Oceania
Oceania is a vast, arbitrarily defined expanse of the world where the Pacific Ocean rather than land borders connects the nations. It is home to glistening white beaches, coconut palms swaying in the breeze, beautiful coral reefs, and rugged volcanic islands rising out of the blue ocean. Its diverse nations have both some of the world's most cosmopolitan and internationalised cities such as Melbourne, and some of its most remote and culturally isolated villages.
Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea are by far the largest countries on these lands that comprise southern Oceania, with the first two the most visited. Within Oceania are the vast island nation groupings of Polynesia to the far east, Melanesia to the west and Micronesia to the north.
Australia and New Zealand are both former British colonies. At one time it was envisaged that the two colonies would become a single country. In the past, Papua New Guinea was a United Nations trusteeship, administered by Australia. Various islands have been annexed by Britain, Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Australia and the United States.
The presence of all of these cultures has created an influence on aspects of culture norms and development. In many areas at least one, often more indigenous languages, and the languages of one or more of the colonial powers, are spoken by the majority as people have coexisted or joined with the influx of other cultures. This mix has influenced cuisine, architecture and other facets of culture.
Ecologically, Oceania also includes the eastern parts of Indonesia as far as Lombok and Sulawesi.
See the country articles for detailed information on how to Get in.
The major countries of Australia and New Zealand do of course offer connections from all continents, although there are few direct flights from South America. There are some other gateways offering other opportunities to get in to Oceania, and for interesting itineraries. Air France connects New Caledonia direct with Tokyo and Paris and also flies to Tahiti. Onward connections to Sydney and Auckland are possible. Fiji Airways connects Fiji with Los Angeles with connections through to Sydney, Auckland and Tahiti. Tahiti is connected to Los Angeles, and you can fly to the Cook Islands direct from there. Air New Zealand provides a service to Tonga and Samoa from Los Angeles and Auckland. The Los Angeles service is subsidized by the New Zealand government as a form of aid to the two countries. Manila, Guam and Honolulu offer a gateway to the many countries of Micronesia, mainly on Continental Airlines.
The smallest islands with less tourism present travel challenges. Many are entirely deserted, and some have restrictions on access. Others require specialized services you may hire.
A South Pacific cruise.
Without a yacht, or a lot of time, the only way for travellers to get around between the main destinations of Oceania is by plane. Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, and Los Angeles have good connectivity to the region. It is usually possible to fly from the west coast of the United States through to Sydney or Auckland via Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji or even the Cook Islands.
However, air routes tend to come and go depending on whether the airlines find them profitable or not. Much of Micronesia, having been under US Administration, is serviced by Continental Airlines. Much of English-speaking Polynesia receives regular flights from Air New Zealand. Melanesia is mainly serviced by national and Australian airlines. Don't expect daily flights. Patience is required.
Flying between Micronesia and the other two areas is problematic and may involve flying all the way to Honolulu or a complicated route through Manila, Sydney and Auckland. Continental Airlines has a weekly flight from Guam to Nadi in Fiji. United Airlines offers flights also.Aircalin has flights from Japan direct to New Caledonia
Some flight options within Oceania, amongst others, are:
There are some options for boats, cruise ships, private yachts, adventure cruises, and even cargo ships.
Consult the guide for the destination you are visiting.
All island groups are fascinating and with time and money you can spend months just travelling around. There are some stunningly beautiful islands (Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia), some fascinating cultures and festivals, some wonderful diving and totally deserted beaches. Check the individual country sections for details.
Skiing and snow sports. New Zealand has reliable winter snowfalls, mostly on the South Island in winter. The Snowy Mountains in New South Wales have the largest ski resorts in the southern hemisphere.
Although staple foods from outside the region, such as rice and flour, now have a firm foothold, the traditional staples of roots and tubers remain very important. The cheapest is usually cassava, which can be left in the ground for a long time. Sweet potato is a very important crop and is found in most parts of Oceania with the major producing area being the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Taro and yam are also widespread. The latter is the most valuable of the roots and tubers and there are many customs associated with its cultivation. In the Sepik area of Papua New Guinea, for example, relations between married couples are traditionally forbidden while the yams are growing. On the other hand, in the Trobriand Islands the yam harvest traditionally is a period of active relations within couples, and of sexual freedom in general.
