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

Richard Branson’s other island hideaway – in Queensland, Australia — opens to visitors

by Annabel Candy on

After snapping up Necker Island in the Virgin Islands for a snip in 1978, Sir Richard Branson developed it into a world-class resort which has hosted the likes of Princess Diana, Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg.

Everyone knows about Necker, but a much better-kept secret is Branson’s other tropical island hideaway, this one in the stunning Queensland coastal town of Noosa, which he calls his “favorite place in Australia“.

The heart-shaped 25-acre Makepeace Island in the Noosa River has been lovingly converted into an exclusive Balinese-style retreat with all the necessary amenities, including a pool, tennis court, theatre and two-storey open-aired Balinese wantilan for relaxing or gathering with friends and family.

Until now Makepeace Island has been reserved for the exclusive use of Branson and Brett Godfrey, the co-founders of Virgin Australia, but they have recently announced that they’ll be renting it out to guests. Of course, indulging in the ultimate in luxury, peace and exclusivity doesn’t come cheap: The tab is $8,000 per night for you and up to 21 of your closest friends.

I’ve boated past Makepeace Island on my way up the Noosa River and the good news is that, even if you don’t have the budget to actually stay on Makepeace Island, you can still experience the magical surroundings of Noosa for a fraction of the cost.

What makes Noosa special?As well as having a balmy climate with warm weather year round, Noosa offers a pristine environment which is an officially declared UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Situated on a forested headland with a stunning national park where koalas, wallabies and kookaburra cavort in their natural surroundings, Noosa has long been a popular vacation spot for wealthy Australians, many of whom own vacation homes here.

You can visit a different white sand beach every day, including vast stretches that front onto the open sea and sheltered bays like Tea Tree Bay and Little Cove. Noosa is a giant aquatic playground where swimmers, surfers, kayakers, kite-surfers and stand-up paddle-boarders convene in the warm blue ocean.

Marine life abounds. Turtles are also common and dolphins can be spotted year-round swimming just offshore or leaping in awe-inspiring displays of grace. Between July and November, whale sightings are common as the annual humpback whale migration passes through. Whale-watching tours offer the chance to get up close and personal with these acrobatic mammals.

Just a short ferry ride across the river, Great Sandy National Park in Noosa North Shore is a popular spot for 4WD adventures, fishing and scuba-diving. A few miles inland, the Sunshine Coast hinterland offers a change of scene and pace, with volcanic peaks and lush rainforest.

For dining, Hastings Street in the town of Noosa features a range of spots, from a fast food mall that’s tucked away behind the shops to beach-front restaurants serving world-class cuisine. The Noosa Surf Life Saving Club’s balcony is always crowded with people seeking refuge from the sun and enjoying a cool drink.

The lazy Noosa River spills out just past Makepeace Island into the ocean between Noosa Main Beach and the North Shore. It’s a favorite spot for boating, fishing or walking. Every evening huge flocks of tiny, brightly coloured parrots return to roost in the trees on the riverbank, a riot of color and noise which lapses into silence as night falls. Then, as the parrots tuck their heads under their wings and go to sleep, colonies of fruit bats take to the skies.

As night deepens, peace prevails. It’s a special serenity that Noosa and the Noosa River offers — even if you can’t stay on Makepeace Island.

Where to Stay

For those who can’t afford Makepeace Island’s $8,000 per night fee, Noosa has a wide range of holiday accommodation, from private houses, villas and apartments for rental to resorts, hostels and campsites.

Outrigger Resort and Spa – This brand new spa resort perched high above Noosa Main Beach offers five-star accommodation within easy reach of Hasting Street.

Halse Lodge – A fully restored 1880’s building, listed by the National Trust, Halse Lodge hostel is now a YHA associate, with dorm beds, twins and doubles. Set in two acres of rainforest, it’s a short walk to Noosa main beach, the national park and restaurants.

Houseboat – As an accommodation alternative, you can rent your own six- to ten-berth houseboat and cruise up and down the Noosa River, from peaceful Lake Cooroibah to bustling Hastings.

Where to Eat

Bistro C – Popular with locals and holiday-makers for its stunning views over Laguna Bay, Bistro C is the ideal setting for cocktails and nibbles at sunset, a long lazy lunch or a splurge dinner of modern Australian cuisine with fresh seafood and local produce.

Wasabi – Listed by Gourmet Traveller as one of the world’s top 100 restaurants, this modern Japanese restaurant serves sublime food in the stunning surroundings of Quamby Place on the Noosa River.

Fish and Chips – No trip to Noosa would be complete without joining the locals to eat fish and chips by the Noosa River. Stretching along the riverfront, Gympie Terrace has an extensive selection of cafes and restaurants as well as traditional Aussie fish and chip shops where you can get fresh snapper or barramundi breaded, grilled or battered the old-fashioned way.

For more information, check out visitnoosa.com.au

Annabel Candy was born in England and has lived in France, the USA, Laos, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Costa Rica. She now calls Australia home. She shares travel stories at Get In the Hot Spot.

10 unique experiential hotels from around the world

by Jessica Festa on

A trend in the travel world that is becoming increasingly popular is the “experiential” hotel. Many travelers are no longer looking for a basic room in a premier location, but instead for an experience that will allow them to get to know an (often remote) area, or at least have their hotel be something they’ll never forget. From staying in mines in the deepest hotel suite in the world to getting in touch with nature in a tree-top accommodation, these ten unique hotels are must-stays for the experiential traveler.

The SnowHotel
Location: Ylläsjärvi. Finland

This hotel is an experiential property located in the Snow Village, a compound of snow and ice making a restaurant, bar, lobbies, sculptures, walls, slides, and, of course, the SnowHotel. Stay overnight in a room made completely of snow and enjoy the illuminated ice art that surrounds you. Rooms range from double igloo rooms to “furnished” ice suites.

The Sala Silvermine
Location: Sala, Sweden

The Sala Silvermine is not for the claustrophobic. Stay in the deepest hotel suite on Earth. Once you arrive, you will be given a guided tour of the mine, once Sweden’s largest producer of silver, which is 155 meters underground. After the tour, guests are given a goodie basket of fruit, biscuits, cheese, chocolate, and wine, which can be a romantic touch in the dim, candle-lit room. Prepare to rough it a little as the toilets are located 50 meters from the room, while the showers are above ground in the hostel.

Safari Land Farm and Guest House Resort
Location: Tamilnadu, India

Often called the Tree House Resort, Safari Land will really get you in touch with nature. Safari Land is specifically designed with wilderness lovers, bird watchers, and environmentally conscious. Guests will stay in tree houses perched above 4,000 feet high hills. Look down and you will see a tranquil stream pouring down the hill. Look forward and your view will be of the Blue Mountains in India. And for those who want to have a rustic experience but still enjoy some comforts of home, electricity, toilets, and hot water are available.

La Balade des Gnomes
Location: Heyd Nr Durbuy, Wallonia, Belgium

La Balade des Gnomes is an experiential hotel for those who have a big imagination. With a fairy-tale theme in mind, the rooms are extremely detailed and over-the-top. Sleep in a boat under twinkling lights while floating in a swimming pool or opt for the enormous Trojan Horse Suite where you will literally be staying inside a trojan horse.

Palacio de Sal
Location: Uyuni,Bolivia

Those with high sodium levels, beware! The Palacio de Sal is, exactly as the name states, made entirely out of salt. Not only are the walls, ceilings, and floors made out of salt, but also the furniture. And, it doesn’t stop there. Salt artwork and a salt golf-course are also part of the experience.

Controversy Tram Inn
Location: Hoogwoud, Netherlands

Guests of the Controversy Tram Inn can experience sleeping in a railcar converted into a 5-room Bed and Breakfast, each with a unique theme. A double bed, shower, sink, and toilet are also included. Next to the experiential hotel live the owners, Frank and Irma Appel, who also live like their guests, sleeping in a London double-decker bus in their living room and eating in a kitchen that is now a French Van.

Jules Undersea Lodge
Location: Key Largo, Florida

Imagine having to dive underwater to get to your room? If you stay at Jules Undersea Lodge, this becomes a reality, as guests dive 21 feet to get to this completely submerged experiential hotel. Meals and luggage are handled in waterproof suitcases, and the food is actually hot. Each room holds a 42-inch round window so that guests can check out the many species of sea life swimming in the lagoon. If you’re into diving, the hotel provides unlimited tanks for their guests to explore the sea.

Propeller Island City Lodge
Location: Berlin, Germany

With rooms designed by German artist Lars Stroschen, staying here is like sleeping in a giant work of art, with upside-down rooms and flying beds. Everything you find in the Propeller Island City Lodge is custom-made and one-of-a-kind. Rooms range from mild to extreme and have the ability to alter your sense of reality. Be prepared for surprises everywhere you turn.

Wigwam Motel
Location: Holbrook, Arizona

The Wigwam Motel is one of the last standing Wigwam hotels left from a 1950’s chain. In 2002, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Guests have the opportunity to stay in one of 14 authentic-looking teepees. Making the stay more experiential is the fact that it is located in close proximity to a number of Native American Reservations. Unlike Indian-style teepees, however, guests at Wigwam can enjoy double-beds and air-conditioning.

