Darwin, Australia's tropical north capital, is a uniquely isolated outpost near the equator, about 2,000 miles from Sydney and Melbourne. Named for Charles Darwin, it's known for nearby islands, Pacific flavours, and access to the Top End. Explore crocodile-filled waterways and Kakadu by airboat, relax in George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens or on Mindil Beach, and browse the sunset market for food and crafts. Its resilience is shaped by WWII bombing in 1942 and Cyclone Tracy in 1973.

At Australia's rugged northern tip, Cape York is a wild frontier of red earth, tropical wetlands and broad coral-fringed waters. This remote destination offers a taste of outback adventure, rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, and extraordinary wildlife, with opportunities to explore pristine beaches, spot birdlife and admire the dramatic landscapes that make this far-flung corner of the continent so compelling.

Thursday Island (TI, or Kawrareg in Waiben dialect) is a laid-back Torres Strait retreat: a pub deck, cold beer, and turquoise sea views. Though the most populated of the Torres Strait Islands, it has fewer than 3,000 residents on just 3.5 km2. Once rich from pearl and shell trade, it has WWII history and heritage sites like Green Hill Fort, the Customs House, and Gab Titui Cultural Centre.

Alotau, the provincial capital of Milne Bay Province in southeast Papua New Guinea, is an important port town and World War II staging ground. Visitors can see war memorials and remains, enjoy views over the bay, and explore lively markets used by locals and islanders trading produce. The town also attracts many handicraft vendors from nearby islands.

Fergusson is one of the three largest mountainous islands in Papua New Guinea's Milne Bay Province and part of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands. Its south side has the famous Dei Dei geysers: natural hot springs that periodically vent steam beside mud pools and a warm stream. Locals still use them to cook food in palm frond and pandanus baskets. Birds include Eclectus Parrots, Yellow-bellied Sunbirds, and the endemic Curl-crested Manucode, a bird-of-paradise.

Dobu is a small island in Papua New Guinea's D'Entrecasteaux Group, near Fergusson and Normanby Islands. Once feared for black magic and "witch" doctors, it was studied by Reo Fortune in the 1930s, inspiring The Island of Sorcerers. It is also part of the Kula ring, where mwali armbands and soulava necklaces are still exchanged, sometimes with modern adornments. The main village on the northwest tip has a school, church, shore trails, thatched houses, and gardens.

Kuiawa (Kuyau) is one of the Trobriand Islands in Milne Bay Province, about 200 km from the provincial capital and southwest of Kiriwina. The islands are uplifted limestone, so gardening is difficult, but Islanders use yam magic to promote growth. Some villages have yam houses for storing and displaying large yams. Houses line main roads under almond, casuarina, and frangipani shade. Trobrianders are also known for carving, dancing, and competitive cricket, especially at harvest time.

Explore Jacquinot Bay in Papua New Guinea and get ready to be amazed by its beauty and mystery! Discover the rich history and heritage of this unknown island.

Rabaul, on New Britain's NE tip in Papua New Guinea, is a surreal travel spot set inside a flooded volcanic caldera with still-active vents. Mount Tavurvur devastated the town in 1994 with ashfall but caused no deaths. Its deep-water port supports some commerce, though tourism is limited by remoteness and volcanic risk. Rabaul also has major WWII history, including Japanese tunnels and a large wartime base. Slow travel here rewards visitors with dramatic scenery and exceptional diving.

Kennedy Island, a tiny, uninhabited Solomon Islands isle near Gizo, was once called Plum Pudding Island. In WWII, John F. Kennedy and his PT-109 crew reached it after their torpedo boat was sunk in Aug. 1943; JFK is said to have swum while towing an injured crewman by his life-jacket strap. Coconut-shell artifacts remain, and the surrounding waters are rich in coral and fish for diving.

Koholite Island offers a taste of the Solomon Islands' untamed South Pacific beauty, with clear turquoise waters, palm-fringed beaches and lush green interiors. Here, life moves at a gentle pace, and shore visits may reveal colourful marine life, traditional island culture and a warmly welcoming tropical atmosphere far from the crowds.

Port Mary is the bay beside Ghupuna, the main village in Santa Ana. A bright white-sand beach with large shade trees lines the shore in front of the tidy village. Houses are made from local materials, mostly on stilts. Islanders usually welcome visitors with traditional songs and dances from the three Santa Ana villages, and some locals sell souvenirs. The Solomons are also known for shell money and elegant carvings based on local stories and legends.

