Auckland to Benoa (Bali)

Auckland, “The City Of Sails”, is spread over a narrow isthmus between the sparkling waters of the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours on New Zealand’s North Island. It earns its sobriquet from having more boats per capita than any other city in the world. The first settlers here were the Maori, and are still a vibrant component of its cosmopolitan population. Auckland offers the visitor all the amenities of a world-class city. Browse the shops of Queen Street or the Parnell area with its galleries and boutiques in quaintly restored Victorian buildings. For a magnificent panorama of the city travel to Mount Eden, the city’s highest point, or visit the Skytower for loftier views. Minutes from downtown you can relax on a black sand beach, or explore the America’s Cup Yachting Village. Further afield there are the spectacular pine-clad Waitakere Mountains, the amazing Waitomo Glowworm Caves and the verdant vineyards of Kumeu River Wines.

Brisbane, the third largest city in Australia, is the state capital of Queensland and the most populous city of Queensland. The settlement grew from an original penal colony, established in 1825. Free settlers were permitted in 1842 and Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony in 1859. Due to its growing live music scene, Brisbane was nominated as one of the Top 5 International Music Hotspots by Billboard magazine in 2007.

Cairns is the capital of Far North Queensland, and its east coastal cities rest along the Great Barrier Reef. The state of Queensland occupies a vast 667,000 square miles and much of the land remains uninhabited, covered with miles of rainforest where Australian teak, hopp, pine and fig trees abound. Before 1879, when the city of Cairns was established, the only inhabitants of this region were the Aborigines, the culture for which Australia is perhaps best known.

This quaint frontier town, scenically located on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Cooktown is the site of Australia’s first European settlement. The town is named after the famous South Seas explorer Captain Cook, and Cook’s Pillar marks the spot where his ship, the Endeavour landed ashore in 1770. Grassy Hill offers a 360° panorama of the countryside and pristine beaches. The area remains a near-wilderness offering dramatic mountains, eucalypts, mangroves and rainforests, heathlands, grasslands, and rivers for the adventurous traveler.

Along the coast of the Northern Territory lies Darwin, a city isolated by the vast Australian desert. The area was sought by the French, Dutch and British, and was established as the town of Darwin in 1869. In 1942, the city was under the threat of a Japanese attack, so a major Australian military base was established. Today Darwin is the largest city of the Northern Territory, offering sights from its colonial past and excellent shopping and dining opportunities.

Indonesia’s isolated Komodo Island is a natural wonder of tropical savanna and scrubland, home to the famed pre-historic Komodo dragon. Komodo National Park is the only place on earth that they can be found in the wild. The island of Komodo itself is about 60 squares miles in area with dramatic landscapes of 2,000 foot craggy mountains, canyons, Savannas and monsoon rain forests in the valleys. Human habitation is therefore limited to only one settlement in Slawi Bay.

Lombok is an Indonesian island east of Bali and west of Sumbawa, part of the Lesser Sunda Island chain. It’s known for beaches and surfing spots, particularly at Kuta and Banko Banko (in south Lombok). The motor-vehicle-free Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno), off Lombok’s west coast, offer more beaches, reefs for diving and snorkeling, and a sea turtle hatchery.

Bali is an Indonesian island known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs. The island is home to religious sites such as cliffside Uluwatu Temple. To the south, the beachside city of Kuta has lively bars, while Seminyak, Sanur and Nusa Dua are popular resort towns. The island is also known for its yoga and meditation retreats.