The Boot Bed ‘n’ Breakfast
Location: Tasman, New Zealand

Remember the childhood nursery rhyme The Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe? Well picture that, but a lot more luxurious. This giant boot is located on 6 acres of gardens, courtyards, and well-manicured property. With private outdoor seating, a spiral wooden staircase, a cozy fireplace, and fresh flowers in rooms made for two, it is easy to see why the Boot Bed ‘n’ Breakfast is the perfect romantic experience for couples. Still, if you’re single and still want to see what it’s like to sleep in a giant shoe, make the trip anyway.

AdventureSmith announces new line of adventure cruises for 2012

by Kyle Ellison on


AdventureSmith Explorations, one of the world’s leading companies for small-ship adventure cruises, has announced a new line of cruise packages for the upcoming winter and deep into 2012.

Having just concluded a summer season of small boat adventure cruises throughout Alaska, Canada, and deep into the Arctic, AdventureSmith is gearing up for cruises that leave the cold winter weather behind and head for the warmth of the tropics.

What kind of adventures you ask? How about an 8 day tour through Hawaii that includes kayaking, whale watching, and waterfall trekking through one of the state’s most secluded valleys? Or perhaps you’d rather snorkel the turquoise reefs off of Panama‘s Las Perlas Islands and scour Costa Rica‘s Manuel Antonio National Park in search of three-toed sloths?

While I love tropical destinations as much as the next person, I also enjoy straying far from the beaten path every once in a while as well. That’s why I’d probably look into a late-spring trip that navigates the sparsely populated islands of the Ring of Fire between northern Japan and eastern Russia. Eventually concluding the journey at a Russian submarine base, clients have the option of helicoptering to the Valley of the Geysers, a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s potentially home to the largest amount of geothermal activity found outside of Yellowstone National Park.

Helicopters, geysers, and submarines? Count me in.

Is SNUBA the fastest growing watersport?

by Kyle Ellison on


Ask anyone in the global watersports community what the fastest growing watersport on the planet currently is, and you’re most likely going to be told time and again that it’s stand up paddleboarding.

While few can question the meteoric rise of the hybrid board sport that was born on the island of Maui, I’m here to offer another opinion as to one watersport that just might be sneaking its way towards the top of the popularity podium. What’s more, there’s probably a good chance that you’ve never even heard of it until now.

First introduced to the islands of Maui and St. John in 1988, SNUBA is an underwater recreational activity that aims to take the diver “beyond snorkeling”. Little more than a 20 foot long rubber hose that leads to a tank full of compressed air on the surface, SNUBA is able to provide divers with the sensation of weightlessness and solitude that’s experienced while SCUBA diving without having to deal with all of the heavy gear and certification courses.

Since its inception over 20 years ago, not only have more than 5 million people in resort areas across the globe successfully completed a SNUBA dive, but there has yet to be a report of a serious dive injury related to SNUBA. This impeccable safety record combined with the aforementioned ease of the activity have made SNUBA the fastest growing resort activity across the globe, and potentially help it make a case for the world’s fastest growing watersport as a whole.

Exponentially gaining popularity by the year, SNUBA operators can now be found in 22 different countries with tours running throughout Hawaii, Japan, Mexico, Fiji, Thailand, Australia, and all throughout the Caribbean island chain.

New web tool helps you “find the best” adventures

by Kraig Becker on

A new web tool from Find The Best, a website designed to help consumers quickly compare a wide variety of products and services, may help you decide on your next exotic destination. The site, which joins a growing number of adventure travel aggregators on the Internet, looks to make the process of finding tour operators fast and simple.

The Adventure Travel & Tours search tool lists more than 1000 tours worldwide and can be sorted by region, country, cost, and duration. The rather basic interface allows you to apply a variety of filters quickly and easily, so you can find the perfect adventure in no time at all. For instance, you can look for trips in Africa, then narrow the search further by selecting specific countries, trip lengths, and a price range. You can even search by desired activities, level of difficulty, and the months that the trip is available. That last option is especially nice for those who can only get away during certain times of the year.

Once you have your search results, you’ll be able to click on links to get further information about the trip, the company that provides it, and how it can be booked. There is even a place for travelers to post reviews of the various tours, although I didn’t come across any in my searches. This is most likely a result of Find The Best still being in Beta and not having a large community yet.

If you’re looking for new ideas for your next trip, you may want to give this tool a shot – or at the very least, bookmark it for future use. It’ll definitely come in handy when seeking out new destinations for upcoming adventures.