Oceania Flights and Travel Guide

Oceania is the smallest and most obscure construct of a continent, dominated by its biggest island, Australia. Yet the countries in this region are among the most diverse and fascinating areas on the planet.

Australia is a traveller's dream, with its unique and contrasting landscapes, remarkable wildlife and laid-back, cosmopolitan cities. Equally blessed with natural beauty is its smaller, far flung neighbour New Zealand, with its flowing rivers, ancient forests and stunning glacial mountains, referred to by the indigenous Maori's as the “Godzone".

South Pacific islands such as Fiji are popular destinations for short breaks and honeymooners. An archipelago of 300 islands, Fiji has some of the best diving in the world and a mix of fascinating cultures. In French Polynesia, Tahiti's tropical waters and sandy coves have long drawn travellers. Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin was so inspired by the island that he abandoned his family in France and moved there.

The lesser-known countries of the continent - Papua New Guinea, the Cook Islands, Guam and American Samoa - remain something of a mystery to many travellers.

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Oceania Climate

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When to Fly to Oceania

Summer is the peak season for domestic travel in Australia. New Zealand is a popular skiing destination in winter. For South Pacific islands such as French Polynesia, Fiji and the Cook Islands, the best time to go is in the dry season, from May to October. During the wet season, generally from December to March, it's very humid and there can be tropical cyclones. Papua New Guinea has a monsoonal climate, while Guam is wet year-round and typhoons tend to occur between July and November.

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Getting Around Oceania

For domestic flights, Australia's national carrier Qantas competes with its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar and Virgin Blue. In New Zealand the main regional airlines are Air New Zealand and Origin Pacific.

Interstate trains and buses cover most of Australia, as long as you're not in a hurry. New Zealand has an excellent bus service but to really explore the country at your own pace, hire a car.

Qantas and Air New Zealand fly to the Pacific Islands, while Virgin Blue's international airline Pacific Blue flies to New Zealand, Fiji and other Pacific islands, PNG and the Cook Islands. Air Fiji and Sun Air are Fiji's national carriers, Air Rarotonga serves the Cook Islands and Air Niugini is the main Papua New Guinea airline. In American Samoa, Inter-Island Airways flies between Pago Pago and the Manu'a Islands.

Taxis in Guam, the Cook Islands, Papa New Guinea and Fiji, are not always metered, so it’s best to agree on a fare to your destination in advance.

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Oceania Insider Information

• One of Australia's lesser-known sites is the Grampians National Park, a three-hour drive from Melbourne. This scenic mountain wilderness region is rich in cultural and natural attractions, including waterfalls, unique rock formations and some of Victoria’s finest examples of Aboriginal rock art.  The Brambuk cultural centre has excellent displays about the history and culture of local Aboriginal communities.
• You don’t need to dive to explore the deep blue at Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World in Auckland. You can travel through a transparent acrylic tunnel on a conveyor belt, while fish, sharks and stingrays swim around you.
• In the Cook Islands, you can pick up some unique pieces of island jewellery, art and crafts at the Beachcomber Gallery, a restored 1845 building once used as a Sunday school.
• Tahiti's Musée Gauguin is dedicated to the French artist who produced some stunning paintings depicting Tahitian life during his years living on the island.
• In Fiji, make sure you see a meke – a traditional Fijian feast and dance accompanied by  bamboo tubes and the lali, a wooden drum.
• Guam's Two Lovers Point, on the peak of a 125-metre limestone cliff, is the site where according to an ancient Chamorro legend, two lovers leapt to their deaths after being forbidden from being together. A gilded statue of the couple stands testament to their ill-fated love.
• At Papua New Guinea's Lake Kutubu, you can swim among rare fish species and watch butterflies flutter by. The area, one of five national parks, has some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.
• The National Park of American Samoa (Ta'u) includes a paleotropical rainforest, flying foxes and other tropical wildlife, on a massive park covering more than 3237 hectares.

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Oceania Airports

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