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

Word for the Travel Wise (03/12/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Anyone who saw Whale Rider a few years back or read the book couldn’t possibly have
watched the entire film without being moved into visiting the country or further exploring the Maori people and their
culture. It was probably one of the very few movies that had such an impact on myself that I immediately began hunting
for flights and accommodation in the area although I really hadn’t the time and especially money for a much desired
vaca down yonder. I’m sure many of you are fascinated by the country, be it for the people or number of outdoor
activities like whale-watching to name only one of few. Before we set off on our long-awaited journey into the land of
kiwi let’s fill our heads with a little Maori language.

Today’s word is a Maori word used in New Zealand:

tapu – sacred

Maori (or Te Reo) is a Polynesian language spoken in
New Zealand and is closely related to Rarotongan, Tahitian, and slightly less closely to Hawaiian and Marquesan. The
lang arrived in New Zealand by way of the Polynesians coming over by canoe most likely from the Cook Islands or Tahiti
many years ago and maintained official status in the country until the 1860’s when it became a minority language. Use
this Wiki information to get you started on the background
and history of the language, but worry not about there being few great resources online for furthering your knowledge
of the Maori. There is also an online language commission (Te Taura
Whiri I te Reo Maori) that regulates the lingo and has one of the exhaustive list of links to learning within the
country as well as outside. Maori.org has an awesome area to
practice with quizzes on common words, phrases and proverbs.

Too Much Fun in Tuvalu

by Erik Olsen on

Some filmmakers have all the fun.

In this article in the
Sydney Morning Herald, filmmaker Antony Balmain heads to the island nation of Tuvalu to film a documentary about
the nation and its troubles. Expecting a Polynesian paradise (as well as morbidly obese people with a thrifty gene), he
discovered a friendly, inviting nation surprisingly bereft of fast-food outlets and in a state of self-denial about the
threats of global warming.

But as this article points out, life is both complex and simple in these distant
islands, and while the filmmaker finds himself taken by them, he also discovers that, like most places so far off, the
travails of travel require that you check your expectations at the door.

Tiki Mania!

by Neil Woodburn on

If you can’t bring Mohammad to the mountain, bring the mountain to Mohammad.

This is a great rule of thumb for those of us who can’t spend every day of our lives lounging on some
tropical island in the South Pacific.  This was taken to heart in the 1960s when a Tiki craze swept through
California and Hawaiian shirts, tropical drinks and bamboo wallpaper reigned supreme (including my own apartment which
still sports original bamboo wall paper from the early 1970s).

This fad died rather quickly, however, and today only a few hardcore fans continue to bring the tropics to
Mohammad.  A recent article in the LA
Times chronicles this underground movement of Tiki fans and the passion which inspires them to blanket all that
surrounds them in Polynesian glory, hijacking homes, bars, hotels and restaurants with bamboo, Tiki heads, and flaming
torches.  www.roadsidepeek.com/tiki documents the many California
landmarks remaining from the fifties, as well as newer ones designed by the latest generation of Tiki fans. 

The current Tiki revival has its own magazine, blog, and, as you might suspect, a passionate fan base populated with such colorful
characters as Bamboo Ben, King Ukulele, and even Crazy Al – the
axe-swinging, lead singer of popular Tiki band, Ape, who carves an
entire Tiki head out of a palm log during the course of a concert.

Tiki mania!  It certainly doesn’t beat a trip to the South Pacific, but it’s the next best
thing. 

 

Snorkeling for Clams off the Cook Islands

by Neil Woodburn on

It was the giant clams that got me most excited about snorkeling in the Cook Islands.

I always thought that giant clams fell into the Captain Nemo, killer squid, and sexy mermaid school of non-existent
sea legends.  And yet, there they were, just 15 yards off the beach, all pink and fleshy, gaping open, about the
size of an enormous truck tire.

Snorkeling off the Cook Islands proved to be some of the best I’ve ever experienced.  The fish were not
as varied as I’ve seen in Thailand, but the water never got deeper than five feet so everything was within easy
reach – including Parrot, Butterfly, Trigger fish, and even some octopus.  Check out some photos and
information about diving these waters at cookislandsdivers.com. 

Although there are places to snorkel throughout the island of Rarotonga, I stuck to the waters just off the Rarotongan Resort – which happens to be a marine
sanctuary.  The waters were crystal clear and chock full of fish and giant clams.  A word of warning,
however.  While using a snorkel borrowed from the resort, I felt a little tickle in the back of my throat.  A
few days later, just as I got home, I came down with full-blown tonsillitis that wiped me out for almost two
weeks.  Ugh.  There is nothing like warm, tropic weather to incubate someone else’s germs in a snorkel
test tube.   Needless to say, I’m bringing my own next time. 

Putting the Cook back in the Cook Islands

by Neil Woodburn on

It took a long time to find something good to eat on the Cook Islands, but when we finally did,
it was worth the wait.  As mentioned in an earlier post, the food at our resort was
virtually unpalatable (with the exception of a pretty tasty breakfast of fresh fruit and pastries).  We lucked out
one evening when we called for a taxi and chatted with our driver, Frank, about our disappointment.  Frank and his
wife Liza have run a taxi service (Phone number 20203) on Rarotonga for the last two years after having moved to the
island from New Zealand.  Both proved a wonderful resource on the best restaurants the island had to offer (for a
few other, independent recommendations, click here and here).

We took Frank’s list and made sure to visit every place he recommended. One word of advice before visiting,
however: reservations are essential on Rarotonga.  Not because of too many tourists, but so the kitchens can be
prepared with enough food. 

The following is a short description of our favorites. 

The Windjammer.  Our very favorite.  We visited this restaurant many times and were
overjoyed with the selection of fresh fish and meat.  Everything had a tropical twist to it and was so tasty that
we very well could have been in a top-end restaurant in a major city.  Even the desserts were outstanding. 

The Kikau Hut.  A wonderfully pleasant hut operated by a couple of New Zealand expats. 
Great food and great wine selection. 

Trader Jack’s.  A scenic location right on the harbor (although twice destroyed by
hurricanes), Trader Jack’s specialized in fish dishes.  I had some wonderful Mahi Mahi wrapped in banana
leaves. Mmmmm.  Show up early and drink with Jack himself at the waterfront bar. 

The Flame Tree. Another cozy restaurant with delicious curries, a superb bar, and a lovely island
atmosphere.

Sails.  A wonderfully located restaurant, this time right on picturesque Muri Lagoon. 
VERY slow service, and slightly better than average food but still worth visiting for the beautiful view. 

Café Salsa.  Located in the center of “town,” Café Salsa is a
convenient stop while doing the obligatory, half-day walkthrough of the capital, Avarua.  Pizzas are hit or miss,
but the pasta dishes are great and cheap.