Kava is a drink produced from the roots of a plant related to the pepper plant and found mainly in Polynesia as well as Fiji and Vanuatu. It has a mildly narcotic effect. Other names include 'awa (Hawai'i), 'ava (Samoa), yaqona (Fiji), and sakau (Pohnpei). Traditionally it is prepared by chewing, grinding or pounding the roots of the kava plant. In Tonga, chewing traditionally had to be done by female virgins. Pounding is done in a large stone with a small log. The product is then added to cold water and consumed as quickly as possible, invariably as part of a group of people sitting around and sharing the cup. Check before taking any out of the country, however, as importing or exporting kava can be illegal for travelers.
Usual travel precautions re: any socializing or involvement with local people apply, always, and take special care in remote areas and on remote islands. Prepare thoroughly for trips into remote areas. Do your research, be prepared, understand that wilderness areas are true wilderness.
Fiji, New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, Samoa and all other islands except those listed next are usually malaria free.
Vanuatu has no reported cases of malaria currently although it has existed. Islanders are recuperating from flood losses (2014), and attendant human and infrastructure damage in the Solomon Islands, with some people who have contracted malaria. The malaria risk has lessened in Papua New Guinea this decade. All mentioned have a regimen of larval control practices.
Check with the WHO for the latest statistics.
Read more here:
- Pope Francis to visit Asia and Oceania in September - Crux Now - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- EY Weighs Another 100 Job Cuts in Oceania, The Australian Reports - Bloomberg - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises Announces New 2025-2026 Tropics and Exotics Collection - Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Pope Francis to visit 4 nations across Asia and Oceania in September - Vatican News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises Announces New 2025-26 Tropics and Exotics Collection - Cruise Industry News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Pope Francis will head to Asia and Oceania in September for his longest foreign trip yet - America: The Jesuit Review - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises Announces New Tropics and Exotics Collection for 2025-2026 - Porthole Cruise and Travel - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Per Berth Prices Rise for Oceania and Regent Newbuilds - Cruise Industry News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Pope Francis to embark on tour of Southeast Asia, Oceania in longest papal trip - Bakersfield Now - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Pope will take his longest trip: to Asia-Oceania in September - Aleteia - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Asia/Oceania I: Korea, Republic maintain perfect record with another 3-0 win - Billie Jean King Cup - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Highlights of Billie Jean King Cup 2024 tennis tournament Asia-Oceania - Xinhua - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises Announces New Tropics and Exotics Collection - Recommend Magazine - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- VATICAN Pope Francis will be in Southeast Asia and Oceania from 2 to 13 September - AsiaNews - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Triathlon continental titles on the line in Taupo this weekend World Triathlon - World Triathlon - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- DHL Express introduces dedicated flight between Sydney and Hong Kong to cater to Oceania-North Asia trade demand - payloadasia.com - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Vatican announces long-awaited papal visit to Asia and Oceania - Macao News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- EY confirms 148 jobs gone in mass redundancy round across Oceania - The West Australian - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Hosts Tonga launch campaign with dominant victory against American Samoa - Oceania Football Confederation - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises unveils 2026 around the world voyage on Vista - TTG Asia - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Sea Control 501 Multilateral Approaches to Maritime Security in Oceania with Zach Ota | Center for International ... - CIMSEC - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Oceania set to open booking for $60K, 180-day around-the-world cruise - Business Insider - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises Announces 2026 Around the World Voyage Aboard Its Newest Ship, Vista - PR Newswire - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- The Oceania Vista will sail the world in 2026 - Travel Weekly - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Oceania Announces 2026 Around the World Voyage Aboard Vista - Cruise Industry News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Oceania Championships: Record-breaking Samoan Opeloge and Australia's Elliott make moves in Olympic rankings - International Weightlifting Federation... - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Hawaii-based 'Indo-Pacific Support Cutter' focused on Oceania is on its first Pacific deployment - Honolulu Star-Advertiser - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- PNG and Vanuatu to participate in inaugural FIFA Series - Football in Oceania - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Escalation is feared after tribal conflict: The only way to avoid it is on-site dialogue - Agenzia Fides - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Brazil claim record-extending 6th FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup - Oceania Football Confederation - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- NMI's Aiden Gimed wins silver in Oceania Weightlifting Championships - Marianas Variety News & Views - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Fiji U20s secures 39-25 win over Tonga at round 1 of Oceania Rugby U20s Challenge - Fijivillage - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Vakuruivalu wins bronze in the senior men's 109kg category at the Oceania Weightlifting Championship - Fijivillage - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- 5G subs in SE Asia & Oceania to hit 550M by 2029-end - Nation Thailand - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- AI