Semmes’ Oceania Travel Bucket List

Oceania Bucket List My bucket list is a never-ending work in progress. I am continuously adding, altering, changing, and updating it. I love discovering new things, learning about new destinations, being inspired to try something new, etc. So, my bucket list serves as a reminder to me of the massive, exciting, ever-changing world. Do I think I will accomplish everything on my bucket list? I sure hope so! Anything is possible!

Make sure you check out all my other Bucket Lists! Here is my ultimate Oceania/Pacific Travel Bucket List. I break my Bucket List down into countries. Keep in mind that I will be constantly adding and editing items on this list. And, let me know if I should add anything else!

* The numbers refer to the items from Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel book.

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English
BEST TIME TO VISIT – Year-round
CAPITAL – Canberra
Queensland
- #2. The Great Barrier Reef (UNESCO)
- Go to the Wet Tropics of Queensland (UNESCO)
- Brisbane
- Explore Cape Tribulation
- Visit Australia Zoo
- Visit Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world (UNESCO)
- Relax on the Whitsunday Islands
  - Sunbathe on Whitehaven Beach
  - Visit Hamilton Island
  - Sail the Whitsundays
- Visit Daintree Rainforest, the world’s oldest rainforest
- Ride the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
- Visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
- Enjoy the sun on the Sunshine Coast
New South Wales
- Visit Sydney
  - #57. See the Sydney Opera House (UNESCO)
  - Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
  - Visit Bondi Beach
  - Explore Darling Harbour
  - Ride the Manly Ferry
- #202. Blue Mountains National Park (UNESCO)
Victoria
- Visit Melbourne
  - Shop at Queen Victoria Market
  - See the pengiuns at St Kilda Pier
  - Discover Melbourne’s laneways
  - See the Melbourne Street Art
- #12. See the Twelve Apostles
- See the penguins on Phillip Island
- Road trip on the Great Ocean Road
- See the Gippsland bioluminescence Lakes
Tasmaina
- Visit the Tasmanian Wilderness (UNESCO)
- #416. Port Arthur
- See the Aurora Australis in Tasmania
- #20. Visit the Museum of Old & New Art
- Explore the Freycinet National Park
- Relax on Nine Mile Beach
- #32. See Cradle Mountain
South Austraila
- Feed a Kangaroo on Kangaroo Island
- Swim with the sea lions in Bairds Bay
- Sip wine in the Barossa Valley
Northern Territory
- #33. See Uluru (UNESCO)
- #56. Visit the Kakadu National Park (UNESCO)
Western Australia
- Visit Perth
- Swim with the dolphins at Monkey Mia
- Snorkle with the whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef
- Ride a camel on Cable Beach
- Meet a Quokka on Rottsnest Island
- Visit the Pink Lake (Lake Hillier)
- Swim with sharks in Shark Bay (UNESCO)
- #265. Ningaloo Marine Park/ Coast (UNESCO)
- See where the desert meets the sea in Broome
Visit Christmas Island
Visit Lore Howe Island (UNESCO)
Visit Macquarie Island (UNESCO)
Explore the Outback
Go “glamping” in the outback
Hold a koala bear
Have an authentic Aussie BBQ
Watch a cricket match

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English, Maori, and New Zealand Sign Language
BEST TIME TO VISIT – November to April for the sun and June to August for the snow
CAPITAL – Wellington
- Ride the Wellington Cable Car
Sail the Milford Sound
Climb up the world’s steepest road (Baldwin Street) in Dunedin
See a kiwi bird up close
Visit Queenstown
Visit Christchurch
Visit Auckland
- Brave the Skywalk
#17. Visit Fiordland National Park
#35. Go to Abel Tasman National Park
#81. Franz Josef & Fox Glacier
Withness the Aurora Australis
Attend an All Blacks Rugby game
Explore the Hobbiton movie set
Relax at the hot springs of Rotorua
Drink wine in the Marlborough wine region
#94. See Lake Wanaka
Visit Mount Doom in Tongariro National Park (UNESCO)
#125. Stewart Island
#130. Visit the Bay of Islands
#276. Whakarewarewa
#280. See the glowworms in the Waitomo Caves
#285. Te Papa Tongarewa

American Samoa (USA)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English and Samoan
BEST TIME TO VISIT – May to October
CAPITAL – Pago Pago
Relax on Ofu Beach
Mt Alava

Cook Islands (New Zealand)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – Cook Islands Maori and English
BEST TIME TO VISIT – Year-round
CAPITAL – Avarua
Island hop throughout the blue Aitutaki lagoon

Fiji

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English and Fijian
BEST TIME TO VISIT – May to October
CAPITAL – Suva
#284. Rainbow Reef
Go diving at the Coral Coast
Walkthrough the Wisteria Tunnel
#434. Lavena Coastal Walk
Explore the rainforests of Bouma National Heritage Park
Visit Fiji’s picturesque village of Navala
Snorkel with the manta rays at Kadavu’s Great Astrolabe Reef

French Polynesia (France)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – French and Tahitian
BEST TIME TO VISIT – June to August
CAPITAL – Pape’ete
#108. Visit Bora Bora
Stay in a hut over the water
Visit Tahiti
#350. Mo’orea

Guam (USA)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English and Chamorro
BEST TIME TO VISIT – January to June
CAPITAL – Hagåtña
Swim Marbo Cave
See the Tarzan Falls
Relax on the beaches of Ritidian Point
Watch the sunset from Puntan Dos Amantes (Two Lover’s Point)

Kiribati

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English and Gilbertese
BEST TIME TO VISIT – March to October
CAPITAL – Tarawa
Go diving at the Christmas Islands
See the red crab migration
See WWII remains
Explore the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (UNESCO)

Marshall Islands

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – Marshallese and English
BEST TIME TO VISIT – Year-round
CAPITAL – Majuro
Go Diving at the Bikini Atoll (UNESCO)
Visit the Bravo Crater
Deep-sea fish off Longar Point on Arno Atoll
See the world’s largest shark sanctuary

Micronesia

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English
BEST TIME TO VISIT – October to March
CAPITAL – Palikir
Nan Madol (UNESCO)
Visit the Kepirohi Waterfall
Kayak through the magical mangroves of Kosrae

Nauru

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – Nauruan
BEST TIME TO VISIT – March to October
CAPITAL – Yaren
See the Japanese World War II guns scattered around the island
Visit the world’s least visited country

New Caledonia (France)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – French
BEST TIME TO VISIT – September to December
CAPITAL – Noumea
Explore the reefs and ecosystems in the lagoons of New Caledonia (UNESCO)
Swim with turtles around the Isle of Pines
#288. Anse Vata
Go snorkeling at Grande Terre
Lounge on Loyalty Island beach

Niue (New Zealand)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English and Niuean
BEST TIME TO VISIT – May to October
CAPITAL – Alofi

Northern Mariana Islands (USA)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English, Chamorro, and Carolinian
BEST TIME TO VISIT – December to June
CAPITAL – Saipan
Explore the Forbidden Island
Enjoy the beaches of Managaha Island
Dive the underwater passageways of the Grotto in Saipan

Palau

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – Palauan and English
BEST TIME TO VISIT – Year-round (February to April for the driest time)
CAPITAL – Ngerulmud
Swim in the Milky Way Lagoon
#215. Visit Jellyfish Lake
Explore the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (UNESCO)
See the marine life at Blue Corner
See the Ngardmau Waterfall
See the WWII wrecks
Relax on the island of Angaur

Papua New Guinea

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English, Tok Pisin, and Hiri Motu
BEST TIME TO VISIT – June to September
CAPITAL – Port Moresby
Kuk Early Agricultural Site (UNESCO)
Meet many different tribes of Papua
Relax at the Kitava Island
See the biodiversity in Varirate National Park

The Pitcairn Islands (UK)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English and Pitkern
BEST TIME TO VISIT – December to March and July to August (for the driest months)
CAPITAL – Adamstown
Swim in St. Paul’s Pool
Henderson Island (UNESCO)
Dive to the wrecks of the HMS Bounty
Down Rope

Samoa

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – Samoan
BEST TIME TO VISIT – May to October
CAPITAL – Apia
#476. To Sua Ocean Trench
Explore the lava fields of Savai’i
See the Sopoga Falls
Stroll around the island of Manono

Solomon Islands

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English
BEST TIME TO VISIT – June to September
CAPITAL – Honiara
Visit East Rennell (UNESCO)
Relax on the Kennedy Island
See WWII relics around Honiara
Snorkel through the waters of Marovo Lagoon

Tokelau (New Zealand)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English
BEST TIME TO VISIT – April to November
CAPITAL – Nukunonu

Tonga

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – Tongan and English
BEST TIME TO VISIT – May to October
CAPITAL – Nuku’Alofa
Swim with the whales at Vav’u
See the “Stonehenge of the South Pacific”
Relax on Uoleva’s beach

Tuvalu

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – English and Tuvaluan
BEST TIME TO VISIT – May to October
CAPITAL – Funafuti
- Go diving at Funafuti Conservation Area

Vanuatu

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – Bislama, English, and French
BEST TIME TO VISIT – April to October
CAPITAL – Port Vila
Chief Roi Mata’s Domain (UNESCO)
Go wreck diving at the SS President Coolidge
Sent a postcard from Vanuatu’s underwater post office at Efate
Swim at the Matevulu Blue Hole in Espiritu Santo
See the active volcano of Mt. Yasur
See the Land Divers of Pentecost
Relax at Oyster Island on Santo
Port Resolution on Tanna Island

Wallis & Futuna (France)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE – French
BEST TIME TO VISIT – June to August
CAPITAL – Mata’utu
Take a dip in lake Lalolalo

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I will be constantly updating this post with more Bucket List ideas! So, make sure you check back all the time. Also, please feel free to pin this post!

Travel around the world with Semmes!

xx,
Semmes