marsupials in the wild. Almost half the island remains bushland or national park, sheltering koalas, echidnas and a million or so tammar wallabies. Weighing just five to seven kilograms (11 to 15 pounds), these mini-roos flourish here, thanks to a dearth of foxes and other mainland predators. (Despite this strong population, the species, Macropus eugenii, remains on the endangered list.) Marine mammals also make a healthy showing on Kangaroo Island. Visitors can walk through one of the country's largest sea lion colonies and watch for rare southern right whales offshore.

Boasting stunning art, a vibrant music scene and excellent food, wine and coffee, Melbourne simply buzzes with life.

Bursting with modern energy and historic charm, Hobart is a contrasting mix of colonial style and vibrant modernity.

The Port Arthur Historic Site is the best preserved convict site in Australia and one of the country’s most visited heritage attractions. Take a drive down Arthur Highway which forms part of the Convict Trail Touring Route and passes through breathtaking seascapes, rolling farmlands and little villages, vineyards, artists studios and sweeping bays.

From the Sydney Opera House to Bondi Beach, man and Mother Nature contribute in equal measure to this splendid city.