Silver Cloud - September 6, 2025

Levelled by a cyclone in 1974, Darwin has rebuilt itself from scratch. Wide tree-lined streets, well-designed public buildings, and acres of park land make this an ideal tropical capital. The attitude of the locals is casual and relaxed, and the young demographic keeps things moving. Darwin's location makes it the ideal jump-off point for sojourns into Australia's natural splendour.

Lying in the middle of the coastal stretch of Papua New Guinea is the town of Madang, often described as 'the prettiest in the Pacific''. Perched on a peninsula jutting into the sea, Madang is smattered with parks, ponds, waterways and has plenty of opportunities for snorkelling and diving. Offshore is a string of interesting - some still active - volcanic islands.

Rabaul was Papua New Guinea's most spectacularly-sited city - and perhaps its most beautiful - before it was destroyed by the September 1994 eruption of Tuvurvur. Today Rabaul is a weird wasteland buried to the waist in black volcanic ash. The broken frames of its buildings poke out of the mud like the wings of a dead bird. The town looks like a movie set for an apocalypse film or the X-files, and rubble and ruined buildings recede in every direction.

Lautoka is a very clean city and environmental concerned. It has a wonderful botanical garden and children's park. The main street of the city, Vitogo Parade, has been decorated with the planting of royal palm trees on one side. The city's municipal market, which has a floor area of about 58,000m, is another attraction for both residents and tourists.