Australia & South Pacific
South Pacific (4) 25/11/2025 – 3/2/2026
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
South Pacific (3) 25/11/2025 – 3/2/2026
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
South Pacific (2) 25/11/2025 – 3/2/2026
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
South Pacific (1) 25/11/2025 – 3/2/2026
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
Australia 2025 (3): Darwin – Sydney
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
Australia 2025 (2): Kimberley Coast
July 22 – 31, 2025 Australia’s Iconic Kimberley onboard Le Soleal Day 1 (22/7) Darwin Boarding at 4pm As boarding would start at 4 pm, Kylie and I spent the day leisurely at the hotel. I continued with my writing. After getting onboard, we were ushered to stateroom 325. As a Grand Amiral member, I … Continue reading
Malaysia & Australia (1) 14/7-18/8/2025
Background I planned to go to Sydney in August to celebrate the birthday of Alan, my elder brother. By chance, I was able to add three side trips including a brief visit to Melaka, Malaysia on my way to Darwin, an expedition to the iconic Kimberley coast on Le Soleal (Darwin-Darwin), and a journey on … Continue reading
Australia 16 July -3 August 2024
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.
Soloman Islands, Vanuatu & Sydney 31 October- 12 November 2023
Solomon Islands (also known as the Solomons) consists of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, to the northeast of Australia. The country has an area of over 28,000 km2 and an estimated population of 750,000. Honiara located on the largest island, Guadalcanal is the capital and largest city. First … Continue reading