Visit Every Country In Oceania

The adventure

On paper, Oceania looks like the easy one: just fourteen countries. In reality, it is one of the hardest continents to finish, because most of it is ocean. Australia and New Zealand are the straightforward part, with the Great Barrier Reef, the Outback and the fiords of the South Island.

The challenge, and the magic, is the rest. Papua New Guinea has highland villages where more than 800 languages are spoken. Then come the tiny island nations reached by weekly flights: Tuvalu, where the runway doubles as the village playing field, Nauru, a single island you can drive around in under half an hour, and the coral atolls of Kiribati and the Marshall Islands. Landing on these specks of land after hours over open water feels like reaching the edge of the map.

Why it’s epic

• The Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world.
• Papua New Guinea, with more than 800 languages, more than any other country.
• Nauru, the world's smallest island nation at about 21 square kilometres.
• Tuvalu, one of the least-visited countries in the world, where the airstrip is also the island's main open space.

What it is

Oceania has 14 countries: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and 11 Pacific island nations.

How to do it

Use Fiji, Brisbane and Auckland as hubs. Some islands only have one or two flights a week, so leave plenty of slack in the plan.

Top tip

The Pacific islands are the hardest part. Combine a few at a time, see Island hop the South Pacific.

Need to know

• Some Pacific islands only have one or two flights a week, so a cancelled flight can cost you days; build slack into every plan.
• Nauru and a few other countries need visas arranged well in advance, so research each one early.
• The cyclone season runs roughly from November to April, and May to October is the best time for the islands.

Why it’s on my list

Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.