Australia & South Pacific

D43-45 Rangiro, Tuamotu Islands Rangiroa  is the largest atoll of French Polynesia and one of the largest in the world after Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands and Huvadhu in the Maldives. The atoll has a flattened elliptic shape with 80km in length, a width ranging from 5 to 32 km and a circumference totaling up … Continue reading »

D 37 (Jan 4) At Sea D38-41 Four Days in Marquesas Islands Lying about 1,370 km northeast of Tahiti and about 4,800 km southwest of Mexico, Marquesas Islands (Marquesas) is one of the world’s most remote place. It is thought to have been formed by a centre of upwelling magma called the Marquesas hot spot. … Continue reading »

D 30-31 3 Days in Moorea, Society Islands Lying 17 km from Tahiti, Moorea has an area of 134 sq km and a population of less than 20,000. Formed as a shield volcano 1.5 to 2.5 million years ago, the island is an atoll today with Mt Tohivea (1,207m) as its highest point. All the adjacent … Continue reading »

Day 21-24 (Dec 18-21) at Sea 24 Days in French Polynesia (22/12/2025 – 14/1/2026) French Polynesia comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than 2,000 km in South Pacific Ocean with a land area of 3,521 sq km and a population of 282,596 as of September 2025. It is divided into five … Continue reading »

D13 & 14 (Dec 11 &12) At Sea D15-17 3 Days in Samoa Samoa is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean with a total land area of 2,831 sq km and a population of about 200,000.  Located 64km west of American Samoa and 1,152 km northeast of Fiji, Samoa consists of two main … Continue reading »

I love the sea and islands: sailing around the South Pacific has always been on my list. I have been looking at a few cruises in the area including a 37-day Silversea expedition from Fiji to Chile in September 2026. In June, I discovered Odyssey – Ville Vie Residences from a friend who is a resident … Continue reading »

Darwin – Adelaide on The Ghan 2-5/8/2025 The Ghan is an iconic passenger train taking about 53 hours to travel 2,979 km between Darwin, Northern Territory and Adelaide, South Australia with three stops at Katherine, Alice Springs and Manguri. As early as the 1800s, discussions began around building a rail line stretching from the south to north … Continue reading »

I took a short trip to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne primarily to visit my brother to celebrate his 72nd birthday and to visit Michelle and Caciano.