For the adventurous there really is only one way to explore Gaua, a remote island in the northern Torba Province of Vanuatu. And you’ll want to explore because this is one island that has little development and few tourists – a win-win for anyone who likes to get away from it all.
The three-day Lake Letas and Mt Garet trek is chock-full of activities: hiking, canoeing and staying at local campsites overnight. But it is the trek up active volcano Mt Garet you’ll really remember.
You’ll walk through villages and coconut plantations, over rivers and across huge ash plains. A lush track through the dense bush takes you to several stunning viewpoints at an altitude of about 500 metres where you can in active volcano Mt Garet in all its smoking glory.
Yes, your feet may become sore and your muscles may ache yet you’ll be rewarded in spades by the natural beauty and the kindness of locals you’ll encounter as you make your way down to Lake Letas. After a refreshing dip, paddle across Vanuatu’s largest lake by outrigger canoe, soaking up the amazing panoramic view.
It’s a good thing you’ll have done some training and preparation before your trip, because it’s 45 minutes up a steep incline to the peak of Mt Garet from where an amazing view of the surrounding tropical jungle and lake awaits you.
Best of all, everyone you encounter on Gaua will greet you with smiles and make you feel welcome. Get to know the real pace of life on Gaua visiting a traditional village. You’ll meet everyday people – villagers, children, even the school principal – who will stop for a chat.
Being one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world, Vanuatu’s traditional practices, including ceremonial dance, magic and ritual, are alive and well. Ambrym is considered the black magic epicentre of Vanuatu and it’s where the Rom dance is performed.
The Fanla or Rom dance is connected to circumcision and initiation traditions for young boys and is an ancient ritual shrouded in secret knowledge. Costumes are kept in hiding until the ceremony begins and some of the masks can’t be used more than once.
Deep in the dense forest, there is a clearing where large drums sit. The rhythmic beating of drums and shakers begins as warriors dressed to represent evil spirits emerge, adorned in a mix of leaves and huge, brightly painted masks. The men stomp their feet in time to the drums, eerie chanting and soft flute music. Make no mistake, this is an experience that will give you goosebumps. This is no tourist show – it is genuine heritage and belief, wrapped in the supernatural and rich in symbolism.
The dance, while a form of magic, is also a method for younger members of society to move up the ranks. It’s also believed the fertility of the crops is affected when these dances are performed, and masks are burnt at the end of the ceremony to ensure evil spirits do not haunt the wearer or plague the village.
After landing at the tiny Lamap airport on Malekoula, you’ll head to a boat ramp, jump in a banana boat and speed out towards Maskelyn Islands. Your goal is to spot a dugong.
In the Maskelyn Islands, there are tiny jewels of land dotting the ocean and according to locals, there are lots of dugongs. As you dive down amongst the coral-covered rocks you’ll explore the abundance of sea life including sea turtles and tropical fish and coral-covered rocks. The crown in the jewell though is spotting a giant sea cow and the chances are increased at these depths. Soon enough you’ll be so close you will be able to see her pupils.
Dugon’s can be found with their young playing an endless game of chasey, circling around one another. They are about two metres long, have a plump appearance, and a fluke tail like a whale’s. It’s easy to see why some people call them sea cows. The dugong’s monolithic, imposing form can make divers nervous, but remember… dugongs only eat sea grass, rather than tourists.
After a mesmerising day of swimming amongst these giants of the sea watching them frolic and gracefully glide across the water, they’ll disappear into the depths of the water and you’ll wonder if any of it actually happened.
This isn’t the hardest walk you’ll ever take on, but there’s a fair chance the Nguna Volcano summit hike offers the best view of surrounding tropical islands you’ll find anywhere in the world.
Reaching Nguna and its dormant volcano is just as enjoyable as the walk itself. You’ll drive 45 minutes to the north of Port Vila, Vanuatu’s capital on the island of Efate, then head across Undine Bay on a local banana boat. The walk starts at one of the picturesque waterfront villages.
The hike to the peak of the island (and back) takes about three-and-a-half hours . You’ll take a well-used path that passes villages and community gardens before heading into the jungle. The final climb across grassy plains is steeper, but when you arrive at the summit it’s possible to look down into the dormant crater.
At approximately 500 metres of elevation it’s not exactly Everest, but you’ll work up a sweat and be impressed by the view of big blue sky and island after island for as far as you can see.
When you descend back to the start, you’ll be rewarded with a mouthwatering tropical fruit platter. Once you’ve wiped the mango juice from your chin, grab a mask and snorkel and jump into the ocean for a swim. The coral, turtles and marine life are next level and it’s a fitting denouement to a perfect day.
At the heart of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific lies an unspoilt paradise; sans skyscrapers, fast food chains, and traffic lights. Rarotonga is surrounded by volcanic peaks, ridges, beaches, coastal lagoons and rainforest and with a circumference of only 32km means it’s the perfect destination to pedal a bike around.
This relaxed 4-hour bicycle tour guided by Storytellers Eco Cycle Tours is the ideal introduction into the island paradise of Rarotonga. You’ll pedal passed beautiful beaches, breathtaking mountainous scenery, down picturesque lanes, and lush farmlands; where you can sample star fruit, mandarin, guava, and noni. Stop to visit rural villages, take some snaps, cool off in the ocean, and tuck into a delicious lunch at a seafront restaurant. It’s all pretty laid back on this trip.
