New Guinea, West Papua & Indonesia Exploration - P435A

The Island of Guam, the western-most (or should we say eastern-most?) territory of the United States, is an island in Micronesia in the western South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines. Along the Tumon Bay beachfront, the island's glitzy duty-free shopping centre is a shopper’s paradise, while the gleaming white sand and crystal clear, warm waters for swimming, snorkelling, or just relaxing, are equally as appealing. In Tumon visit the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica, and the National Museum of the Dulce Nombre de Maria that features changing displays of inspirational art created by local artists. Read more about Guam, Guam

The Vitu Islands are located in the Bismarck Sea north of New Britain, a part of Papua New Guinea in the SW Pacific. The islands are volcanic ocean peaks arising from very deep water and fringed with reefs, hence not atolls. Formerly called the French Islands, they are also known as the Witu Islands. Read more about Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea

Rabaul is a town on the Gazelle Peninsula in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. A busy commercial centre, it is situated on Simpson Harbour, a sheltered inlet of Blanche Bay. Almost the entire old town of Rabaul is buried under volcanic ash, the result of a volcanic eruption in 1994, and one is in awe of the scenery, which resembles an alien prehistoric landscape. Read more about Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

Kitava Island is one of the four major coral atolls in the Trobriand Islands archipelago (aka the Kiriwina Islands) located in the Milne Bay Province of SE Papua New Guinea. The islands lie in the Solomon Sea, where many major battles were fought during WWII. To the west lies the main island and administrative centre of Kiriwina. Read more about Kitava, Papua New Guinea

Gizo is the capital of the Western Province in the Solomon Islands, situated on Ghizo Island, approximately 380 km WNW of the capital Honiara, and is the second largest town in the country. According to local stories the area had a history of head-hunting, so nearby tribes took the unusual step of joining together to obliterate the Gizo tribe. As a result, the land became state-owned and prospered as an administrative and business centre. Read more about Gizo, Solomon Islands

Honiara, located on the northern coast of the island of Guadalcanal, is the capital of the Solomon Islands, which lie between Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. Pijin is the principal language. The climate is tropical, and while the most pleasant time to visit is winter, July to September, the cooling sea breezes temper the humidity and heat along all coasts year-round. Read more about Honiara, Solomon Islands

Samarai is a small island (800m by 400m) in the China Straits, just three kilometres from the mainland, off the SE tip of the Bird’s Tail Peninsula of New Guinea. Milne Bay lies a few kilometres to the north. The island is part of the Samarai Islands of the Louisiade Archipelago. Read more about Samarai Island, Papua New Guinea

Agats is a village on the remote SE coast of the Asmat region of Papua Province in Indonesia. The province is also known as West Papua and Indira Jaya. The inhabitants are famed for their artistic ‘primitive’ woodcarving, and Agats has an interesting museum filled with woodcarvings and other objects. Read more about Agats, Asmat Region, Indonesia

The new Darwin cruise ship terminal at Fort Hill Wharf is adjacent to the convention centre, only one kilometre from Darwin’s CBD. Modern amenities, hotels and parking are there, plus a mini-market with beautiful local productions – Aboriginal art and crafts, diamonds and opals, and eateries, distinctive of the Top End. Darwin is a home port for the small luxury vessels Coral Princess and Coral Discoverer that explore the Kimberley coast to Broome. Read more about Darwin, Australia

The new Darwin cruise ship terminal at Fort Hill Wharf is adjacent to the convention centre, only one kilometre from Darwin’s CBD. Modern amenities, hotels and parking are there, plus a mini-market with beautiful local productions – Aboriginal art and crafts, diamonds and opals, and eateries, distinctive of the Top End. Darwin is a home port for the small luxury vessels Coral Princess and Coral Discoverer that explore the Kimberley coast to Broome. Read more about Darwin, Australia