Oceania

Travel through Oceania by country:

Australia, Indonesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Travel through Oceania by popular city:

Auckland, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Wellington

Travel through Oceania by popular things to do:

Cook Islands, Sydney Opera House

Travel through Oceania with our writers:

In the Corner of the World, Work and Play in Queensland

Viagra ice cream and other crazy flavors

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Do you think you’re exciting because you go off-menu at Cold Stone? That’s nothing! To find the strangest flavors in the world, leave the United States and see what the world has to offer. At the top of the list is a fake Viagra ice cream in Venezuela (maybe the placebo effect will help you get lucky). Taiwan has a smelly durian fruit ice cream – but that doesn’t compare to the raw horseflesh concoction you can pick up in Tokyo (as long as it’s not monkeys, right?).

The world’s biggest ice cream eaters are Australia and the United States, but volume doesn’t equal adventure. Candy and sweets dominate in the United States, something that changes in Europe, where fruits and tea become the bases for more flavors. Saffron is a hot flavor in the Middle East. Chocolate and peanut butter – that fantastic staple – only play together over here. But, I think that’s still better than the salty licorice mixed into ice cream in Scandinavia, which Travel+Leisure writer Katrina Brown Hunt likens to “the faint but horrifying aroma of ammonia.”

Don’t worry – if you need more ideas, Hunt has no shortage of them.

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Experience Aussie culture at Darwin Festival

by Mike Barish on

There’s a lot to love about Australia. It has fantastic surfing, gorgeous natural wonders and neat accents. But if you want a taste of true Aussie culture, you should head up to Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, for Darwin Festival. From August 13-30, Darwin Festival features indigenous dance performances, art exhibitions, concerts, cabaret, comedy and much more. This year’s festival features the Lighthouse, a tent-like open-air venue constructed almost entirely out of festoon lighting.

Darwin Festival features some of the best in world music and is also host to the Indigenous Music Awards on August 21. For travelers looking for an authentic Australian experience that goes beyond photo ops at the Sydney Opera House and zoo visits to see koalas, Darwin Festival is a must.

The Northern Territory is home to Australia’s Outback, numerous indigenous cultures and vast landscapes. If I haven’t enticed you to head to the Darwin Festival yet, let me throw in this tidbit: Many of the events are free.

And if that wasn’t enough, how about this: I’ll be in attendance! Look for me wandering around in my Gadling t-shirt. If you see me, please say hi. Us Gadlingers are very friendly and it can get lonely on the road. But you can’t rock out with me unless you you make your way to Darwin. So, get booking!

British woman completes solo row across Indian Ocean

by Kraig Becker on

Way back in March we wrote about Sarah Outen, the 24-year old British woman who set out from Fremantle, Australia in an attempt to row solo across the Indian Ocean. Shortly after that start, she ran into equipment trouble and had to be towed back to shore, but within days, she was back out on the water, and now, more than four months later, she has finished her quest, reaching Mauritius, off the coast of Africa, late yesterday.

Over the course of the past few months at sea, Sarah has endured all kinds of hardships, including nasty storms, winds that actually pushed her backwards, 30 foot waves, and days of solitude at the oars. In fact, after setting out from Australia, she literally went weeks before seeing another ship.

Sarah had hoped to set a new speed record in her solo crossing by reaching Mauritius in less than 107 days, but the inclement weather worked against her, preventing that achievement. She did become the youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean however, and the first woman to do so as well.

Sarah’s Blog has a link to photos of her arrival and promises more updates soon. But for now, she’s enjoying a much deserved rest and some time back on dry land.

Ten amazing “green” adventures

by Kraig Becker on

Eco-adventures are all the rage these days with environmentally conscious travelers choosing to visit far flung places, all the while fully aware of the size of their carbon footprint. They want an amazing travel experience, and are willing to go to great lengths to get it, all the while adhering to the principles of sustainable travel.

With that in mind, the Times Online has an excellent article listing ten top “green” travel experiences, or what they call “clean breaks”, each of which offer cultural immersion, amazing scenery, and a fantastic experience that is far off the beaten path. For instance, the article recommends heading to Lebanon to hike the Mountain Trail, the country’s first long distance trek, which runs through the Mount Lebanon range from Qbaiyat, in the north, to Marjaayoun in the south. The trail is roughly 270 miles in length, with regularly spaced stone inns offering up a place to sleep, good food, and plenty to drink.

For a completely different experience, hop a flight to New Zealand to spend a little time on the slopes. The authors of this piece recommend heading to Craigieburn Valley in the Southern Alps for some amazing skiing, minus the resort. Yep, that’s right, no chairlifts or groomed trails here. Just a couple of rope tows that will pull you to the top of the mountain, where you’ll get the opportunity to ski through untouched wilderness. And at the end of the day, relax in one of the nearby huts, which are comfortable but primitive.

Other suggestions include a swimming vacation in Finland, camping in France, and hiking in Estonia. There is a little bit of something for everyone, and you won’t need to feel guilty about your impact on the environment while you travel.

Australian wilderness survivor story gets a soap opera style twist

by Scott Carmichael on

What was supposed to be a story of personal endurance and an amazing rescue, has slowly turned into a nasty family battle revolving around a lot of money.

When 19 year old backpacker Jamie Neale was found after 12 days in the Australian wild, the photos showing Mr. Neale reunited with his father probably brought a huge smile to the millions of people following the story.

The whole thing has now turned into a battle of the words (and cash) between Mr. Neale and his dad. According to one story, his dad left Australia and headed back to the UK just 19 hours after his son was rescued. The reason? A $200,000 interview he had arranged. His second TV appearance netted just under $100,000, half of which was promised to go to the various rescue operations that participated in the search.

The other side of the story paints a different picture – that side claims Mr. Neale is the bad guy, and that he is the one refusing to donate the $50,000 to the rescuers. To give the whole thing an even bigger soap opera appeal, Mr. Neale claims his dad actually walked out on the family when he was three.

UK outdoors specialists are now questioning the whole incident, and have doubts about the story Jamie told the press. I’m not sure we’ll ever get to the bottom of the story – and that is probably for the best, as there is obviously more to it than meets the eye.