The region of Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific is a living mosaic of ancient and modern cultures. Polynesian voyagers mastered the stars and swells to settle far-flung islands long before Europeans arrived, leaving behind marae temples, sacred kava ceremonies, and oral traditions that still pulse in Vanuatu villages and Tahitian dance. Aboriginal Dreamtime stories mingle with Anglo-Celtic heritage in Australia, while New Zealand’s Māori marae and haka keep indigenous spirit alive. 

Flavours burst forth like the landscapes; each simmered in sun and Pacific-born breezes. In Polynesia, the sea offers fresh tuna and coconut milk yielding soulful simplicity. Australia and New Zealand weave ginger-spiced fusion and world-class wines from Marlborough and Barossa. Auckland’s markets overflow with tropical bounty and reef-fresh catch, while Sydney and Melbourne present cutting-edge plates of molecular elegance reimagining native ingredients. Across the Great Barrier Reef and Pacific atolls, pristine seafood arrives with the region’s effortless hospitality.

Seafaring humans are the historic heroes in this region. Polynesian navigators crossed vast oceans, paddling double-hulled waka canoes guided by stars, birds, and currents. European explorers followed, leaving colonial marks in Sydney’s Opera House and Auckland’s historic buildings. The South Pacific holds ancient marae, volcanic settlements, and the echoes of World War II in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Australia’s Aboriginal culture stretches back 65,000 years, while New Zealand’s Māori arrival dates to the 13th century.

Nature is the true storyteller, unfolding on a scale that feels both ancient and alive. Australian landscapes range from the rust-red vastness of the Outback to rainforest canopies alive with birdsong and the kaleidoscopic coral gardens of the Great Barrier Reef. New Zealand’s terrain shifts dramatically from the emerald fjords of Milford Sound to the geothermal valleys and staggering cliffs of the North Island. Across the South Pacific, volcanic islands rise sharply from sapphire seas, ringed by coral reefs and palm-fringed beaches where time slows with the tide.