Things to Do in Australia And The Pacific

Since 1844, Penfolds Barossa Valley Winery has been offering travelers access to a wide variety of wines, luscious tastings and idyllic vineyard views. And while strong pours of favorite vintages are a treat for visitors, it’s the Make Your Own Blend Tour that lends this age-old vineyard the air of something new. After touring the grounds and exploring the Cellar Door, travelers enter the winemakers’ laboratory and use popular grapes, like Grenache and Shiraz, to blend their own wines to bottle and take home.

There are few items that define the tropics more than a rustling palm tree, and at Townsville’s lush, palm-strewn Palmetum, visitors will find a different palm species for every day of the year. This botanical garden has 360 different species of palms—enough to account for 15% of palm species known to man. Thanks to Townsville’s tropical climate—where nearly 75% of annual rainfall occurs in a span of two months—the sunshine, heat, and copious moisture allows for a set of microclimates that’s perfect for growing palms. When wandering the 42 acres of trails, visitors will pass beneath 60 species of native Australian palms, as well as those from Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India, and the Seychelles. In addition to the stunning diversity of palms, the Palmetum is known for its fascinating collection of rare and exotic species. It’s widely regarded as one of the world’s premiere collection of palms, and once you’ve finished wandering through the Savannah, rainforest, and lagoon, relax with a tea and homemade sweets at historic Tumbetin Lodge.

A geothermic wonderland of hissing geysers, bubbling hot springs and natural silica terraces, the Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park serves up some of New Zealand’s most spectacular scenery and makes a popular day trip from nearby Taupo or Rotorua. Nicknamed the ‘Hidden Valley’, the park is the country’s largest and one of its most impressive thermal areas, with the all-natural scenery providing a suitably dramatic backdrop for a walking tour.

Take the bush walk through the heart of the park and you’ll be surrounded by untouched geothermal landscapes – gurgling mud pools, piping hot springs and steaming fissures interspersed with 35 active natural geysers, spurting steaming water up to 9 meters in the air. Most notable are the series of fault-stepped silica terraces, over which up to 20 million liters of water flow per day. The ‘Emerald Terrace’, aptly named for its striking jade-green color, is the largest of its kind remaining in the country; above it the terraces take on a rainbow of shades – blue, green, yellow, black – thanks to the hot water algae growing on their surface. The highlight of the park is the unique Ruatapu Cave, one of only two geothermal caves in the world and stretching 120 foot to the Waiwhakaata ‘pool of mirrors’ hot pool.

If you're seeking the thrill of a fine glass of wine or a round of golf then Central Otago could be just your place. The hottest, coldest and driest part of New Zealand is also home to some of its most adorable towns and finer vineyards.

The capital of Central Otago is Alexandra and its boutique hotels are a great base for exploring. The highlights of Central Otago (besides its gourmet delights) include the very well-preserved gold-rush towns of Ophir and St Bathans, the art-deco charms of Ranfurly and the picturesque orchards of the fruit-bowl area surrounding Cromwell.

Eleven golf courses dot the countryside and curling (the ancient Scottish sport) is popular in Naseby where you can play in year-round facilities. Otherwise the majority of action takes place along the Central Otago Rail Trail with walkers, cyclists and horse riders all enjoying the gentle gradient of the former railway line.

The resort town of Paihia services the villages and islands of the Bay of Islands.

Boasting the area’s best accommodation and restaurants, Paihia Harbour is the ideal place to base yourself while you explore this lovely part of New Zealand.

Hire a kayak to paddle out to the islands, follow the rivers winding in from the bay, or take a walk through kauri forest to lookouts over the water.

To walk from Paihia to neighboring Waitangi is a pleasant 40 minutes one way.

Rainforests are some of the world’s most fascinating ecosystems, yet humans usually only experience them from the ground. O’Reilly’s Tree Top Walk provides a new point of view, allowing visitors to experience the world of the rainforest from inside the canopy.

Started in 1939 as a trout sanctuary, Paradise Valley Springs Wildlife Park is now a popular destination for animal lovers of all ages. Visitors can feed and interact with many of the animals, most of which are native to the island.

Given New Zealand's isolation from the rest of the world, its flora and fauna evolved differently than continental creatures, and as such, New Zealand's wildlife is unique. While many New Zealand trips involve outdoor activities and visitors see much of its indigenous animals in the wild, the Paradise Valley Springs Wildlife Park has the most interesting native critters under one roof.

Guests to the park explore the different wildlife sections, including the popular Treetops Canopy walk. A series of wooden bridges and pathways have been built high up in the trees, giving visitors a chance to wander through the native birds' natural habitat.

In addition to the animal exhibits, the park is also known for its natural spring. Before Europeans came, Maori tribes would bring their battle-wounded to the spring, because they believed it had medicinal properties. Magical healing power or no, the spring produces an unending supply of clean water with high mineral content, and guests can sample directly from the source or buy water from the recently constructed bottling plant.

One of nature’s most humbling aspects is the indifference towards human existence. Whether us humans were here or not, waves would still crash, sunsets would still glow, and hundreds of clumsy Little Penguins would storm Phillip Island at sunset. Of all the Phillip Island Nature Parks, the Penguin Parade is inarguably the most popular due to this evening show. Each night at dusk, hundreds of these penguins waddle up the beach to rest and feed their young, and since 32,000 of the Little Penguins live on Phillip Island, it’s believed to be the largest colony of the world’s smallest penguin. Arrive early and have a drink at the coastal penguin café, or tour the informative visitor center to learn about the curious critters. As dusk approaches, make your way towards the multi-tiered seating and keep your eyes on the shoreline, and when the first penguin comes rolling ashore and shakes the water of its back, it will soon be followed by hundreds more as they shake, waddle, and roll.