And sky-piercing volcanoes of the Marquesas to the vast desert of the Australian Outback and the snow-capped peaks of New Zealand, Oceania is a vast and beautiful region – spanning both the eastern and western hemispheres – that has inspired explorers for centuries.
While modern cities offer intriguing urban wonders like the Sydney Opera House and Auckland’s Sky Tower, this massive region’s biggest lure is its natural beauty and underwater wonders. Snorkelers can swim alongside thousands of colorful, tropical fish in pristine, turquoise-blue lagoons, and divers can come face-to-face with the ocean’s most magnificent marine life, including inquisitive, massive potato groupers, magnificent minke and humpback whales, enormous hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles, wide-eyed hammerhead sharks, elegant manta rays, and much more.
On land, enjoy beautiful beaches and lush forests filled with a plethora of beautiful birdlife such as white terns, black noddies, bird of paradise, and white-tailed tropicbirds; search for endemic species such as the tree kangaroo, flightless kiwi bird, koala, and wallaby, and meet friendly locals who still practice the traditions of their ancestors, living life void of modern amenities.
16 official countries
29 official languages
40 million inhabitants
Bungee jumping was invented in Vanuatu
Australia is home to the worlds oldest fossil
Oceania is vast, Oceania is expanding, Oceania is hospitable and generous, Oceania is humanity rising from the depths of brine and regions of fire deeper still, Oceania is us. We are the sea, we are the ocean…
Covering the myriad cultures and traditions of people who call Papua New Guinea home is a daunting task. One of the best ways to discover Papua New Guinea’s culture is to attend a sing-sing– a ritual gathering in which people from one or more tribes share their cultural traditions or celebrate events.
Some sing-sings happen spontaneously, while others are planned events taking place every year. The largest of them all is the Mount Hagen Cultural Show, an annual even held in the Western Highlands, which will be the highlight of our Papua New Guinea expedition next August.
The show was first organized in 1964 by a number of tribes from the area. It was created with the mission of sharing cultural experiences and preventing tribal animosities by bringing all of the local cultural groups together in one event.
The region of Kimberley, Australia showcases a splendid array of wild, untamed natural beauty that feels far removed from the busy capital cities. The presence of native peoples here dates back over 40,000 years, and numerous aboriginal groups and languages still exist in the region to this day. In fact, roughly 70% of the Kimberley Region is considered native title land, which was a huge success story for Australia’s original landowners.
The Kimberley is a land of contrasts, offering visitors beautiful beaches and offshore islands as well as gorges, waterfalls, rivers, caves, and abundant wildlife. It’s a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the outside world, as it remains one of the most sparsely populated regions on Earth. Read about the top ten places to see in Kimberly, Australia.