Vancouver to Cairns

Honolulu’s setting on the Pacific Ocean, backed by dramatic cliffs and the extinct volcanoes of Punchbowl and Diamond Head, is spectacular. Three-quarters of Hawaii’s population live on the island of Oahu and 80 percent of visitors to Hawaii arrive in Honolulu. Some remain here for their entire vacation; others use it as gateway to the other islands.
Until the arrival of Europeans, Honolulu was just a small, laid-back town. As more and more foreign ships arrived and used adjacent Pearl Harbour, King Kamehameha declared Honolulu the capital.

Warmly welcoming you to the natural wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns is a treasure trove of rich tropical beauty and incredible sea life. Swathes of rainforest spread out to the north, where you can soar over the canopy in a cable car, before looking down over narrow channels of water plummeting down gorges and crocodile-filled waterways. The diverse lands of the Atherton Tableland lie to the west, but it’s the crystal-clear waters – and life-filled reefs – of Cairns’ remarkable underwater world that draws universal adulation.

Priding itself as the Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, explore Cairns’ constellation of colour, as you dive into the world’s largest and most spectacular underwater universe. Head out on a glass-bottomed boat tour to explore the 3,000 coral reef systems, and let hours drift by appreciating the waving corals and life-imbued reefs during exceptional scuba diving and snorkelling sessions. Cairns is huddled in amongst abundant swathes of rainforests, which give way to glorious crescents of golden beach. Kuranda – with its scenic railway and heritage market stalls – waits to be discovered, cloaked within the depths of the rainforest. Learn of the indigenous people of North Queensland during cultural performances, and hear the throaty reverberations of digeridoos, as you hear eternal stories handed down through time, from generation to generation. Back in Cairns, there’s always time for a coffee or a beer, or a feast on fresh oysters with glasses of Cairns’ white wines – boldly flavoured with mango and banana notes.