Around the Pacific: One Island at a Time

Have you ever envied those people who spend their lives going from one island to another in the huge area of the Pacific Ocean which covers one third of the earth? Those wealthy travellers and their super yachts or private jets, amateur sailors etc. who choose to spend their lives at sea and on small or larger islands, staff and passengers aboard cruise ships, charter planes - and the people who inhabit these islands in a very beautiful, calm and colourful part of the world. However, although Pacific means "peaceful" it can be a place of cyclones, hurricanes and lesser but still dangerous frequent storms, and often tsunamis. Then there is the ongoing volcanic activity. Around the rim of the Pacific and extending south to New Zealand, is the most active fracture line on earth, known as the "Ring of Fire" where continuous buckling, bending and breaking up of the earth's crust occurs. And there are many other places within this, where molten lava continues to pour onto land and into the sea. The volcanoes that have created islands in the Pacific have in turn, created coral atolls. It all makes for a diverse and interesting place geographically. Culturally too - Melanesians, Micronesians, Polynesians, people of the Philippines, the French, Indians, Australians and others who now call this part of the world home. (New Zealand was covered in our previous book "Around New Zealand in 14 Days", Austin Macauley, 2021.) And more in our last book: "Around Australia's Coastline: Plus, Norfolk Island, some Papua New Guinea & Lombok (Indonesia). Balboa Press 2021. It would take many lifetimes to visit all the islands of the Pacific - but to see as many as you can makes for great adventures and experiences. We have visited all the islands we have photographed and written about in this book, some only once, others many times, and selected nearly 500 of our favourite photographs to share, and that is why text is minimal - the photographs say it all and there is always the internet should you wish to know more. But always be prepared for the unexpected - it happens often in this part of the world. Happy Travelling! This is us at Luecila beach, Lifou enjoying the company and hospitality of the local people - and wearing the wreath head dresses made for us by some of the local women.