Isolated from the rest of the world the eco-systems in this area are very different to those found elsewhere. From the massive flocks of colorful parrots to the marsupial animals in the forests and the desert, this part of the world is extraordinary.
Whether in the outback or the world’s oldest rain forest, things are different here. Australia is known for its many pristine and isolated beaches and just off the coast and visible from space is the largest living reef on earth. In the South Pacific situated between Australia and New Zealand Norfolk Island, small and forested is home to over one hundred thousand sea birds.
New Zealand twisted and molded by volcanic action and earthquakes is a country of exceptional beauty with lakes and fjords, geysers and hot springs, mountains dressed in forests and the most accessible glacier on earth.
Countries in the Region
Australia
Australia is the world’s smallest continent. It is know for its pristine white beaches, its clear coastal waters and the Great Barrier Reef where scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing and sailing are all popular pastimes.
The Whitsundays are the most beautiful sand islands in the world and are well worth a sailing trip.
Isolated as it is, the ecosystems in Australia are very different from those encountered elsewhere in the world, and hikers are rewarded with views of koala bears, parrots and kangaroos.
Home to the world’s oldest rain forest, the Daintree, hike through thick forest and craggy mountain peaks with crashing waterfalls and plenty of wild life. Take a trip into the Outback to see crocodiles and the red desert, or climb the Blue Mountains.
Australia has a well-developed wine industry and the wine lands make a great destination. Australia’s cities are clean, modern and not too overcrowded.
New Zealand
Comprised of two islands the North Island and the South Island; New Zealand is a land of great beauty. It has mountains, lakes, fiords and lush vegetation making it one of the worlds best hiking destinations.
Find geysers and hot springs with natural eruptions of steam, sulfur lakes, dense forests and amazing waterfalls in cliffs cut by glaciers. New Zealand is home to the most accessible glacier on earth the Franz Josef Glacier.
It is on the migratory route of dolphins and whales and you can choose to swim with dolphins or simply view them at play. White water raft through pristine waters. Ski in the Southern Alps.
Scuba dive in clear ocean waters. Take a boat through the sounds. Paddle, cycle or hike, bungee jump or skydive. New Zealand has something for every adventurer.
Christmas Island
An Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, Christmas Island is one of earth’s most unique habitats, containing many species found nowhere else in the world.
The island is the top of a volcanic mountain so the seabed drops off by three thousand metres into the deep blue ocean. The lime stone walls of the volcano are decorated with colorful corals. Sail the waters around the island and see the energetic spinner dolphins in action.
Nearly seventy percent of the island is covered rain forest and national parks. The jungle grows all the way down to the sands of the beaches. The floor of the lush rain forest is tended by sixty million red crabs that migrate to the ocean once a year, in an astonishing and unique walk through the forests to the beaches to mate and lay their eggs.
Cocos Keeling Islands
In the warm Indian Ocean, the Coco Keeling Islands, all twenty-seven of them, is Australia’s most remote territory. Almost three thousand kilometers from Perth, these islands are some of the most pristine on earth.
Only two of the islands are inhabited, the rest deserted. Boats carry visitors between the islands.
Home to thirty thousand turtles and plenty of reef sharks, the surrounding coral gardens are teeming with tropical fish. This is a diver’s paradise.
Wind or kite surf from the whitest beaches touched by water so clear it is almost colorless. Play golf on the only golf course that crosses an international runway.
With accommodation for one hundred and twenty tourists, you are guaranteed peace and quiet.
Norfolk Island
Captain Cook called this small forested island just off Australia paradise on earth. With its pretty shingle beaches and steep cliffs that drop down into the bays it is easy to see why he was so charmed by it.
Once a penal colony, Norfolk Island is the largest of three islands in the South Pacific and is 1700 km from Australia.
It is covered with nature reserves and national parks surrounded by coral reefs, and topped by beautiful alpine forests. The crystalline rock pools and sheltered bays together with the island’s year-round moderate climate make this a perfect spot for beach and nature lovers. The island is a refuge for over one hundred thousand seabirds, including the endangered green parakeet.
