Oceania
Best short-haul holiday destinations: Noumea, New Caledonia
Noumea offers a genuine taste of France incredibly close to Australia – closer than Cairns is from Sydney, in fact.
- by Anthony Dennis
Best short-haul holiday destinations: Christchurch
With a spectacular natural playground on its doorstep, this big small-city has undergone a revitalisation of unimaginable scale since the 2011 earthquake.
- by Katherine Scott
Best short-haul holiday destinations: Suva, Fiji
This overlooked gem is home to a third of Fiji’s population, is one of the most cosmopolitan centres in the South Pacific and has a great nightlife.
- by Craig Tansley
Best short-haul destinations: Auckland, New Zealand
New Zealand’s biggest city has been utterly transformed by the dramatic redevelopment of its once no-go waterfront as well as a quality food scene.
- by Anthony Dennis
Best short-haul holiday destinations: Port Vila, Vanuatu
Tiny Port Vila, with a population just over 61,000, has come of age. The capital of Vanuatu is home to chic restaurants, bars and gourmet produce outlets.
- by Craig Tansley
★★★ ½
Airline reviews
Airline review: Virgin’s extra legroom seats are a bargain on this route
This flight to an island paradise features Virgin’s cheapest upgrade to ‘Economy X’ at just $33.
- by Angela Saurine
Nine must-do highlights of Noumea, New Caledonia
A fine reason for visiting Noumea, the capital of French territory New Caledonia, is its variety of Gallic culinary delights.
- by Anthony Dennis
Holiday guide
New Zealand
Best of New Zealand
New Zealand ranks as one of the world’s greatest destinations. And luckily for us, it’s right on our doorstep.
★★★★
Airline reviews
Airline review: No entertainment, no alcohol in this business class
It’s a short flight to this Pacific island, so the shortcomings of this business class are easily overlooked.
- by Christine Retschlag
★★★★
Airline reviews
Airline review: This small, classy carrier deserves a higher profile
New Caledonia is so close to Australia it should be a more popular destination, especially considering the way its airline impresses.
- by Anthony Dennis