Escape to a warm welcome

By COLIN MOORE

A cold blast over Easter heralding the onset of winter was timely - for the Pacific Islands.

Just as Herald readers stoke their first winter fire, the island resorts beckon as a warm alternative. From now until October is the dry season for much of the Pacific and temperatures are not so stifling.

It is the perfect time to escape the damp and cold of a New Zealand winter for a holiday with one of our near neighbours.

As you soak up the warmth and traditional island hospitality you'll likely wonder why so many Polynesians forsake their homelands to settle in New Zealand.

Employment and education are the two major reasons - which just happen to be the regimes that you and your children are escaping from.

There is no shortage of flights to an island paradise.

Air Pacific has eight flights a week from Auckland to Nadi and three flights to Suva. From Nadi, Air Pacific has connections to Honolulu, Los Angeles, Tonga, Apia, Honiara and Port Vila.

Next month the airlines begins a service of two flights a week from Nadi to Rarotonga.

Air New Zealand flies 11 times a week to Nadi (low-season fare of $864 return), five times weekly to Rarotonga ($1056), three times weekly to Tonga ($979) and Samoa ($1202), and seven times weekly to Hawaii ($1470) .

Qantas flies three times a week to Tahiti. This month's fare is $999 return.

And it is worth checking with your travel agent for special package deals.

Which island to choose is a tough one. If forced to make a list we might suggest: most laid back, Rarotonga; best cuisine, Tahiti; most friendly, Fiji; cheapest, Samoa; best bare-boat sailing, Tonga; best surf, Hawaii; most adventurous, Vanuatu; most perfect atol, Bora Bora; least populated, Niue; best wreck-diving, Solomons.

This week travel features several mouth-watering destinations to dream about - and escape to this winter.