Champagne Beach in Vanuatu is a world-famous stretch of white sand and turquoise water, ranked by CNN among the world's top beaches. Set on Espiritu Santo, the least populated large island in the archipelago, it's surrounded by coconut plantations and a few locals. Its name comes from bubbles in the water that reminded Pedro de Quirós of champagne. Nearby blue holes and clear waters make the island even more special.

Unlike Espiritu Santo's raised coral reefs and white sand, Ambrym is a volcanically active island with dark sand beaches. Known as the island of magic, it is the source of five local languages, part of Vanuatu's 100+ languages. In the lush community of Ranon, people perform the traditional Rom dance, preparing masks and costumes in secrecy for special occasions.

Lautoka, Fiji's second-largest city, offers beaches, turquoise seas, jungle, and rich local culture. Known as the "Sugar City," it's named for a spear-duel legend and centers on sugar trade. Visit botanical gardens, temples, cafes, mills, and the lively market, plus see warrior dances and firewalking. Nearby highlights include the Blue Lagoon, mineral-rich mud pools and spas, and Savala Island, with soft sand, reefs, and great snorkeling.

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Leleuvia is a tiny low-lying island southeast of Ovalau, about 500 m long, with a small resort. Near Bau, Moturiki and Ovalau, it has an easy western reef with colorful fish, sea kraits by the north pier, and a surprisingly rich forest of tamanu, lantern tree, fish-poison tree and beach gardenia, plus beach hibiscus, heliotrope and Pacific rosewood that attract Sacred Kingfishers, Orange-breasted Honeyeaters and Pacific Swallows.

Fulanga, in Fiji's Southern Lau Group, is one of the country's easternmost islands. This crescent-shaped raised limestone island has a central lagoon, a 50-meter pass to the ocean, many small islets, and sandy beaches. About 400 people live in three villages: Muana-i-rai and Muana-i-cake on the south outside coast, and Naividamu on the lagoon side. Muana-i-cake is the main village. Traditional weaving and carving remain important, and pandanus mats and wooden bowls are sold as far as Suva.

Uoleva is a classic South Sea island: white sand, coconut palms, and clear shallow water over coral reefs. It feels like a castaway paradise, but also offers beachcombing, swimming, snorkelling, and exploring. The reef supports rich marine life-feather stars, fan worms, sponges, sea squirts, and many fish. The island has some visitor accommodation, but is mainly used by locals for coconut growing and pig grazing. Tongans reach it from nearby Lifuka, where Cook named Tonga the "friendly islands."

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Palmerston is a low-lying atoll inhabited by three families, all descendants of William Marsters (1831-1899). Locals greet visitors and guide small boats and Zodiacs through coral reefs to the only inhabited islet, "Home," where the community often comes ashore. Highlights: church, oldest house, cemetery, school, underground gardens, and "Duke's Pool." The lagoon has reef fish, sea cucumbers, rays, turtles, and birds like tropicbirds, boobies, noddies, frigatebirds, and terns.

Lonely Planet's co-founder calls Aitutaki "the world's most beautiful island," and it's easy to see why. In the Cook Islands, it has white sand, turquoise waters, and a spectacular reef-enclosed lagoon, making it a top diving and snorkeling spot. Its Polynesian history dates to around 900 AD, later shaped by missionaries and the Mutiny on the Bounty era. Traditional songs, dances, and Christian hymns remain part of island life, and visitors entering the main village may face a warrior challenge.

Bora Bora is a dream island: blue seas, white beaches, palm trees and vivid marine life. Famous for romantic sunsets, it offers more than honeymoons-lagoon excursions, underwater scooters, aqua safaris, and island tours, often stopping at Bloody Mary Restaurant & Bar. Its history includes a WWII US supply base ("Operation Bobcat") with ships, equipment, troops and coastal cannons. It was once called Vava'u, suggesting Tongan colonization before French annexation in 1888.

Papeete is the capital and gateway to French Polynesia, a tropical paradise of islands, beaches, and turquoise seas. It's a superb base for exploring Tahiti, with clear lagoons for snorkeling, black volcanic beaches, blowholes, and lush green mountains. Visit to relax and soak up the rhythm of Polynesian life.