Diana Balham comes face to face with a very angry - but very pretty - volcano on the Vanuatu island of Tanna.

The Jurassic-like landscape and quirky flora and fauna of the island of New Caledonia captivates Liz Light.

Aitutaki casts its beautiful and restful spell over Carly Flynn, who discovers a destination better than any brochure could promote.

Listening to the gentle breeze in the palm trees and the lazy waves gently turning, time slows for Liz Light.

At one of the world's most active volcanoes, Paul Davies witnesses the work of Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess up close.

We asked Travel readers to send us tips for their favourite South Pacific snorkelling spots. Here are a few of your top recommendations.

To inspire us with ideas for a winter break, Rick Felderhof from Our World shares the five most popular Pacific escapes for Kiwis.

Patricia Greig looks at the best spots to get eyeball-to-eyeball with fish on your next visit to the islands of the South Pacific.

Good food, waterfalls and gorgeous beaches are great reasons to visit Vanuatu, writes Megan Singleton.

The tourist mecca's restaurants are fast becoming a culinary force with their focus on fresh, local ingredients and indigenous dishes, discovers Delaney Mes.

Rachel Grunwell finds serenity, seals and Shiva on Oahu.

The west coast of Hawaii's Big Island is home to magnificent marlin, titanic tuna and merry mantas, writes Paul Davies.

A terrifying mule ride delivers Judy Bailey safely into Kalaupapa, a park with a dark past, now a place of saintly seclusion.

Polynesia's last unspoiled outpost is gearing up for a tourism influx, writes Paul Rush.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has taken Shane Jones, David Shearer and Winston Peters with him for his trip to the Cook Islands, where he is holding talks.

James Henderson packs his clubs and hopes to beat his handicap on some of Hawaii's world-class golf courses.

"Just the thought of people dating the same culture, Polynesians dating other Polynesians. You never see it nowadays. It's always been kind of like ... a taboo."

Paul Rush samples the simple pleasures of Robert Louis Stevenson's Samoa.

As the explorer noted, the islands of Tonga are truly the 'Friendly Isles'. Jane Jeffries is captivated on her visit.

To the people of Beqa Island sharks are friends. Nicholas Jones tested that trust.

Paul Davies stays at a full-service lifestyle hotel close to Waikiki Beach.

Go local when it comes to food, Nicholas Jones discovers at a cooking school in Fiji.

Paul Rush discovers the enigmatic beauty and brilliance of black pearls in the waters of Fiji.pacific

Whale watching in Tonga goes extreme when Jane Jeffries hops in with the cetaceans.

Paul Rush meets creatures both noble and dangerous in waters of astonishing clarity.

Fijian nationals will be eligible to register for a residency ballot under the Pacific Access Category for the first time since the military coup in 2006.

Kim Palsenbarg revisits a past hobby and is entranced to find the world beneath the waves as welcoming as ever.