Back to grid

Best rural retreat destinations in Oceania

Back to grid
Fiordland National Park
New Zealand’s Wildest Water World
8.7
Walkers on the Milford Track book a spot well ahead and hike the 33 mile route over four days, sleeping in huts beside rivers and waterfalls. Boat cruises on Milford Sound pass Mitre Peak, which rises 5,550 feet straight from the water, as seals rest on the rocks.
Highlights:
  • 🪶 Scenic fly over dramatic fjords and hidden alpine lakes
  • 🥾 Hike the world-famous Milford Track through lush rainforest
  • 🛥️ Cruise through majestic Milford Sound and spot playful dolphins
Margaret River
Coastal charm meets world‑class wineries
8.8
Between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin at the southwest corner of Western Australia, the region has dozens of wineries among tall karri and jarrah forests. Limestone caves such as Lake Cave are open to explorers while surf beaches line the Indian Ocean coast, so wine lovers and surfers share the same quiet roads.
Highlights:
  • 🎨 Discover ancient rock art at Wave Rock
  • 🦭 Spot humpback whales during migration season
  • 🐠 Explore Ningaloo Reef's vibrant coral gardens
Kangaroo Island
Wildlife, Wonders and Rugged Coast
8.6
Explorer Matthew Flinders named the island in 1802 after his crew ate kangaroo meat there. Sea lions rest on the sand at Seal Bay and koalas sit in eucalyptus trees, while the Remarkable Rocks in Flinders Chase National Park are giant granite boulders shaped by wind and rain.
Highlights:
  • 🦭 Swim with playful sea lions at Seal Bay
  • 🪨 Marvel at the Remarkable Rocks and their surreal formations
  • 🦘 See wild kangaroos and koalas roaming freely at Flinders Chase
Ningaloo Coast
Australia's Accessible Underwater Wonderland
9.1
Waves break softly on Ningaloo Reef, which is only about 100 yards from the shore in places, so snorkellers swim straight from the sand to turtles and colourful fish. From April to July whale sharks visit the coast and boat trips take swimmers into the water beside them.
Highlights:
  • 🏞️ Explore Cape Range National Park’s rugged gorges
  • 🤿 Snorkel vibrant coral reefs from sandy beaches
  • 🦈 Swim with gentle whale sharks off the coast
French Polynesia
Paradise of Crystal Clear Lagoons
8.9
Like a scatter of green and white specks across the South Pacific, French Polynesia has 118 islands and atolls, including Rangiroa, where dolphins swim in a huge lagoon and pearl farms float on the water. On Tahaa, called the Vanilla Island, farms grow vanilla beans on the hillsides above the lagoon.
Highlights:
  • 🐠 Snorkel the coral gardens of Moorea’s turquoise lagoon
  • 🤿 Dive with sharks and manta rays in Rangiroa
  • 🏝️ Stay in an overwater bungalow above the Bora Bora lagoon
Palau
Pristine paradise with underwater wonders
8.3
Jellyfish Lake on Eil Malk island is a marine lake where golden jellyfish with very weak stings drift in the water as snorkellers swim among them. Around the lake the Rock Islands are hundreds of green limestone islets with quiet lagoons and empty white beaches reached by boat.
Highlights:
  • 🛶 Paddle a kayak through Palau’s turquoise Rock Islands
  • 🤿 Dive into the stunning Blue Corner reef
  • 🌊 Swim among harmless jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake
Papua New Guinea
Last paradise of South Pacific
5.7
Australian and Japanese soldiers fought along the Kokoda Track in 1942 so trekkers now walk the 60 mile path over the Owen Stanley Range in about eight days while villagers host them along the way. The country has more than 800 languages while highland festivals have bright feathered costumes.
Highlights:
  • 🥾 Trek the historic Kokoda Track through dense rainforest
  • 🎭 Meet the colorful tribes at the Mount Hagen Festival
  • 🤿 Dive among WWII wrecks in Rabaul’s volcanic waters
Tonga
Tropical paradise with volcanic islands
7.8
Like a quiet corner of the Pacific away from resort crowds, the kingdom of Tonga has about 170 islands and very few visitors. From July to October humpback whales breed in the warm water near Vava'u, where licensed boat trips take swimmers into the sea beside mothers and calves.
