Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia’s largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby.

The capital of New Caledonia, Noumea is a little piece of France in the middle of the Coral Sea. Before World War II, New Caledonia was a little known and seldom-visited French possession known for its penal colony and its natural resources. (Nickel smelting still plays a major role in the island economy.) Today, travelers are drawn to New Caledonia for its scenic beauty. The island is famed for its white-sand beaches while its west coast is the site of the world’s second longest barrier reef. The offshore waters also offer superb diving and snorkeling.

In 1774, James Cook thought the island’s rugged hills resembled those of his native Scotland. Hence he christened the island New Caledonia. The island and its outlying groups became a French colony in 1854 and an overseas department of France in 1956.

This small, uninhabited island just off volcanic Tanna is one of the most southernmost of the Vanuatu group. Used as a World War II landing strip for the allied forces, it is completely undeveloped. Amble around the island, or, if you’re handy with a snorkel and fins, explore the surrounding reefs.

Vila is the capital of Vanuatu, an archipelago of some 83 islands in the Coral Sea. Vanuatu is a new republic, having achieved independence from France and Britain in 1988. Before then the archipelago was better known as the New Hebrides, the name given the islands by Captain Cook. Cloaked in dense rainforest, these volcanic islands were little known until World War II, when the islands of Espiritu Santo and Efate served as Allied bases. Today increasing numbers of travelers visit Vila, drawn by its easy-going charm, superb white-sand beaches and pristine rainforest. The islands are also renowned for their excellent dive sites and for their big game fishing.

Vanuatu’s visibility on the American scene increased when the CBS television series “Survivor” filmed in the archipelago. Vanuatu is also noted among anthropologist – its island of Tanna is home to the unique “John Frum” cargo cult.

Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia’s largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby.