Just a short flight from Australia’s East coast (3.5 hours from Sydney, 2.5 from Brisbane and 4 from Melbourne) a holiday to Vanuatu has the perfect balance of resort style relaxation and authentic cultural discovery, and with 13 flights a week with Air Vanuatu and Pacific Blue it has never been more accessible.

The Cook Islands is one of the world’s best kept holiday secrets in the Pacific Ocean. They are not only a set of tree-laden islands with stunning white sand beaches to be seen from the top of magnificent dormant volcanoes.

The Bay of Plenty is a popular stop for cruise ships – see them up close at Port of Tauranga in Mount Maunganui. Photo: bayofplentynz.com

New Zealand is no overnight sensation; its remarkable natural features were 80 million years in the making.