The Pacific Crossing: Tokyo to Sydney

Welcome to Tokyo. You have 1 night to explore the city.

The Japanese port city of Yokohama to the south of Tokyo on the main island of Honshu. It is a starting point for excursions to Tokyo, Mount Fuji or the Hakone National Park, but the local attractions are worth a visit as well.In addition to bars and restaurants, the former lighthouse at the port of Yokohama has an observation deck which offers a beautiful view of the city and the surroundings. If weather permits, you can even see Mount Fuji in the distance.

Rabaul sits inside one of the most dramatic natural harbours in the Pacific — a volcanic caldera on the northeastern tip of New Britain island, rimmed by peaks that have erupted more than 30 times in recorded history. The 1994 eruption of Mount Tavurvur buried much of the original town under volcanic ash, and the remnants of the old colonial centre are still visible beneath the grey pumice. What emerged was a resilient, characterful port town where WWII history runs deep — an extensive network of Japanese tunnels cut into the hillsides during the war is now open to visitors, and the Kokopo Museum holds one of the most significant collections of wartime artefacts in Papua New Guinea. The surrounding waters are exceptionally clear and the wreck diving is among the best in the Pacific. Rabaul rewards the curious traveller who arrives without expectations and leaves with stories.

Cairns, in northeastern Australia, is surrounded by nature at its most extraordinary. Ancient rainforest is found close by, and offshore lies the incredible expanse of the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef stretches for almost 1,500 miles off the Queensland Coast. It is an astonishing system that combines thousands of individual reefs, coral cays and tropical islands. Over 600 varieties of hard and soft coral attracts and shelters an extraordinary array of marine life, including starfish and crabs, a dazzling palette of tropical fish, turtles, sharks, dolphins and whales. You can explore part of this UNESCO World Heritage Site during your visit, whether by boat, on a diving or snorkelling trip, or perhaps even on a stunning overview by helicopter or light aircraft.

Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsundays — 74 islands scattered across the Coral Sea between the Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland coast, most of them uninhabited and all of them beautiful. The town itself is small, relaxed and entirely focused on getting people out onto the water, with sailing trips, snorkelling tours and seaplane flights departing throughout the day. Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island — seven kilometres of silica sand so fine it squeaks underfoot and so white it looks like snow — is consistently rated among the best beaches in the world and is accessible by day trip. The Hill Inlet lookout above the northern end of Whitehaven offers views of the tidal patterns swirling through the sand that have become one of the most recognisable images of Queensland. For those who prefer to stay closer to town, the Airlie Beach lagoon and the Conway National Park hiking trails are both within easy reach.

Mark Twain called it “the wonder of the world”. James Michener wrote, “It is a thing of beauty, a fairy-tale body of water”. With an area that sprawls 670 square miles, Sydney is one of the largest cities in the world. But it’s the exquisite Sydney Harbour that draws world-wide acclaim – that, along with its magnificent Opera House. And with nearly three days, you’ll have plenty of time to go exploring.

Mark Twain called it “the wonder of the world”. James Michener wrote, “It is a thing of beauty, a fairy-tale body of water”. With an area that sprawls 670 square miles, Sydney is one of the largest cities in the world. But it’s the exquisite Sydney Harbour that draws world-wide acclaim – that, along with its magnificent Opera House. And with nearly three days, you’ll have plenty of time to go exploring.