image generator Stable Diffusion perpetuates racial and ... - University of Washington - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- APCO and AIP partner to strengthen Oceania packaging industry - Packaging Gateway - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Solomon Islands to host OFC Women's Champions League in March - Friends of Football - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Tahiti tournament next prize for Wellington Olympic or Auckland City - Friends of Football - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Gordon Treanor joins $3bn drinks giant Suntory Oceania - The Shout - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- LoL esports announces Japans LJL will join Oceania in PCS ... - Dexerto - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- NZ Festival of Squash in Tauranga attracts top world and Oceania ... - Bay of Plenty Times - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Sisters Stephanie and Caley McNair gain international smallbore ... - Hawkes Bay Today - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Australian Superbike: Herfoss Earns Pole Position At "The Bend" - RoadracingWorld.com - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- From boys' football to the Ferns in a year the rapid rise of winger ... - Friends of Football - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Global protein production expected to slow, but persist in 2024 - MEAT+POULTRY - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Catching up after the weekend? Heres all the top results and all on ... - Friends of Football - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- All Blacks Sevens chart new beginnings in the HSBC SVNS Series - allblacks.com - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- The Dominican Republic to host WBSC Americas U-15 Baseball ... - World Baseball Softball Confederation - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- XXX BFA Asian Championship starts Sunday, qualifies three teams ... - World Baseball Softball Confederation - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Oceania - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- 5 Things You Should Know About: Oceania - WorldAtlas - March 4th, 2023 [March 4th, 2023]
- Oceania Healthcare (NZSE:OCA) Is Paying Out Less In Dividends Than Last Year - Simply Wall St - November 27th, 2022 [November 27th, 2022]
- 'Wingspan' Oceania Expansion Announced for Release Soon on iOS, Android, Switch, Xbox, and PC TouchArcade - Touch Arcade - October 30th, 2022 [October 30th, 2022]
- Oceania and Africa rising in university rankings - The PIE News - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- South Asia And Oceania Pea Fiber Consumption Is Expected To Grow By Nearly 2x By 2032 - openPR - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- PET Type Antiblock Masterbatch Market Size reach to 82.50 million USD in 2022-2027 With Impact of domestic and global market Top players: Review by... - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure launches on March 14, 2023 in North America; March 17 in Europe and March 24 in Oceania - RPG Site - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- A 5G-proficient workforce will be in high demand: Nitin Bansal, MD, India & Head Networks, South East Asia, Oceania And India, Ericsson - The... - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Being in India more critical than ever: Ericssons Mirtillo | Mint - Mint - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Sedin lands in Melbourne with Steve de Mamiel at the helm - ARNnet - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Heavy Machinery Maintenance & Repair Demand Is Set To Reach A Valuation of US$ 284 Bn Billion 2032; Owing To Technology Integration into Service... - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- WWII Ship Sunk In Oceania Shows Up In Dried-Up Californian Lake Officials Have No Idea How It Got There - IFLScience - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- EY Oceania Strengthens Transformation Capability Through The Business Acquisition Of Red Moki - The Balance - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- World University Rankings 2023: trends analysis - Times Higher Education - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- How Africa is still paying the most for the lowest-quality internet - Benjamindada.com - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Global population hits 8 billion soon, but shrinks by 2100 - Big Think - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Banana Genomes Hint at Hidden Species We Urgently Need to Find - ScienceAlert - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Boxing: Kiwi heavyweight Hemi Ahio ready for the spotlight - New Zealand Herald - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- An unbeatable moment to leverage: 2023 Womens World Cup must win hearts to change minds - The Guardian - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Architectural Services Sales Is Anticipated to Reach US$ 426.3 Bn by 2032; Rising Urbanization to Act as Key Drivers | Fact.MR's Study - GlobeNewswire - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Oceania unveils world cruise and other long voyages for 2025 - Travel Weekly - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Sailing to the Baltic Sea's top port cities with Oceania - Cruise Passenger - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Oceania Dairy tanker driver injured after truck rolls in South Cantebury - Stuff - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Study Highlights Wide Variation in Mortality of Spondyloarthritis, IBD Across the Globe - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Earth had its 6th-warmest August on record - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Humans have caused unprecedented changes to rivers - Earth.com - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- From boat to bike: Georgie Howe's rapid rise to the pro ranks - CyclingTips - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Turbulence not over: Asahi pushes canned beer and healthier innovation as cost pressures heighten - FoodNavigator-Asia.com - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Auckland City keep quadruple title hopes alive with Chatham Cup football final win - Stuff - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Cruise Lines That Don't Require a COVID-19 Vaccination - Cruise Fever - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]