Best places to visit in Oceania
25 destinations across 10 countries, each with its seasonal window and budget tier.
Aitutaki, Cook IslandsOne of the Pacific's bluest lagoons, best in dry-season winter
Alofi, NiueSnorkel with whales over coral chasms on the tiny rock island
Bora Bora, French PolynesiaOverwater lagoon blues in the cooler, dry June-to-October window
Cairns, AustraliaDry-season reef trips with clear water and no summer stingers
Espiritu Santo, VanuatuBlue holes, WWII wrecks and Champagne Beach in the dry season
Exmouth, AustraliaSwim beside whale sharks off the reef in autumn's clear water
Freycinet, AustraliaWineglass Bay hikes and oyster farms in warm, dry Tasmanian summer
Ikara-Flinders Ranges, AustraliaAncient Wilpena amphitheatre and outback silence, mild-winter walks
Kakadu, AustraliaAncient rock art and teeming wetlands, dry-season waterfall pools
Lord Howe Island, AustraliaCapped-visitor island: empty beaches and lagoon snorkeling in summer
Margaret River, AustraliaSurf breaks and cellar-door wineries, sunny southern-autumn harvest
Melbourne, AustraliaLaneway cafes and street art, buzzing southern-autumn festivals
Milford Sound, New ZealandCliff-face waterfalls thundering after summer rain in the fjord
Moorea, French PolynesiaJagged green peaks and stingray shallows in dry-season calm
Queenstown, New ZealandSouthern Alps powder and lakeside apres in deep winter
Rarotonga, Cook IslandsLagoon-ringed island on scooter time in the dry winter months
Rock Islands, PalauKayak jade islets and jellyfish lakes in dry-season clarity
Sydney, AustraliaHarbour swims and coastal walks in warm, dry early-autumn light
Uluru, AustraliaRed-centre sunrises and cool desert hikes in winter dry season
Upolu, SamoaSwim the To Sua ocean trench and waterfalls in dry-season sun
Vava'u, TongaSwim alongside humpback whales in the July-to-October season
Waiheke Island, New ZealandFerry-close vineyards and quiet beaches in peak summer
Wairarapa, New ZealandMartinborough pinot cellars and dark-sky nights, golden-vine autumn
Wanaka, New ZealandThat lone lake tree and Roys Peak trails in long summer light
Yasawa Islands, FijiBarefoot island-hopping and cave swims in Fiji's dry season