The island of Tanna is famous for its spectacular and easily accessible active volcano, Mount Yasur, its beautiful beaches, and fascinating cargo cults such as the Prince Philip Movement, which venerates the late Duke of Edinburgh as a divine being.

Lifou is the largest and most populous of the Loyalty Islands, part of the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. This friendly little island is everything you would expect from the South Pacific, with gorgeous beaches, superb snorkelling and a jungle-swathed interior dotted with fragrant vanilla plantations.

Remote, pine-clad Norfolk Island, situated a thousand miles to the northeast of Sydney, is a tiny outlying territory of Australia. Formerly a penal colony, the island’s main attractions are its breathtaking scenery and fascinating history, with many residents descended from the crew who staged the famous 1789 mutiny on board the HMS Bounty.

The beautiful Bay of Islands is scattered with some 150 undeveloped islands, an idyllic landscape of bright skies, secluded beaches and clear blue waters. The bay was also the site of the first permanent British settlement in New Zealand, and it was here that the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 between the British Crown and the Maori chiefs.

Tauranga is the largest city on the Bay of Plenty, and is said to be one of the sunniest spots in the whole of New Zealand. There’s a real boom town feel here, with new restaurants, bars and hotels opening all the time, and neighbouring Mount Maunganui is a popular beach destination.