Highlights:
  • 🌊 Discover blowholes at Mapu'a 'a Vaea coast
  • 🗿 Explore the ancient Ha'amonga 'a Maui Trilithon
  • 🐋 Swim with humpback whales in Ha'apai waters
Twelve Apostles Marine National Park
Iconic Cliffs and Wild Ocean Wonders
7.9
The limestone stacks that give the park its name reach up to 50 metres. There were only ever nine and fewer stand today. The marine park was established in 2002 and covers about 7,500 hectares near Port Campbell. It also holds the wreck of the clipper Loch Ard, which struck Mutton Bird Island in 1878.
Highlights:
  • 🚶‍♂️ Walk along the elevated boardwalks at Gibson Steps
  • 🚁 Take a helicopter tour to see the Twelve Apostles from above
  • 🪨 View the iconic limestone stacks from the Great Ocean Road
Tasmania
Wilderness, Wildlife and Wild Coasts
8.7
October to May is the booking season for the Overland Track, a 40 mile trail through Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park where walkers see wombats and wallabies. On Bruny Island, off the southeast coast, roadside stalls sell fresh oysters while farm gates have cheese, honey and berries.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Tour the convict ruins at Port Arthur Historic Site
  • ⛰️ Explore Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park trails
  • 🏖️ Hike to Wineglass Bay and marvel at its white sand
Kakadu National Park
Ancient Rock Art and Wild Wetlands
8.3
Rock shelters at Ubirr have paintings of fish and wallabies made by Aboriginal artists over thousands of years, while hikers climb a short trail to a lookout over the Nadab floodplain at sunset. Saltwater crocodiles rest on the banks of the Yellow Water billabong, where boat cruises start at dawn.
Highlights:
  • 🏞️ Take a challenging hike to Jim Jim Falls gorge
  • 🦅 Cruise the Yellow Water Billabong for crocs and birdlife
  • 🌄 Watch the sunset over Aboriginal rock art at Ubirr
Blue Mountains National Park
Majestic Views and Untamed Nature
7.7
The smell of eucalyptus is in the air, where fine oil droplets are the reason distant ridges look blue. Walkers follow clifftop tracks to the Three Sisters rock formation at Echo Point and later warm up beside open fires in cottages in the village of Leura.
Highlights:
  • 🥾 Hike the Wentworth Falls track for breathtaking views
  • 🚞 Ride the Scenic Railway through the stunning Jamison Valley
  • ⛰️ Admire the iconic Three Sisters rock formation at Echo Point
Mount Cook National Park
New Zealand’s alpine wonderland
8.8
The Hooker Valley Track is a flat three hour round trip walk over swing bridges to Hooker Lake, where icebergs float below Aoraki, the highest peak in New Zealand at 12,218 feet. The Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve has clear dark nights, so stargazers see the Milky Way from the doors of their lodges.
Highlights:
  • 🛶 Kayak on Tasman Lake near the majestic Tasman Glacier
  • 🚁 Take a scenic helicopter ride above Mount Cook
  • 🥾 Hike the stunning Hooker Valley Track for glacier views
Tongariro National Park
Volcanic landscapes and epic hikes
8.1
Walkers cross red craters and the Emerald Lakes, small bright green pools, on the 12 mile Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a day hike over active volcanoes in the middle of the island. Steam rises from vents along the trail and the cone of Mount Ngauruhoe stands above the lava fields.
Highlights:
  • 💧 Relax by the vibrant Emerald Lakes along the trail
  • ⛰️ Climb to Red Crater for stunning panoramic views
  • 🥾 Hike the iconic Tongariro Alpine Crossing and witness volcanic craters
Samoa
Tropical paradise with volcanic mountains
7.8
Between Hawaii and New Zealand in the South Pacific, the islands of Upolu and Savai'i have rain forest, waterfalls and quiet villages with beach fales, open sided huts with thatched roofs. On Upolu a ladder goes 98 feet down into To Sua Ocean Trench, a swimming hole with clear green water.
Highlights:
  • 🌳 Explore the lush jungle on the Canopy Walk
  • 💦 Slide down natural waterfalls at Papase’ea
  • 🌊 Swim in the stunning To Sua Ocean Trench
Wanaka
Alpine Adventure, Lakeside Serenity
8.6
Sheep farmers took up land around Lake Wanaka in the 1800s so the valleys still have working high country stations. Hikers climb to Rob Roy Glacier through beech forest while a lone willow tree standing in the lake near town is a popular spot at sunrise.
Highlights:
  • 🧗‍♂️ Climb the world's highest waterfall via ferrata at Wildwire
  • 🌳 Snap photos of the iconic Wanaka Tree by the lake
  • 🥾 Hike Roys Peak for breathtaking lake and mountain views
Lake Tekapo
The Glacial Gem of the South Island
8.6
The lake is milky turquoise because of glacial flour, fine rock dust carried by meltwater from the Southern Alps. A small stone chapel called the Church of the Good Shepherd was built on the shore in 1935 with a plain window behind the altar where people look out at the water and mountains.
Highlights:
  • ♨️ Relax and soak in the Tekapo Springs hot pools
  • 🌌 Stargaze in the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve
  • ⛪ Visit the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd
Arrowtown
Gold Rush History Amid Mountain Beauty
7.8
Gold was found in the Arrow River in 1862 so a mining town grew beside it, with the small stone huts of Chinese miners still standing at the old settlement. Autumn has golden poplar and maple leaves along the river trail, which is a short walk from cafes in 19th century cottages.
Highlights:
  • 🍂 Admire dazzling autumn colors in the surrounding hills
  • ⛏️ Pan for gold in the Arrow River like early settlers
  • 🏡 Stroll the historic gold rush-era streets and heritage cottages
Esperance
Australia's Whitest Beaches and Turquoise Waters
8.6
From June to October southern right whales swim into the bays with their calves while kangaroos laze on the white sand of Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park all year. Granite peaks rise behind turquoise water and campsites sit quietly behind the dunes.
Highlights:
  • 🥾 Explore Cape Le Grand National Park’s rugged trails and beaches
  • ⛰️ Hike to Frenchman Peak for panoramic coastal views
  • 🏖️ Visit the stunning pink sands and turquoise waters of Lucky Bay
Queenstown
Adventure capital with alpine beauty
8.5
Cold lake air and the smell of pine are part of a drive to Glenorchy, a quiet village 28 miles from town at the head of Lake Wakatipu, where sheep graze below snowy peaks. Hikers start the Routeburn Track nearby while cellar staff in the Gibbston Valley pour pinot noir.
Highlights:
  • 🚤 Cruise Lake Wakatipu on the historic TSS Earnslaw
  • ⚡ Zipline through the pine trees at Bob's Peak
  • 🚡 Ride the Skyline Gondola for panoramic views
Bora Bora
Turquoise Lagoons, Overwater Dreams
8.4
In the South Pacific about 150 miles northwest of Tahiti, the island is the rim of an extinct volcano with Mount Otemanu, 2,385 feet high, rising above a turquoise lagoon. Overwater bungalows stand on stilts above the shallow water, so guests step from a deck into the lagoon where rays glide past.
Highlights:
  • 🚤 Take a private boat tour around Mount Otemanu
  • 🏝️ Stay overnight in a classic overwater bungalow
  • 🐠 Snorkel crystal-clear lagoon with rays and tropical fish
North Island
Geothermal Wonders and Māori Culture
8.6
Like a patchwork quilt of green sheep farms and steaming volcanic ground, the island has Hobbiton, a movie set of 44 round hobbit homes on a working farm near Matamata. Farm stays in the Waikato serve breakfast with fresh eggs while lambs graze outside the window.
Highlights:
  • 🌃 Walk along Auckland’s Sky Tower observation deck
  • 🧙‍♂️ Visit Hobbiton and stroll through the Shire movie set
  • 🔥 Explore the geothermal wonders of Rotorua’s hot springs and geysers
Marlborough
Wine Country Meets Stunning Coastal Sounds
8.7
March and April are harvest months, when pickers cut Sauvignon Blanc grapes in the Wairau Valley while staff at cellar doors pour tastings among the vines. The Marlborough Sounds, a maze of drowned river valleys, have the 44 mile Queen Charlotte Track for walkers and cyclists.
Highlights:
  • 🚴‍♀️ Cycle the scenic Marlborough Wine Trail through rolling hills
  • 🚤 Cruise through the stunning Marlborough Sounds by boat
  • 🍷 Savor world-class Sauvignon Blanc wines in local vineyards
Taupō
Volcanic Lake, Adventure and Hot Springs
8.2
Anglers set out at dawn in small boats for rainbow trout on Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand, while the Waikato River narrows through a rock gorge and drops over Huka Falls nearby. Warm streams flow into the river, where people soak beside the bank.
Highlights:
  • 🌋 Explore the geothermal wonders of Craters of the Moon
  • 🛶 Kayak to the famous Māori Rock Carvings at Mine Bay
  • 🌊 Witness the thunderous power of Huka Falls
Feedback