Fiji

Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australias largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby.

The Fiji archipelago is at the cross roads of the South Pacific. In the days of sailing ships, it was known as “The Cannibal Isles,” where mariners carefully avoided its fierce warriors and perfidious waters. Thankfully, Fijis pagan days live only in the tales recalled by tour guides – in rituals such as firewalking, Kava Ceremonies and in renditions of tribal drumming, dance and song. Fiji is an exotic destination, with 333 islands that provide an exciting adventure or peaceful repose. The northwest region, where the sun shines almost every day and a tropical shower ends as quickly as it began, is home to the majority of the resorts. Suva, the political, administrative, educational and commercial center, has a backdrop of lush rainforest maintained by the inevitable “tropical downpour.” The people of Fiji are the most multiracial and multicultural of all South Pacific island countries – this being reflected in churches of all denominations, mosques, temples and shrines. Built around a reef-protected natural harbor, Suva, with its colonial buildings nestled alongside modern commercial venues, shops and local markets, parks and residential sprawl, is home to nearly half of Fijis urban population.

Less than two miles in length from north to south, Dravuni Island lies in the Kadavu Island group of Fiji. Its volcanic peaks give way to a remote village of just 200 or so friendly villagers who live amongst the islands shady palms. These welcoming locals and their children often sing to arriving visitors. Well-worn trails scattered with coconuts snake around the unspoiled beaches, the soft sands beckoning underwater adventurers towards the crystal-clear waters. Many visitors come to snorkel in the Great Astrolabe Reef, or to hike Dravuni Islands highest peak for magnificent once-in-a-lifetime views of the surrounding islands.

The capital of New Caledonia, Noumea is a little piece of France in the middle of the Coral Sea. Before World War II, New Caledonia was a little known and seldom-visited French possession known for its penal colony and its natural resources. (Nickel smelting still plays a major role in the island economy.) Today, travelers are drawn to New Caledonia for its scenic beauty. The island is famed for its white-sand beaches while its west coast is the site of the worlds second longest barrier reef. The offshore waters also offer superb diving and snorkeling. In 1774, James Cook thought the islands rugged hills resembled those of his native Scotland. Hence he christened the island New Caledonia. The island and its outlying groups became a French colony in 1854 and an overseas department of France in 1956.

Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australias largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby.