Australia & Pacific

Since the mutinous days of Captain Bligh, Tahiti and French Polynesia have symbolized paradise for South Pacific travelers. The soaring volcanic peaks, white sand beaches, and emerald lagoons continue to feed escapist dreams. French Polynesia also caters to adventurers and sightseers, and the colorful histories of ancient Polynesia and French colonialism have produced many vestiges to explore. Culturally, the happy combination of Tahitian warmth and French style have engendered a milieu only enhanced by the natural beauty of the islands. French Polynesia is not an inexpensive destination but it seldom disappoints its visitors.

The top thing to do in Tahiti? Relax.

Thing to Do in Tahiti

Tahiti is French Polynesia’s biggest, most famous and historically interesting island. Most people arrive at Faaa International Airport on the outskirts of French Polynesia’s capital city, Papeete. Boulevard Pomare curves glamorously around Papeete Harbour, with yachts on one side and black-pearl boutiques on the other. The “Real Polynesia” is encountered at Papeete Market in the heart of downtown with flower and vegetable vendors downstairs and handicraft hawkers on the balconies above.

In the fashionable Vaima Center nearby are upscale shops, restaurants, cafes, and airline offices. Tahiti visitors can tour history museums, go hiking in the Faananu or Vaipoe valleys, or follow in Captain Cook’s footsteps at Point Venus. For a superb view of northern Tahiti and the silhouette of Moorea, the sunset dinner tour to the Belvedere Restaurant high above Papeete cannot be beat. The classic circle Tahiti tours include a stop at the Gauguin Museum in southern Tahiti where the painter’s final years in Polynesia are documented. Jeep safaris up and over Tahiti’s razer-sharp spine are also offered.

Things to Do in Moorea

Tahiti’s neighboring island, Moorea, has it all, including sparkling coral beaches, clear lagoons, archaeological sites, swanky resorts, intimate pensions, and some of the most striking scenery in the world. A 60-kilometer road circles the island with a sideroad to the Belvedere View Point high up in the mountains. The ruins of old Polynesian temples and compounds are scattered among the chestnut trees just below the view point. Exciting four-wheel drive safaris take visitors up dirt tracks to other high points around the island.

Those with a taste for culture can enjoy a spectacular Tahitian feast and show at the Tiki Theater Village. Moorea is famous for its marinelife and there are snorkeling tours, shark and ray feeding expeditions, and dolphin watching trips. One can swim with huge manta rays in the wild or be photographed with captive dolphins in an enclosure. Picnic trips by motorized outrigger canoe and sunset sailing cruises are available. In addition there are half a dozen scuba diving shops on Moorea and all the resorts have large watersports departments.

Things to Do in Bora Bora

Rooms with a view in Bora Bora

After the island of Tahiti, Bora Bora is French Polynesia’s (and the South Pacific’s) most famous island. On its reef, a chain of narrow islands surround a lagoon large enough to shelter a whole naval fleet (which actually happened during World War II). Sheer volcanic peaks soar from the lagoon, creating what James Michener called the “most beautiful island in the world.”

Exploring Bora Bora is fun. Circle-island tours by “le truck”, Polynesia’s breezy public transportation, follow the road around the island in a couple of hours. Alternatively, you can join a 4WD safari and roar up rugged bush tracks to spectacular viewpoints over the lagoon. Yet the best experience of all awaits you out on the lagoon. Join a motorized outrigger canoe tour and you’ll soon be snorkeling with sharks and manta rays as the animals are fed by experienced guides. Those looking for tamer stuff can stare at huge schools of tropical fish from a glass bottom boat. The two dozen large international hotels on Bora Bora aren’t cheap, but there are also lots of small family-operated pensions for budget watchers.

Things to Do in Raiatea & Huahine

If you have the time, it’s well worth stopping on Raiatea and Huahine on the way back to Papeete. Raiatea is French Polynesia’s most sacred island, the site of Marae Taputapuatea, one of the largest Polynesian temples in the South Pacific. All of the island tours call here. For something different, take a four-wheel drive jeep safari to places the tour buses can’t reach, available on both Raiatea and Huahine.

On Raiatea, you can board a motorized outrigger canoe for a ride up the Faaroa River or out to a black pearl farm in stilts over the lagoon. Huahine is French Polynesia’s undiscovered gem, its single large international resort inaccessible by road. The Maeva archaeological area on Huahine contains dozens of restored Polynesian temples, some on the mountain and others by the lagoon. Huahine is actually two large volcanic islands connected by a bridge and the circle island tours do a figure eight around it all. If you missed the motorized outrigger tours on Bora Bora and Raiatea, take the Huahine picnic cruise to get an entirely different look at the island.

Things to Do in the Tuamotu Islands

The Tuamotu Group is a chain of 78 coral islands and atolls stretching 1,500 kilometers across the South Pacific Ocean. Rangiroa, one of the largest atolls in the world, is a scuba diving paradise with strong tidal flows through the two passes into its lagoon. Divers from afar come to drift with the current back into the lagoon through schools of sharks, dolphins, and other fish.

Manihi and Fakarava atolls offer similar experiences. Manihi is the most accessible of French Polynesia’s major pearl farming areas and there are tours which demonstrate the pearl farming process. Motorized outrigger tours to isolated reef islands called motus are possible on all of the atolls with tourist accommodations. When you’re not diving, snorkeling is the thing to do here. Be aware, however, that there are no mountains to climb in the Tuamotus and few shops to visit, and those uninterested in watersports should choose another destination.

Things to Do in the Austral Islands

Few travelers reach the volcanic islands of the Austral Group south of Tahiti where the climate is cooler than in the rest of French Polynesia. The best time to go is in June and July when pods of humpback whales swim to Rurutu and Tubuai from Antarctica to bear their young. Each island has a dive shop which organizes whalewatching tours. Tubuai and Raivavae each have rings of reef islets around the main island, which makes them ideal for those into watersports. Rurutu is great for hikers with tracks to many scenic seaside viewpoints and few inhabitants. Lonely little Rapa, the southernmost island in the South Pacific, has intriguing Polynesia fortresses on its hilltops but the island is only accessible by infrequent ships.

Things to Do in the Marquesas Islands

The legendary Marquesas Islands are among the most prized destinations in the South Pacific. This chain of high volcanic islands, 1,400 kilometers northeast of Papeete, is an expensive plane ride or long boat trip from Tahiti. The Marquesas has its own unique Polynesian culture exemplified by the large stone tikis standing at archaeological sites on Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa.

Whenever cruiseships call, the Marquesans stage Polynesian dance shows and prepare island feasts. The best way to go is on the passenger-carrying freighter Aranui, which calls at all six inhabited islands once or twice a month on 16-day cruises from Papeete. On the island of Hiva Oa, shore excursions visit the graves of French painter Paul Gauguin and French chanson singer Jacques Brel.

–David Stanley

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s tours & things to do in Tahiti, from Moorea tours to things to do in Bora Bora and Papetee.

Call it synchronicity, call it what you will. When I receive two emails about something, then it must be a trend. Or a coincidence. Or possibly just another day on the internet.

Case in point. A few weeks ago I was forwarded a link to a fascinating article on BudgetTravel.com about 10 Celebrity-Trashed Hotel Rooms. Normally I don’t pay attention to celebrity gossip. But how can you resist a story about hotels and their celebrity guests. Keith Moon after a stay at the Day’s Inn in Michigan? $24,000 in damage. Johnny Depp after an altercation with girlfriend Kate Moss at the Mark Hotel in New York City? $9,000 in damage. Billy Idol after a three-week drug and booze binge at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok? Carried out in a stretcher plus a $200,000 bill.

Now that’s quality celebrity entertainment!

Then just last week a coworker (we’ll call her elly-kay to protect the innocent) sent me a link to a new celebrity hotel development, the Brando Eco Hotel on the island of Tetiaroa in Tahiti (a.k.a. French Polynesia). Marlon Brando apparently fell in love with the island in 1965 after filming Mutiny of the Bounty. So of course he bought it. As one does.

Brando’s Eco Hotel: Population 1

Here’s an excerpt from the website. We’ll do some close textual analysis in a moment:

The former playground of Tahitian Kings, Tetiaroa is now virtually uninhabited (population of one – Brando’s son Teihotu). The project is being overseen by Tahiti Beachcomber SA, whose CEO, Richard Bailey, owner of several luxury resorts in French Polynesia, had been in contact with the actor for a number of years… “The Brando eco-hotel will be exactly what Marlon would have wanted: Energy-autonomous and built with natural materials, it will rest lightly on its environment and be nearly invisible from the water. It will showcase the latest in renewable energy technologies, including some we are already employing in our new hotel in Bora Bora, which Marlon had promised to inaugurate. We worked together on this project for three years before he died,” says CEO Bailey.

If you don’t think too hard about, it sounds like a lovely story. Marlon Brando falls in love with a Tahitian island, buys it, and pours millions of dollars into developing a luxury hotel complex built on ecologically sound practices. Good on ya, Marlon.

Now for that close textual analysis...

Tetiaroa is now virtually uninhabited (population of one – Brando’s son Teihotu). Hmmm, population of one. Could that be because Marlon Brando begged Teihotu’s mother, Tarita Teriipaia, to have his child but later changed his mind and urged her to have an abortion? (She refused and the couple had a son, Teihotu, followed by a daughter, Cheyenne.) Or maybe it’s because Marlon later committed Teihotu’s sister Cheyenne to a revolving door of psychiatric institutes. “When she started being ill, Marlon stopped coming here, to Tahiti, and no longer called,” Teriipaia writes in her tell-all book, Marlon, My Love, My Suffering. Or maybe it’s because Teihotu’s sister Cheyenne hanged herself in 1995 after her brother (Teihotu’s half-brother), Christian Brando, shot and killed Cheyenne’s boyfriend, Dag Drollet, in 1990. Either way, Teihotu has plenty of reasons to live alone.

And what about this bit: The Brando eco-hotel will be exactly what Marlon would have wanted: Energy-autonomous and built with natural materials, it will rest lightly on its environment and be nearly invisible from the water. Yeah, that sounds like the Marlon Brando who demanded a multi-million dollar fee to appear briefly in the film Superman. Or the man who helped Leonard Peltier flee the FBI in a motor home filled with dynamite, guns and airplane tickets charged to Brando’s own credit card. Yup, that sounds like somebody who’s primary concern in life is energy autonomy and natural building materials.

And then there’s that final telling detail: It will showcase the latest in renewable energy technologies, including some we are already employing in our new hotel in Bora Bora, which Marlon had promised to inaugurate. My interpretation of CEO Bailey’s comment — ‘Marlon you owe me money! You said he would pay for all this, is the check really in the mail??’

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m sure the Brando Eco Hotel will be a lovely place when it opens. If it ever opens. But let’s not get carried away. Let’s not paint the place with a brush dipped in Marlon Brando’s good name or fame. The man was a nut. The man brutalized his children. The man was out of control.

The Brando Eco Hotel may well prove to be a great place to stay. But it will have nothing to do with Brando, or the Brando mystique. This is a case of celebrity hotel-trashing that leaves a sour taste in the mouth, and CEO Bailey ought to do everything he can to distance the project from the deceased star.

In the very least, we all should leave poor Teihotu alone in his splendid isolation. The last thing Teihotu needs is a pack of celebrity-seeking tourists demanding autographs and remembrances of the Great Man.

–Scott McNeely

More than a few years ago, back when the Earth was flat and tourist was just another name for traveller, I lived in a little piece of paradise some 80 kilometres out of that Ultima Thule, Darwin. The one that you hear so much about, middle of nowhere but somehow the centre of something.

This little patch was on the edge of the “other” National Park of the north, the tourists they all want to see the mighty Ka Ka Doo (Kakadu National Park), with its huge waterfalls and billabongs and crocodiles and blablabla…

Not so many make it over to Litchfield National Park, two hours closer to the “action”, if that’s what you’d call it in Town, and in my small estimation at least twice the better of its eastern cousin, too. (Cut to the chase if you like; click here for a Viator tour to Litchfield National Park from Darwin.)

Now, as far as geology goes, one of my small hobbies in stretching myself out over the land that shares its place on the mighty Terra Australis, Litchfield and Kakadu, and the Tanami Desert for that matter, they have at least one thing in common – oldest rock shelves in the Northern Territory.

Where the rock’s old, and you’ll find mining engineers and prospecting companies gathering and rubbing their hands in anticipation of future prosperity. Litchfield has many subterranean friends: gold, copper, lead, nickel, cobalt and of course the great U with no learning – uranium. ‘Twas the site of Australia’s first Yew-ranium mine, it was, and the little bits that lie discretely from the average travellers’ way still bear silent testimony to this passing historical fact.

Why bother you with a history and geology lesson on the point of travel? Well, it’s these finer details, hidden away beneath time’s passing veil and the layer of dirt we call Earth, that give the true tips on where to go and how to stay. I’m not going to spoil it for you and tell you what kind of plant sits atop these little collections of metallurgical joy, saying that there is probably water about, too.

But when you learn the signs you can read the land, something that many a “True Blue” Australian may have never encountered in their time in this new country of ancient means. Suffice to say, Litchfield might not be the biggest of the mighty North’s national parks, but it has secret wonders if only you look.

And perhaps, without upsetting the locals, I’ll share a hint or two…

Litchfield National Park: Jack Shares a Secret, or Two

After the first hour out of Darwin, past the many new traffic lights and points of congestion, and just after the Noonamah pub, you’ll strike the turn-off to the “back way” into Litchfield, along Cox Peninsula Road. This is no secret and probably even the locals aren’t big fans of the slow dirt road that coaxes you in after the 30 km or more of tar that lead to it. You can wave as you pass my old shack, a couple of K’s off to the east as you barrel down the road. Over to the left, round the Blackmore River, the black soil plains flood come wet season, when this road is cut off further down by the Finniss River, and I’m told great crocodiles roam the area and even scarier locals roam on those airboats like in Gentle Ben. But I digress.

The road through the park, being a loop, brings you back out at Cox Peninsula. The other way into Litchfield is further down the Stuart Highway and through the town of Batchelor – which got a little write up in my first post. Follow the signs and once you’re through, the scenery settles a little and undulates some, too. A couple of jump-ups to small escarpments though the eastern side of the park and where there’s a drop, you may find waterfalls. As the ground moves round, you’ll also notice some signs pointing out the famed Magnetic Termite Mounds. Unless you’re out to estrange friends you haven’t met yet, don’t worry about these little roped-off patches of tourist turf, there’s plenty more little wonders like these spread around. Over on the CP Road entrance, there’s a whole unmarked field of them waiting to stand and wave at you as they turn pink in the sunset.

Termite Mounds at Litchfield National Park

There’s two little theories on why the termite mounds run east-west (or north-south depending on how you look at it) – some say it’s a cooling effect, their skinny edge attracting less of the sun’s heating rays, as with their cathedral mound cousins which employ crenelation for their air-conditioning. The other reason proposed by those in the know is that they follow the strong magnetic lines in the area, and the little geothermal line that starts round the west side would maye suggest something in that, as well as all the lightning storms I used to watch from my verandah back in the days I lived there. For many of these reasons, Pethericks Rainforest Reserve, a privately owned camping area by local indigenous people is worth stopping at for a swim, be sure to show respect and follow their signs.

Things to Do at Litchfield National Park

Florence Falls (east side) and Wangi Falls (west side) both have camping and waterfalls, too, though in peak season (May/June to September/October) and especially weekends you may have trouble finding a spot to get wet, so get in early. There’s also a bit of a circular current in Wangi Falls and those that find swimming a struggle (everyone in Australia has to learn to swim as a youngster in school) have been known to have a little trouble with the the pull round the far waterfall. Buley Rockhole also has a plethora of mini-waterfalls and splashing around spots, but sometimes its as simple as respectfully slipping a little way down the creek and some peace can be yours.

Waterfall in Litchfield National Park

For those of you pulling some mobility in a 4WD, the Lost City makes for an interesting excursion because, well, it looks like a lost city, all Stonehenge but in the bush. It’s a bit of a hike but worth heading out, because again, there’s less people milling about catching flies with their mouths agape at all the natural wonder out there.

Another way to escape the crowds, but not the heat if you don’t take a hat and some water, is the TableTop Walk between Wangi Falls and Buley Rockhole. There’s a few of these off track wonders around the park, taking a compass and map sure help, otherwise some good boots and something to keep the grass seeds out of your leg hair. Nothing quite like getting out on the plateau and doing a bit of discovering for yourself away from the luxury of the air-con and teeming hordes. There’s a bit of information on it you can download from the NT Government site here.

Now I’d be run back out of town next time I go back if I divulged all the little secrets here, for the world to see, that Litchfield has hidden under the brim of her hat. But suffice to say this little taster tells you that you don´t need to pay the earth and drive for a couple of hours to actually spend some quality time in the bush if Kakadu is not your calling.

–Jack Brown

Planning a trip? Browse all of Viator’s Darwin tours and things to do in Alice Springs, including Kakadu National Park and Litchfield National Park.

Fiji is the multicultural crossroads of the South Pacific, the throbbing heart of Oceania. Here Polynesia meets Melanesia, Micronesia, China, India and Australia. And your choice of resorts, activities, and islands is huge, from the sunny paradise isles of the Mamanuca Group to the soaring volcanic islands of the Yasawas.

Fiji, a little piece of tropical heaven.

If you’re into sports, then you’ve come to the right place: The sports-minded can go scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, whitewater rafting, kayaking, surfing, and sailing. In fact, there’s so much to see and do in Fiji that the savvy traveler will have done some advance planning prior to arrival. Several of Fiji’s diverse regions merit special attention, and all routes begin in Nadi.

Things to Do in Fiji: Nadi

Direct flights from Auckland, Brisbane, Honolulu, Los Angles, Melbourne, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, and a host of South Pacific countries arrive at Nadi International Airport on the west side of Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu. Numerous hotels and motels are strung along the 8-kilometer road from the airport to the markets of Nadi Town.

Most of the larger international resorts are on Denarau Island, a 10-minute drive from Nadi, while the beach resorts of the Mamanuca and Yasawa island groups are accessible on highspeed catamarans based at Port Denarau. As a break from the many shopping and dining possibilities, many Nadi-based visitors join bus tours to the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Vuda Lookout, Sabeto Valley, and Fiji’s second-largest city, Lautoka, all north of Nadi. There are also luncheon and dinner cruises on Nadi Bay and jet-boating on the Nadi River. The more energetic can go trekking in the Nausori Highlands overlooking Nadi.

Things to Do in Fiji: The Mamanuca Islands

The idyllic coral isles of the Mamanuca Group are scattered across a protected sea west of Nadi and north of the Malolo Barrier Reef. Sailing vessels such as the schooners Seaspray and Whales Tale ply these waters on day trips from Nadi, or you can take a fast exploratory cruise on the fast catamaran which supplies the offshore resorts three times a day.

Fiji cruises & sailing trips: A good way to explore the islands

The various resorts cater to different markets, be it couples and families at Amunuca, Castaway, Mana, Malolo, Navini, Plantation, and Treasure; adults only at Likuliku, Lomani, Matamanoa, Tokoriki, Vomo, and Wadigi; backpackers at Beachcomber, Bounty, Funky Fish, Mereani’s, Ratu Kini, South Sea, and Walu Beach; surfers at Namotu and Tavarua; and sailors at Musket Cove.

When selecting a resort, it’s important to pick the one that is right for you. Staying at the Mamanuca resorts is generally more expensive than staying in Nadi, but you can have the best of both worlds by visiting the islands one at a time on all-inclusive day cruises from Nadi. Consider the Beachcomber Day Cruise if you’re with the kids, the Castaway Island Cruise if you want to meet some friendly Aussies, the Mana Island Day Cruise if you want to combine a hike with a swim, and South Sea Island or Tivua Island if you’re only looking for fun. All of the day cruises include Nadi hotel transfers, the catamaran, a buffet lunch, and snorkeling gear. It’s a great way to check out a resort before committing to a long stay.

Things to Do in Fiji: The Yasawa Islands

The Yasawa Islands chain runs up the west side of Fiji, northwest of Viti Levu. The chain’s jagged peaks are clearly visible on the horizon across Bligh Water from Lautoka. Tourism is relatively new to the Yasawa Islands. While Mamanuca resorts such as Beachcomber Island date back to the 1960s, the vast majority of the Yasawas resorts have only opened during the past decade.

That said, it is now possible to board a morning catamaran at Nadi’s Port Denarau and arrive at the Yasawa Island resort of your choice in time for lunch. A Bula Pass (valid for 7, 14, or 21 days) allows island hoppers to stop for a day or two at all of the main resorts. The Pass covers unlimited catamaran travel within the Yasawas, but only one trip back to Nadi. Three and four-day packages eliminate the need to decide on all your stops in advance.

Be aware, however, that most of the Yasawa resorts are designed for young backpackers willing to trade a little inconvenience for lower prices, and one shouldn’t expect luxuries here. If air-conditioned comfort and fancy food are a priority, the Mamanucas would be a better choice. However, the swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving are unsurpassed in the Yasawas, and there are many opportunities to hike to scenic viewpoints on these high volcanic islands. Traditional Fijian culture is preserved intact in the local villages where almost all of the resort workers live.

Things to Do in Fiji: The Coral Coast

Many of Fiji’s largest international resorts are along the Coral Coast between Nadi and the country’s capital city, Suva. Southwestern Viti Levu gets ample sun and there’s good snorkeling off the white sandy beaches (although one must be aware of unperceived currents). Some of Fiji’s best surfing is along the Coral Coast’s fringing reef; shuttle boats provide access to the world class wave at Frigate Passage.

Scuba diving is another very popular activity and all of the main resorts have dive shops. Shark diving in the wild is an everyday thing here. Exhilarating whitewater rafting and leisurely outboard boat rides on the Navua River are offered from Monday to Saturday with resort pickups easily arranged. Firewalking and traditional dancing accompany the Fijian feasts at island nights staged at the main resorts. Aside from this resort activity, there are many shopping possibilities in nearby Sigatoka, the Coral Coast’s largest town.

Things to Do in Fiji: Suva

The markets and colonial buildings of Fiji’s capital, Suva, can be toured on a daytrip from Nadi or the Coral Coast. For those who chose to linger a while, there’s exciting nightlife at the city’s many clubs and bars. Some of Fiji’s best restaurants are here, too, with an Indian restaurant recommended for lunch and a Chinese restaurant best for dinner (many of the Indian restaurants do not serve alcohol). The Fiji Museum in South Suva is a must see with the Thurston Botanical Gardens, Albert Park, the Government Buildings and the Grand Pacific Hotel all within sight of the museum.

Suva’s bustling municipal market and the main shopping centers are in North Suva where buses from all around Viti Levu arrive. Colo-i-Suva Forest Park in the hills above Suva is one of Fiji’s top ecotourism attractions, with nature trails and waterfalls in a mahogany rainforest. It’s just a 15-minute taxi ride from town.

Things to Do in Fiji: Northern Fiji

The traveler with more time should also visit Fiji’s “Friendly North,” especially the old plantation town of Savusavu on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-largest island. Cruising yachts from all around the Pacific pause at Savusavu for extended stays (and short cruises are easily arranged). Savusavu is also one of Fiji’s top scuba diving venues. The nearby garden island of Taveuni, often called Fiji’s finest island, is another famous scuba diving area. The half dozen dive shops on Taveuni take divers to the Rainbow Reef and Great White Wall off eastern Vanua Levu.

Taveuni also offers exceptional hiking in the Bouma National Heritage Park in eastern Taveuni. Guides are available or you can hike to the waterfalls on your own. Accommodations are easily found on Taveuni, from self-catering cottages to upscale boutique resorts.

Things to Do in Fiji: Eastern Fiji

Eastern Fiji means everything east and south of Suva. The lover of history and culture won’t want to miss Fiji’s old capital Levuka, on Ovalau Island just east of Viti Levu. It’s easily accessible from Suva by boat or plane. The wooden false front shops from 19th century along Beach Street in Levuka are well preserved and there’s good hiking in the green hills behind the town. Levuka has no real beaches but there is an active dive shop.

Further afield, the southerly island of Kadavu is another of Fiji’s favorite scuba diving sites with the Great Astrolabe Reef running right up the northeastern side of the island. Kadavu is also popular for its surfing and ocean kayaking. There are few roads here and most travel is by open outboard canoe. The seldom visited Lau Group between the main islands of Fiji and the Kingdom of Tonga is only for adventurous travelers who wish to get well off the beaten track. Vanua Balavu Island is a recommended destination in Lau as it has a couple of simple but adequate places to stay.

–David Stanley

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Fiji activities, from Fiji cruises & sailing tours to Nadi airport transfers.

The Future of Air Travel?

In the UK, airline flights account for 7% of that country’s CO2 emissions, but thanks to more and more cheap flights this will probably rise to 25% in the next couple of decades. Worldwide, flights make up about 2% of all emissions, and again the percentage is rising.

The numbers are not good news for travelers who care about the environment. It’s downright annoying spending a year catching public transport to work to make the world a better place, only to discover that your short break to Hawaii emitted more CO2 than you could hope to make up in 10 years of not driving.

For those who travel because they want to see the world’s beautiful places before they’re gone, the irony could blow a blood vessel – taking a plane to see the Great Barrier Reef, whose existence is threatened because people take so many planes…

So what can we do? For most of us staying home is not an option; there’s too much world to see, family and friends to visit, cultures to learn from, foods to taste and mountains to climb. And if it really is going we want to see it before it’s gone. One option is to hope the airlines can come up with a way to make flying more earth-friendly. Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin airlines, is on a mission to do just that. He’s proposed all kind of ideas – his work on using new technology to both reduce circling times and cut down the distance planes need to be towed before they take off is boring but immensely practical– but this last week one of them is off the drawing board and (almost) on the runway.

Virgin Atlantic has announced that in February it will make its first flight using biofuels. The flight – from London to Amsterdam – won’t carry any passengers, and it won’t be entirely powered by biofuel (only 20%, in fact). But Branson thinks it’s a step in the right direction. So do Air New Zealand, who are competing to get their biofuelled plane in the air before Virgin’s.

The two airlines have been working with Boeing and GE Aviation on the project, which will use conventional engines. According to the manufacturers, burning biofuels doesn’t mean modifying the engines, and it won’t affect the plane’s performance. Neither airline is willing to reveal yet what kind of biofuel they’re using. Why not, you may well ask. Does it even matter? Surely any biofuel is better than aviation fuel, right?

Not necessarily. A couple of years ago, biofuels seemed like the solution to all our problems: a clean, green way to keep our cars and trucks on the road and our planes in the air without digging up more oil and churning more CO2 into the air. Europe was particularly quick to embrace biofuels: they set a target for biofuel imports and alternative gas stations began springing up all over the place.

But it’s not all good news. As farming corporations dream of becoming the new oil barons, small-scale farmers are being kicked off their land in South America and Asia, and biofuel crops are replacing much needed food crops (with recent reports suggesting biofuels may lead to widespread famine). In South-East Asia, ancient forests and peat beds are being cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations so Europeans can fill up with biofuel – the clearing and burning is releasing more CO2 into the atmosphere than the biofuels could ever hope to make up. (Europe has just this past week declared that it is reviewing its biofuel targets to make sure they don’t cause more problems than they solve.)

The rethink may be the fly in Richard Branson’s green ointment, and the reason why he’s currently keeping mum about the source of his biofuel. Or it may be that he’s discovered a revolutionary fuel that he’s not yet willing to announce.

Let’s hope it’s the latter, and that it won’t be too long before every airline is filling up with sustainable biofuels, letting those of us who worry about such things fly with a clear conscience, even if it is to see the melting glaciers of Greenland.

–Jane Rawson

Once you’ve stayed in to bat for while in the Northern Territories (NT), the score can become a little familiar. (Warning: skip this cricket metaphor if you’re not Australian — like even if it’s a long innings, you should have declared a while ago because the other team, in this case the Territory, is never going to admit defeat.)

There are two real ways to fix an overly long stay in the Northern Territory. Number 1 is to leave, and the second follows on where the first leaves off, but with a twist. Number 2 is, you leave and come back.

It’s like this. Recently I was talking about a fella called Dave (his real name) with a fella called Matt (not his real name) in Alice Springs, after I heard Dave was leaving. Matt of course ventured that Dave would probably come back.

Matt added that Dave might return to the NT’s greener pastures “because he’ll realise it’s too hard down South.” Smarter blokes than I have set off for a grand repatriation with the wider world beyond the Territory’s tiny shores. More than you’d expect have been back at the pub again warming the same stool months, or even weeks, later. They lope back into town like a dingo with his tail between his legs.

Queensland: The road to success

To give you an insight into this migratory behaviour, let’s step across the border — say to Queensland (because if you head west, there’s certainly more reason to stay put and never go anywhere — but that’s a story to warm a campfire audience another time).

You might remember in a blog long ago, we headed up from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek and reached Three Ways (where you can go by road in three directions, as long as you count the one you came by as One). From there it’s a hop, skip and a jump over to the Barkly Homestead and north was the way to go if you fancied a date with Heartbreak.

Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter

But should you plough on east, you’ll hit the Queensland border and gain yourself half an hour as the time zones make their invisible shuffle backwards on terrestrial planes. You’ll have to put your social mores and attitudes back 10 years to match the more conservative political landscape of Queensland — which, when you add in the 20 years of progress you lost in NT, puts you at least 30 years behind the rest of the civilised world.

On from the border waits the tiny town of Camooweal — just giving you a hint at some of the fine names to come. There’s not a great deal to do in ‘Cammers’, although you can do it a bit more often now they’ve put the bridge over the Georgina River (which means you can make the crossing all through the wet season). Should you be a keen speleologist there are caves nearby, but they’re a little dangerous if you’re not used to the underground. If you plan your journey in advance, book yourself some downtime at Lawn Hill National Park – they only take a set number of visitors a year, and it is one of the true tropical wonders of the country.

Mount Isa is the first big jewel that will pass by your interstate wheels — after the 600km from Tennant Creek, it’s the biggest town you’ll see for a while. Mount Isa itself is home to the aptly names “Sulphide Street”, a clear sign that Isa is a booming mining town. The sunsets can be beautiful, though not for entirely the right reasons. The caravan park is out near the airport.

The drive from Mount Isa to Cloncurry is definitely in my Top 10 Top Stretches of Australian Highway. Sweeping turns amidst majestic hills and razor peaks; after driving through that flat country for what seems like forever it’s a welcome and breathtaking relief. Cloncurry is another smallish town, slowly growing and now offering some café-style action and the op shop there has always been good.

Deep into the Golden Tale of Myth

Now, for argument’s sake, we’ll head south-east: away from all that Great Barrier Reef, Whitsundays, Daintree palaver that you could read about from some reputable travel writer. Because if it’s Outback you want, then it’s the golden tale to end them all that you’ll get down this road.