The Storytellers’ guides are passionate and knowledgeable and you’ll learn about the local culture, history, plant life, and environment. Covering about 12 to 16km over 4 hours, there’s a combination of road and track riding, that would suit the average fitness levels and riding experience…Cadell Evans wannabes need not apply.
For those who wish to bring little ones, children can also be catered for and at the end of the tour you can depart with a dose of good karma as 10% of the Storytellers’ profits go back into the community for development projects. It’s win win. Get pedalling!
On the spectacular coastline of Cape Leveque on Western Australia’s Dampier Peninsula the red rock of the desert drops down to white sand and the water is as clear as glass. Cape Leveque is at the northernmost tip of the Dampier Peninsula in the Kimberley region of WA and is 240 kilometres north of Broome.
While Cape Leveque is remote, you can swim, snorkel or sunbathe on the pristine beach, go fishing for barramundi, mackerel, tuna, cobia and sailfish, or meet up with the local Bardi community to find out about bush tucker and traditional ways of life. They also run the wilderness camp, Kooljaman, where you’ll find safari tents, log cabins, camping palm frond beach shelters, a restaurant, cultural and boat tours. You can also tag-along and try your had at mud crabbing!
The trip to Cape Leveque from Broome usually takes around three and a half hours in a four wheel drive on an unsealed road which is sometimes closed during the wet season. Or for the more adventurous ones with deeper pockets can enjoy a scenic flight over the area for a bird’s eye view.
July to October is whale season, with humpbacks cavorting just offshore on their southward journey.
Tired of doing laps in cloudy, chlorinated water or paddling in concrete ‘rock’ pools? We hear you. Imagine swapping your repetitive swimming routine – with nothing better to look at than the pool floor’s tacky tiles – for gliding through pristine coral reefs and spotting turtles, rays, friendly reef sharks and up to 500 species of fish, all while being put through your paces by Australia’s most famous Ironman, Trevor Hendy, off the coast of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island.
Make the fantasy a reality and join an Ocean Swim Week with Pinetrees Lodge. Held from November to February each year, you’ll spend five days swimming 1.5 to two kilometres around the island’s spectacular subtropical coastline under Trevor’s guidance. He’ll offer tips on technique, motivation and training.
Awarded Member of the Order of Australia for his services to surf lifesaving and a member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Trevor has also won medals at the World Championships in kayaking and the Uncle Toby’s Super Series, an Australian Iron Man circuit, so rest assured you’ll be in good hands.
In the afternoons you’ll be free to explore the many other things the island has to offer, including surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkelling, diving, walking and much more. All meals during Ocean Week are included, too, so fuelling up is a breeze, and plush, comfy beds ensure you’ll be well rested at day’s end. If you’ve been looking to discover this bucket list destination, this is the perfect combination of exercise, relaxation and indulgence.
Negotiate narrow dirt roads, career around snowy alpine passes and wobble over water crossings in deep rainforest – all from the seat of a diminutive 105cc Honda motorcycle. Alongside 50 other mavericks who have a taste for the open road you’ll tackle 3,500 kilometres of sand, gravel and dust on the Postie Bike Challenge, although mercifully you’ll also have a full support team behind you if (and when) things get a little hairy. After each day spent with wind whipping your face and Australia’s rugged landscapes sailing by, you’ll pitch a tent in rodeo grounds before recounting the events of the past 24 hours with your new pals over a catered dinner.
This 10-day outback odyssey traces a different route every year, and has raised more than AU$1 million for charity since its inception in 2002. Rustle up the AU$5,650 entry fee and experience a two-wheeled endurance event like no other.
Get your blood pumping on a 10-day Storm of the South Island cycling adventure in New Zealand. You’ll begin near Christchurch with a cruisy coastal ride along Port Hills, then make your way to the village of Kaikoura for whale and dolphin watching. Power through forest tracks to Hanmer Springs where you’ll rest your well-worked limbs in natural hot pools.
Now you’re ready to tackle steep inclines and rocky descents through St James’s back country, and cycle along the 28-kilometre Old Ghost Road, New Zealand’s longest track. Change up the pace with a break by the beach at Punakaiki’s famous Pancake Rocks, then head for the heart of the Southern Alps. Feel the burn as you climb to the 2000-metre-high summit of Mount Pisa, before gliding back down from the clouds to Queenstown for a well-earned drink in one of its cosy wine bars.
New Zealand is known as a mecca for glow worms, but while most opportunities to see them involve hordes of tourists chattering away in underground caves or crammed into boats, there’s one experience that will bring the magic back. From Tauranga, a few hours southeast of Auckland, you can shirk the crowds for a kayak paddle by night into a gorge loaded with these glowing critters.
The experience starts by quaffing some of New Zealand’s finest wines along with a cheese and fruit platter guaranteed to sustain you through the paddle ahead. As the sun sinks, you’ll get kitted up and push away from shore for a serene journey on mirror flat water accompanied by the call of water birds.
By the time darkness has fully fallen you’ll edge between the tight walls of the rocky gorge. It takes a few minutes for your night vision to kick in, revealing the pale green light of thousands of glow worms. This an intimate experience that really connects you to the nature you’ve come to see. There’s the sound of waterfalls, the spray of mist on your face, the twinkling lights of larvae fishing for food, and the glitter of a million stars above.
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