Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland is a cosmopolitan capital that combines outdoor activities and sophisticated culture. The famous Sky Tower offers a magnificent view of this unique city with the numerous museums and restaurants. Oakland has a tradition in sailing and one of the greatest events taking place here is the America's Cup.
Apia, Samoa
Apia is a natural harbour, on Opolu island, one of the Samoa islands. Apia is the largest city and the capital of Samoa. Exept the modern city, still exists the small village of Apia, with the local inhabitants that are living according to their traditional customs.
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Bora Bora island is a piece of paradise, an ideal destination for romantic souls. The island is surrounded by a coral reef, which creates a lagoon with calm, shallow, light blue waters. Slopes with rich tropical vegetation, valleys full of flowers and blossoms of hibiscus and palm trees swaying in the wind. Discover the beauty of the island, such as Mount Otemanou, one of the two picks of an extinct volcano that looks like a castle and touches the clouds.
Fakarava, Τuamotu Islands
Fakarava belongs to a group of coral islands (atoll), in the west of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia (Pacific Ocean). It is the second largest of the Tuamotu atolls. Fakarava has a wide and deep lagoon and two passes. The main pass to enter the lagoon, located in its north-western end, is known as Passe Garuae and it is the largest pass in French Polynesia. The southern pass is called Tumakohua (also known as Tetamanu).
Lautoka, Fiji
Laoutoka is located in the western part of the Viti Levu island, in Fiji islands, at the Pacific. Laoutoka is known as the "Sugar City", because of its sugar cane belt areas. It is worthwhile visiting the "Sugar Mill", the temple "Hare Krishna", the beautiful Botanical Garden, walk to the central shopping street and shop at duty-free shops and handicraft markets.
Huahine, Societe Islands
Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. One of the famous attractions on Huahine is a bridge that crosses over a stream with 3- to 6-foot (1.8 m) long eels. These eels are deemed sacred by the locals, by local mythology. While viewing these slithering creatures, tourists can buy a can of mackerel and feed the eels. The Fa'ahia archaeological site in the north of the island has revealed subfossil remains of several species of extinct birds exterminated by the earliest Polynesian colonists of the island. Local people mostly work in agriculture, fishing and tourism.
Lifou Island, New Caledonia
Explore the northern coast of this paradise for intoxicating cliffs and limestone caves, and the southern side for turquoise water and white sand beaches. Snorkel the calm, clear waters of Baie de Jenik, where coral reefs are close enough to swim without flippers. Jokin Cliffs boast amazing caves with stalagmites and stalactites. Paths to churches, lookouts and beaches are breathtaking and great places to take photos.
Moorea, French Polynesia
Moʻorea is an island in French Polynesia. From above, the shape of the island vaguely resembles a heart, with its two nearly symmetrical bays opening to the north side of the island: Cook's (or Paopao) Bay and ʻŌpūnohu Bay. Charles Darwin found inspiration for his theory regarding the formation of coral atolls when looking down upon Moʻorea while standing on a peak on Tahiti. He described it as a "picture in a frame", referring to the barrier reef encircling the island. The CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research) maintain a research station at the end of ʻŌpūnohu Bay since about 1970.
Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands
Nuku Hiva is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The central part of the island is a high plateau called Tōvi‘i, covered primarily by a tall-grass prairie, on which experiments in cattle raising are taking place for the first time. Pine forest plantations covering large areas all around the crater of Tōvi‘i give an overall impression of the lower Alps and parts of Germany, Wales and Switzerland.
Noumea, New Caledonia
Noumea is known as the "French Riviera" of the Pacific. Here is the largest lagoon in the world and the second largest coral reef. So many water sports are available, and if that is not enough for you, the fine French cuisine will fascinate you and the multi-cultural identity of the local population will charm you. Noumea, on the island of Grand Terre, is the capital of the French territory of New Caledonia. The peaceful port city has a diverse population and colourful European architecture, reflecting its colonial history. Having served as the headquarters of the US Army during WWII, the tropical shrubbery of Ouen Toro Mount is now under the protection of abandoned Naval guns. The Michel Corbasson Zoological and Forest Park offers visitors shaded walks amongst rare birds and views out over the lagoon.
Pago Pago
The island of Pago Pago is the capital of American Samoa. The biggest industries of the island are tourism, entertainment, food and packaging plants tone. The island is a mix of suburban communities, a small town, canning factories and a harbor surrounded by cliffs that create a stunning backdrop.
Papeete (Tahiti French Poly)
French Polynesia is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of the French territory. The most famous island of French Polynesia is Tahiti, where is located Papeet. Here you can wonder around and visit on foot all the attractions such as Bougainville Park, the cathedral of Notre Dame, the presidential mansion, the city hall and the papeete market.
Raiatea
Raiatea island is the second largest island in the archipelago of French Polynesia. It's considered to be sacred and the cultural heart of all Polynesia. It was the first stop of the first Polynesians who arrived from Hawaii to settle in new places.
Rangiroa, Tuamotu Islands
Rangiroa is the largest atoll in the Tuamotus, and one of the largest in the world. It is part of the Palliser group and it is located about 355 km Northeast of Tahiti. Black pearls are abundant in the atolls of French Polynesia. These pearls, which have a wide range of natural colors, from white to dark and all kind of grey, are the only cultured pearls in the world with so many different natural. Tourism is a major economic activity of the island with the exceptional lagoon and the passes which are good sites for scuba diving attract a steady number of tourists.
Suva, Fiji
Suva is the capital and main port of Fiji. In the city center stands the building of the Old Parliament. The library of the city, which was built in 1909, is a sample of colonial architecture. You must visit the Museum of Fiji,in Therston Gardens, where is exhibited a collection of Fijian artworks, the largest one worldwide. In Suva there are many parks with local species of flora of the South Pacific area.
Port Vila, Vanuatu
There are 83 exotic islands that make up the amazing archipelago of Vanuatu. The Port Vila, the capital of the Efate island, is the heart of the all area. It is a place of extraordinary natural beauty and live ancient traditions of the first inhabitants. Cool off with a shower under waterfalls, enjoy a snack with fresh fruit or relax in the shade of a "banian" tree and feel like the happiest man on earth.
International Dateline
The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, that runs from the north to the south pole and demarcates one calendar day from the next. It passes through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, roughly following the 180° longitude but it deviates to pass around some territories and island groups.
The International Date line is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian helps to define Universal Time and is the meridian from which all other time zones are calculated. The International Date Line and the moving point of midnight separate the two calendar days that are current somewhere on Earth.