Cape York & Arnhem Land

Cairns is a Far North Queensland city located on the northeast coast of Australia. This laid-back city is just over a 2 hour flight from Brisbane, Queensland’s state capital. With a backdrop of rainforest mountains, Cairns is known to be the gateway of 2 iconic Australian sites, The Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest. Read more about Cairns, Australia

Lizard Island, named after the numerous large but harmless lizards living there, is a national park in Queensland, Australia. It is situated 90 km north of Cooktown at the northern tip of Australia’s World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef. It is also the location of an award-winning and internationally famous resort. Read more about Lizard Island, Australia

Flinders Island was named in 1799, after Bass and Flinders circumnavigated Tasmania. The strait separating Tasmania from the mainland was named Bass Strait, while the major island in the Furneaux Group of 52 islands was named after Flinders. The history of these islands is closely tied to the tragic story of the Tasmanian Aboriginals, and the original settlement scheme that drew settlers from Tasmania and central NSW to the island's eastern shore. Read more about Flinders Island, Australia

Thursday Island, or 'T.I.' as it's usually known, is the name of the island and the town that is the administrative and commercial centre of the Torres Strait Islands. The island group is off the far north Queensland mainland in Torres Strait, just 39 km north of Cape York Peninsula. The lucrative pearling industry founded in 1885 attracted workers from around Asia, particularly South Pacific Islanders, and this has resulted in a fascinating cultural mosaic. Read more about Thursday Island, Australia

Read more about Badu Island, Australia

The Gulf of Carpentaria - aka the Gulf - is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and separated from New Guinea to the north by the Arafura Sea. The land bordering the Gulf is generally flat and low-lying. To the west is Arnhem Land and the Top End of the Northern Territory. Read more about Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

Yirrkala is a well-known indigenous community in Arnhem Land. The town is situated at the NE tip of the Northern Territory of Australia, 650 km due east of Darwin, where the Gulf of Carpentaria meets the Arafura Sea. Its 800 inhabitants are settled in the largest parcel of land in Australia owned by Aboriginals, and known for its isolation, bark painting art (found in galleries around the world), and Yolngu culture. Read more about Yirrkala, Australia

Maningrida, Northern Territory, Australia, lies 500km east of Darwin and is situated at the mouth of the Liverpool River in Central Arnhem Land. It is a self-governing indigenous community, and to visit, you must have a permit from the Northern Land Council. The township dates back to just after WWII, with migration into Maningrida reflected in linguistic variety and cultural diversity evidenced by the different religious ceremonies and multitude of artistic forms in design, music and dance. Read more about Maningrida, Australia

Bathurst Island lies 75 km to the north of Darwin in the Arafura Sea, and together with the larger Melville Island makes up the Twi Islands, part of Australia’s Northern Territory. The largest settlement on Bathurst is Wurrumiyanga with a population of around 1450. Most residents are the indigenous Twi people, with Twi as their first language. Read more about Bathurst Island, 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

The city of Papeete (Tahitian Pape'ete; pop. 27,000) is the capital of Tahiti, the largest of the French Polynesian Islands. With its pleasant warm tropical climate, city-lovers will enjoy Papeete's chic shops, specialist stores and boutiques, together with the lively mix of French, Polynesian, and Chinese cultures. Read more about Papeete, French Polynesia