Winton: Dino wheely trash bin

Like most Australians you probably don’t know the second verse of our national anthem (“Advance Australia Fair” – really, what does that mean??). But you’d probably be able to hum more than just a few bars of the unofficial flag-raiser “Waltzing Matilda”. The birthplace of this venerable bastion of outback poetry, penned by A.B. “Banjo” Patterson, lies somewhere along the Matilda Highway, down the track from Kynuna or near Winton, depending on which story you believe.

The exact waterhole is still a bone of contention, but the story is clear. Banjo was a lawyer on the great shearers strike some 100 years or so back, and be penned the verse following a “swagman” putting a “jumbuck” in his “tuckerbag” (travelling old fella stole a sheep, plain English y’see). The rest is literary history and a handy thing to hum at the opening of an Olympic Games.

Winton, Jewel of Queensland

If you truly don’t believe a word of this, then check out Winton for yourself. One side of the street the roadside garbage bins are shaped like old barrels, a nod to the Waltzing Matilda heritage, and on the other, the bins are shaped like dinosaur feet, replete with dew claw. See, makes perfect sense.

The second sustaining truth that gets some logic from this observation was the discovery of the only dinosaur stampede ever found, just 100km south of Winton (although a bloody long time ago). Legend has it that Truckosaurus belted out onto a big, open plain and scared the willys out of all the local pint-sized monsters and local history was once again created from their fleeing footprints.

The Proposition: Quality Queensland family entertainment

If that’s not enough for you, then the Tattersalls Hotel should take your fancy, with its laidback old-school bar action and gorgeous wooden veranda on the second floor (which can be yours for only $15 a night). And if that hasn’t got you going like a dingo on heat then you can spend your days out at the Musical Fence, where two fences make shimmering tones from the amplified thrumming of the wind. Apart from being custom built for the 2002 Queensland Biennial Festival of Music, it’s like, well, some amazing shimmering thing that sounds like the sound of thrumming, but better!

And Winton’s bag of tricks doesn’t stop there! They also shot a classic Australian film (in addition to BMX Bandits) out here in the blazing sun: Nick Cave’s The Proposition, an ode to Outback desolation. The ladies at the op shop (one of the world’s best, too) remember what they bought for the props. Heck, they even remember what I bought here two years ago and who I came in with! It’s sort of like stalking in reverse, where you go to them.

So, maybe so many things to do, decisions to make and such natural surrealism is causing you some stress. The level of wackiness is not as high but perhaps more unpredictable on the eastern side of the border. Maybe even now, before you get past Central Queensland and you really hit the bustling hordes, you’re thinking of heading west back to the relative safety of the Territory. And with all the slick, new threads you’ve picked up at the op shops you can at least dress differently when you order your first beer back at the same pub when you get back there, and they might not even recognise that it was you who left last week.

–Jack Brown

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s tours & things to do in Queensland and the Northern Territories of Australia. Also check out Kerrie’s post comparing the Whitsundays versus Tropical North Queensland.

Fancy an outdoor cinema in Melbourne? Read on…

Summer and the movies used to be great together. Escaping a dry, hot and windy day in the air-conditioned relief of a cinema was one of life’s simple pleasures. Me and my mate Simon would buy a ticket to an 11am session, then spend the whole day sneaking from cinema to cinema (via the snack bar) watching movies all day. Out in time for dinner, a sugar-crash, and home. Good times.

And while it’s still possible to sneak into sessions through the day at Melbourne’s big chain cinemas (not that I’m recommending it, of course), daytime is so much busier these days, what with work and babies and stuff, making such decadent spontaneity difficult to arrange in advance.

So that leaves balmy summer evenings as the only warm-weather time to see movies. And until the advent of outdoor cinema in Melbourne, that meant staying inside at the best time of the day. No longer.
Moonlight Cinema was the trailblazer, setting up a screen in Melbourne’s lush Botanical Gardens and playing first-run, classic and cult movies under the stars. It took off and is now a real Melbourne experience, featuring catering, bean beds for hire and sell-out sessions most nights.

Competing for this chicken-and-white-wine market is the newer OpenAir cinema at Birrarung Mar, a fabulous park by the river in the city. An enormous screen, grandstand seating and movieplex titles draw huge book-ahead crowds and even bigger sponsorship deals.

But that leaves the hipsters with nowhere to go. Or it did until last year, when the gritty Rooftop Cinema cranked up in the heart of the city and started showing a diverse range of indy and cult movies. The pick of the bunch now, Rooftop is perfect for those wanting a cold beer and a dose of The Breakfast Club, Easy Rider, My Own Private Idaho or Dogs in Space.

There’s also an open-air cinema down on the foreshore in St Kilda. I’m a bit scared of St Kilda (sea air does strange things to people, dontcha think?), so I can’t report first-hand on it. It runs through February, features live music and DJs and is probably loads of fun. Check out their website — stkildaopenair.com.au — if you can endure the annoying 38-second song that plays.

–John Ryan

Planning a trip? Check out John’s Melbourne summertime travel tips and his Melbourne pub guide. Or have a look at all of Viator’s tours and things to do in Melbourne, from Colonial Tram Car dinners to Yarra Valley Wine Tasting.

Thailand (Bangkok) - voted #40 in 2007

Friends, blogsters and fellow travelers, the time has come for Viator to pay our final respects to 2007 and to the travel year that was. My desk calendar proclaims ‘2008′ now, and points stubbornly ahead anticipating travels yet to come.

Yet before we say farewell to 2007, let us take a moment to honor the Top 50 destinations of the year as determined by viator.com travelers. This is our second annual “Viator Top 50″ list, and like last year, 2007 had been a great ride, full of surprises (good on ya, Rome) and some surprising absences (Mexico, we missed you).

If you’re not yet caught up on our end-of-year lists of top things to do around the world, these links will help: Europe, Asia, USA & Canada, Australia, Caribbean, Central & South America, Middle East & Africa.

Thanks again to the millions of travelers who visited us in 2007, we hope to see you again in 2008.

The Viator 50: Top Travel Destinations in 2007

50. Montreal

Mt Fuji, on a day trip from Tokyo (#10 in 2007)

49. Prague

48. Alice Springs

47. Seville

46. Port Douglas

45. Krakow

44. Perth

43. Christchurch

42. Auckland

41. Chicago

40. Bangkok

39. Boston

Sunset in Venice (#8 in 2007)

38. Miami

37. Athens

36. Salzburg

35. Granada

34. Edinburgh

33. Naples

32. Dubai

31. Vancouver

30. Costa del Sol

29. Oahu

28. Hong Kong

The Sydney Skywalk, Sydney (#7 in 2007)

27. Los Angeles

26. Zurich

25. Vienna

24. Singapore

23. Washington DC

22. The Grand Canyon

21. Munich

20. Orlando

19. Barcelona

18. Cairns & the Tropical North

17. Dublin

16. Versailles

15. Ayers Rock

14. Milan

13. Madrid

12. Amsterdam

11. Melbourne

Ahh, the wonders of Rome (#1 in 2007!)

10. Tokyo

9. San Francisco

8. Venice

7. Sydney

6. Florence

5. London

4. New York City

3. Las Vegas

2. Paris

1. Rome

So how’s your wanderlust doing after reading this entire list? For us, the Viator 50 list of top travel destinations is all about getting inspired to take that next trip. We hope this year’s list of top travel destinations on viator.com has got you thinking about your next holiday, whether it’s across town or across the globe.

We’d also like to extend our congratulations to a few destinations, notably to Rome, which jumped from #3 last year to #1 this year. And to Las Vegas, which made it into the top 3 this year.

If you’re feeling nostalgic about last year’s winners, keep on reading below. We’ve kept last year’s Viator 50 for your entertainment and traveling pleasure.

Happy travels in 2008.

–The Viator Team

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Editor’s Note: Jack Brown has been pondering his New Year’s resolutions and revelations, and asked us to share his “Guide to Australian Cultural Iconography over the Holiday Period.” As always we’re happy to oblige Jack. Happy 2008 from the Viator team.

Resolution: Go to the Beach

Bells Beach, Great Ocean Road, Australia

Most fellas (men) and their sheilas (women) head to the beach on a hot New Year’s day. They all knock back a couple of tinnies (canned beer), not always over a barbie (barbecue), and most of them cone home red as a lobster. The choice is yours, be it on Bondi Beach in Sydney, with half the population of a country town; catching the surf at Bells Beach near Melbourne; having a quiet moment on the coast at 80-Mile Beach, where there’s bound to be enough room for everyone; or sipping coffee on the pier, like down St Kilda (Melbourne) or Tennyson to Glenelg (SA).

Revelation: Traffic

Getting out and about on New Year’s, most blokes drive too fast in Australia. So when too many cars go on the same road too quickly, they catch up to each other faster and things bank up a bit, causing a bit of jam. Invariably some of them let off a bit of steam, either with a bit of the horn or strange hand signals – when they’ve had enough, they go to the pub, or the beach.

Resolution: Footie & Cricket

Go to the Footie. And not that game where they kick the round ball. This is proper footie, where men are men and take big hits from other men. The tackles are huge, the scrums a good chance for a bit of man-grabbin’, and a good chance to have a bit of a shout and let off some steam from the week or even the rest of the year while the big fellas weave around on the Great Grass Paddock with their bit of pig skin going for gold.

See the Cricket. Like the bloke said before, the cricket season is on over the holidays. It’s something for those that like it a little slower than your average footie lover (but, mind you, they are not mutually exclusive). Good chance to slip in a beer, and a great way to see your mates.

Revelation: Meat Pies

The ideal nutritious snack, ready in minutes, or hand made straight from the pie warmer. Some say they’re like bits of gristle and string cooked in gravy and wrapped in pastry. But these people wouldn’t know a good day at the cricket or footie when they had one.

Resolution: The Great Outdoors

If outdoors is what you need, then grab a rod, some bait and sit still on a river bank. It’s like cricket without the changing innings, just the beer and the breeze. For some novelty why not jump in the tinnie and head upstream away from the hordes.

Or why not stretch the strides and take in some fresh air on a bushwalk? There’s certainly no lack of National Parks in Australia, there’s practically one within a stone’s throw of every city: Royal National Park south of Sydney, Leeuwin Naturaliste south of Perth, Brisbane Ranges and the Dandenongs west and east of Melbourne, Belair in the Adelaide Hills, Litchfield outside of