Oceania
Every V-TIMES guide across Oceania.
Australia · road trip
Australia East Coast Road Trip: Sydney to Cairns
Sydney to Port Stephens, the Mid North Coast and Byron Bay; across the border to Burleigh Heads, Brisbane and Noosa; two nights on K'gari by passenger ferry; the long cane-country haul to Airlie Beach for Whitehaven; Magnetic Island for koalas; then Cairns for the outer reef, the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. Eighteen days is our honest minimum for the full run; with two weeks, drive Sydney to Noosa and fly Brisbane to Cairns.
French Polynesia · island
Bora Bora
Fly from Papeete in under an hour, base either on a motu or near Matira Beach, give your best-weather day to a full-day lagoon tour with an operator that does not feed the sharks, ride the 32-kilometer loop road past the wartime guns, and keep every evening for the west-facing water. In whale season (late July to November), add a licensed trip outside the reef.
Fiji · island
Fiji
Fly into Nadi, then transfer by catamaran or seaplane to your island. The Mamanucas are closest and easiest, the Yasawas are more remote and dramatic, the Coral Coast on the main island suits families and self-drivers, and Taveuni is for divers. Pick one or two and stay put.
Australia · region
Great Barrier Reef & Cairns
Base in Cairns for reef-boat access and the Esplanade, or Port Douglas for a quieter, resort-style stay closer to the Low Isles and the Daintree. Add one rainforest day and one full-day reef trip with a certified operator.
New Zealand · road trip
New Zealand South Island Road Trip: The 10-Day Loop
Christchurch over Arthur’s Pass to the West Coast and the glaciers, through Haast Pass to Wanaka and Queenstown, south to Te Anau for Milford Sound, then back north past Aoraki/Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo to Christchurch. Ten days is the honest minimum; with seven or fewer, fly out of Queenstown and skip the West Coast.
New Zealand · region
Queenstown
Base in central Queenstown for the lake, gondola and nightlife, add a day or overnight to Glenorchy and Arrowtown for the gold-rush and mountain scenery, and give a full day to Milford Sound even though it is a long drive.
Australia · city
Sydney
Base in or near Circular Quay and The Rocks for the harbour icons, add a stretch of days near Bondi or Manly for the beach culture, and give one full day to the Blue Mountains.
New Zealand · multi city
Two Weeks in New Zealand
Fly into Auckland, drive south via Hobbiton, Rotorua, Taupō and Tongariro to Wellington, take the Interislander ferry to Picton, then continue through Kaikōura or the wine country to Christchurch and on to Queenstown, Te Anau and Milford Sound. Fly out of Queenstown or Christchurch.