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

TV Tourism

by Erik Olsen on

The smog-spewing buses park along Manhattan’s narrow side streets and hordes of camera-toting tourists waddle out and snap photos of the familiar building facades they know so well from their favorite TV show. The expressions on their faces suggest a suppressed excitement as if they are hopeful that Carrie or Jerry or Chandler will somehow appear from behind the door and walk past them uttering a witty observation on life in the Big Apple. I see these tours ALL THE TIME, and while a part of me is filled with loathing that they a) exist b) cause horrible traffic in the streets and c) further our celebrity-obsession, I have to say each time I walk past, say John Lennon’s apartment on Bank Street, I feel a slight tremor of delight, wondering whether my favorite Beatle, nay my favorite artist of all time may have tread the very sidewalk where I am walking. And so it goes. We all have our own secret fantasies of living among our cultural heroes or seeing the places — real or fake — where they themselves live.

This piece in the Sydney morning Herald takes a brief, and somewhat thoughtful, or at least more historical, look at TV tourism, making note not just of familiar NYC-themed shows like Friends and Sex and the City, but of some rather more obscure ones like Neighbors (an Australian TV show with the worst theme music ever written), Blake’s 7 (a BBC space series) as well as Dr. Who. But perhaps the best advice the article offers is that instead of visiting places like the West Village apartment in Friends (the interior of which was never used in the show itself) you pay a visit to the Museum of Television and Radio, which offers an expansive look at the history of the medium that has so captivated (and some say diminished) modern society. At least there you can actually learn something interesting … and you don’t hold up traffic.

Australia’s Beaches: Look, but Don’t Touch

by Iva Skoch on

Australia’s beaches are among the most beautiful in the world. To look at, at least. If you actually want to go in the water, you might have a problem. Especially in the more remote areas.

I went this past February, one of the most popular months to go (the end of their summer) but it is clearly a bad time to visit the beach. Not only was it infested with vicious jelly fish (blue bottle, box jelly fish and other lethal ones), but it was also the crocodile mating season. Although stunning beaches stretch along Australia’s east coast for thousands of miles, it is recommended that travelers read the warning signs, such as the one displayed here.

Locals seem to prefer going in the water wearing full-body nylon suits (“stinger suits”) to protect their skin from the stingers (i.e., jellyfish). Nylon suits, however, don’t really work against the crocs. The “salties”, as Australians like to call the dangerous salt-water crocodiles, lay eggs in the ocean, but very close to the shore…and needless to say, they don’t want to be bothered with people swimming over their nursery. With crocodiles being a protected species–it is illegal to shoot them–they have become a problem for public beaches. And now, with Steve Irwin not around, I would predict the crocs will get even more comfy along the shore.

Best American Travel Essays

by Erik Olsen on

I blogged a bit about a story in this book the other day, but realized the entire book itself is worthy of a quick post. I haven’t actually got my hands on it yet, but every year I do, and always I find it the most wonderful reading. I am talking about the series called Best American Travel stories. It is part of a much wider series of Best American books that cover essays on everything from science to mystery to crime and sports. In the case of the Best American Travel Stories, it is basically a hand-picked compendium of what the editor decides are the travel essays published in a particular year.

Last year’s book was edited by Jamaica Kincaid and featured contributions from luminary scribes like Jim Harrison, Madison Smartt Bell, Pam Houston, Simon Winchester, and John McPhee. This year’s promises to be a real treat. It was released just a week or so ago.

Edited by the always entertaining (and talented) Tim Cahill, the book features wanderlustful tales by the likes of Gary Shteyngart, George Saunders, Alain de Botton and (always funny) P.J. O’Rourke. The 2006 edition also seems to place special emphasis on food with an essay by Chitrita Banerji’s about a Calcutta wedding feast and Calvin Trillin’s New Yorker piece about spending a week in Ecuador indulging his love for “thick and hearty” fanesca soup.

I recall reading a couple of these stories over the year in mainstream rags like the New Yorker, but the cool thing about the Best American series is that they usually select a number of essays from spunky little literary mags that you’ve never heard of. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to get my hands on it ASAP.

Myths and Moderation

by Neil Woodburn on

It’s always great fun to hear about the various legends, gods and myths responsible for creating the rocks, landscapes and bodies of water one encounters while traveling through ancient lands and regions.

But, as Anthony Peregrine points out in The Telegraph, hearing such stories ad nauseam becomes rather nauseous itself.

Of Myth, Magic and Mayhem serves two purposes. It introduces the reader to the overbearing affect of too many local legends ruining a vacation, while also tantalizing us about a new exhibit at the British Museum which focuses on these very same legends.

“Power and Taboo: Sacred Objects from the Pacific” brings many of the idols and myths which overwhelmed Peregrine in Polynesia to British shores so that others can enjoy them at their own leisure and pace.

Remember the Brady Bunch episode where they brought home that sacred talisman found in a cave in Hawaii? Yep, this exhibit is sort of like that. Better catch it before strange stuff starts happening around London.

Volunteer Vacation Reviewed

by Adrienne Wilson on

Now that I’ve given you a week of blow-by-blow insider detail and a look at how fun volunteering while on vacation can be, let’s do a quick review. First question people always ask, “How can I do something like this or volunteer with Habitat for Humanity?” Joining a GV Team with Habitat for Humanity is usually the easiest part I find. Before signing up for the first plane to Uganda to help build homes start by learning about the organization. Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. Their mission is to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. I was introduced long ago when I read an article in TeenPeople Magazine about Sarah Michelle Gellar doing GV builds in Dominican Republic. I was so inspired I immediately looked Habitat up and followed homeowner, volunteers and other participant stories on their website until taking off for my first build.

There are many ways to get involved with Habitat. Check out their Get Involved page to find an opportunity for you. Global Village builds often leave people wishing they had done more. AmeriCorps/VISTA has several long term programs (up to one year) with Habitat located in many different locations throughout the U.S. If travel to foreign lands to lend your hand is what you are after, head right to the Global Village Program. Search the list of available trips and then apply online or download the application to submit via post. From this point there are two roads you can take, possibly more if you are a sharp thinker. One road is to raise the money for your trip expenses by fundraising and other activities. The second road is to raise the money from your very own paycheck or savings. I’ve taken both roads and I’ll say the first is much better if you have the time and can be a great way to spread the word and get others involved with Habitat and their mission.

Once you’ve taken care of all of the above, you’re pretty much on your way to fun times and doing great things. Beyond all it’s one of the most rewarding ways to spend your time, energy and did I mention work hard!

If you missed the Volunteer Vacation installments you can catch up on them all here: