“The very edge of the earth’s disk”, drifting on the lazy waves of the Pacific Ocean, Oceania is a scattering of islands and atolls occupied by a mass of micro-states and even more dependent territories. Time seems to have stopped here, and the movement of the luminaries in the sky is perceived more as an element of the surrounding landscape than confirmation of the change of day – January or August, the 14th or 21st century – the crowns of coconut palms are still swaying over the water, and the sky admires its crystal blue in the mirror of the ocean.
The very concept of Oceania is somewhat vague. The “base” of the region consists of the states of Melanesia (Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and French New Caledonia), Micronesia (Kiribati and Nauru under the jurisdiction of Australia, as well as territories that are to some extent “associated” with the United States: Guam, Micronesia proper, Palau, Marshall and Northern Mariana Islands ) and Polynesia (a bunch of atolls, reefs and islands of the States, French and British territories, plus New Zealand with the Cook Islands and Tokelau, as well as the notorious Easter Island and terribly independent Samoa and Tonga – with its own national currency, by the way!).
All the ambiguity of the position of the states of Oceania is perfectly conveyed by the explanations to the political map of the region. In some places there is no permanent population, and in Tokelau, for example, there is simply no capital. And why do we need bureaucratic conventions in such a paradise!
Blissful idleness – so briefly you can characterize the local life, and this is exactly what attracts tourists to Oceania. By the way, there are not too many of them here: the high cost of the direction (first of all, the flight) restrains the mass flow of seekers of the lost paradise. If not for this remoteness from civilization, the region, perhaps, would become the most popular place for “vegetative” recreation. Judge for yourself: year-round warm waters of the Pacific with a constant temperature of at least +25 ° C, amazing exotic vegetation, the softest sand and friendly natives, unspoiled by the tourist flow. In addition, the complete absence of blood-sucking reptiles and other unpleasant cold-blooded, as well as tropical diseases. Spiritual food, of course, is not too much – well, what sights can there be thousands of kilometers from the “world”, except perhaps the house of the revered leader or the American military base, of course, closed to the public. However, “oceanic” tourists do not complain – just sway in a hammock, take secluded walks along uninhabited beaches and admire the amazing variety of tropical paradise. At the same time, the infrastructure here is more than worthy, corresponding to the exoticism and cost of the destination.
As for active tourism – to stretch the joints after a “hammock” day – then in Oceania you can go snorkeling and windsurfing, diving (in addition to natural beauties, tourists are presented with wrecks – Japanese ships and American military aircraft), as well as hiking, along the coast or along forest paths. Fans of fishing rods and lines will appreciate the variety of delicious cold-blooded fish, and golf fans will be able to try their hand at very worthy grounds.
According to Countryaah, Oceania has the following countries:
- Australia
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
