Holiday Destinations in Austalia and the South Pacific

Also known as "Oceania" or "Australasia" this region is a gigantic exotic part of the world that is home to metropolises, isolated villages and everything in between. Volcanoes, white sands, unique wildlife, coral reefs and crystal blue seas await you. The South Pacific is in the Southern Hemisphere, and best visited during the winter months in the U.K. Australia has been a major stop off on the back packer trail for many a year now, however, New Zealand is also becoming more and more popular. As well as this, there are countless beautiful sun drenched islands to explore. It really is one of the most sensational spots on the planet.

Top Destinations

Australia is the largest country in this region. Bondi Beach in Sydney is fantastic for surfboarding and swimming in the surf, as is Surfers Paradise on Australia's Gold Coast. Snorkelling trips out to the Great Barrier Reef are available. Sky Diving and Hot Air Ballooning are popular throughout Australia.

New Zealand is a quiet picturesque country populated with unique flora and fauna (especially flightless birds!) and has made Lonely Planet's top list two years in a row as the place to visit. The Canterbury Plains are a vast rolling plains that have been the scene of films like Lord of the Rings. Mount Ruapehu is a volcano with an active lava lake within, tours can be arranged at night for spectacular views. White Island is home to New Zealand's most active volcano, and guided hikes are available. While in New Zealand on holiday, remember to go caving, black water rafting in caves, fly by wire, heli hiking at the Fox Glacier, Shark Cage Diving, and swim with seals!

Fiji is an island between New Zealand and Hawaii. It's comprised of over 300 islands, with Taveuni offering the most to tourists. Diving is the best thing to do in Fiji, with it's diverse coral reefs and clear waters. It's good to always have a guide and backup, for the Fijian waters can be treacherous at times. Here you will find the Rainbow Reef and the Great White Wall. Fishing is also excellent, where you can catch Yellowfin Tuna and Flying Fish.

Easter Island is sometimes referred to as the most isolated place on Earth. Here you can see the Maoi Statues, and the volcanic craters of Rano Raraku and Rano Kau.

Palau is a small island southeast of the Philippines. If you can rent or have a yacht of your own, you can go to the Helen Reef Conservation Area, since Palau is most famous for it's excellent scuba diving spots. If you don't have a boat, don't despair, there's many tours that will take you to the best Blue Holes and Ulong Channel.

Vanuatu is a great place to photograph, with it's friendly and camera happy population. At night, you can take a tour up to the volcano rim to an overlook platform to get great shots in a tripod. Remember to try the local Kava (a calming drink made of a pepper root) and steak.