Description
If you were the owner of a large yacht based in the Pacific, this is exactly the type of itinerary you would plan. A fascinating mix of islands all the way from the northernmost reaches of New Zealand to Melanesia, taking in remote, but splendidly sophisticated Norfolk Island and Iles des Pins in the French Collectively of New Caledonia. From here we follow the chain of Melanesian islands through Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and finally to the northern islands of Papua New Guinea.
All are beautiful in their different ways and all have unique features and cultures. This region is ideal for exploring by small ship and particularly one as suitable as our MS Caledonian Sky. Her fleet of Zodiac craft will allow us to explore some magnificent places, especially tiny coral islets and lagoons.
At New Georgia on the outer reaches of the Solomon’s we will explore the majestic Marovo Lagoon, the world’s largest double barrier lagoon, a truly awe-inspiring place. These islands form one of the most culturally complex regions of the entire world, with 1293 languages spoken across the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the islands of New Guinea. It is also a region of great antiquity; New Guinea has been settled for around 45,000 years, the Solomon Islands for 35,000 years, and Vanuatu and New Caledonia for about 4,000.
There will be much of the natural world to occupy us as we sail in a northerly direction through the South Pacific along much of the same route as Captain James Cook. The maritime history of the region is a constant wonder from the early explorers and native migrations to the fierce battles of the Second World War. We hope you can join us in this faraway haven, where there still exists a savage beauty, which cannot fail to stir even the most jaded of travellers. Many of the islands still possess a pristine beauty, much the same as they were when first discovered by the great explorers.