Day 01: Arrive Nauru                           D
Arrive Nauru meet ad assist at the Airport and transfer to hotel.
Nauru, the least visited country in the world! Plunked in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, this tiny island nation covers less than 21 square kilometers (8 square miles) and is home to less than 10,000 inhabitants. Only one airline serves Nauru, and flights are few and far between. Nauru sees just over 200 tourists per year, making this is the perfect destination for the true adventurous traveller. This is the smallest country in the world without a true ‘capital’, although Yaren – the largest village – acts like one.

This destination is by no means easy to visit, and access is subject to the whims of transport and weather. Hospitality services such as hotels and restaurants are minimal. Most visitors are diplomats, politicians, development workers and contractors. But, in spite of the present economic situation, the island still offers glimpses of its former past. For WWII buffs there are remnants of the Japanese occupation scattered around the island, and the enormous skeletal remains of mining infrastructure are truly remarkable.

Overnight in Nauru.

Day 02: Nauru                                     B-D
This morning we will commence with our touring of the island. Please note that he ‘Nauru experience’ is pretty much the exact opposite of all the typical South Pacific Island cliches. If you are looking for pretty much anything that is tourist-oriented then you are out of luck. The amount of time spent on Nauru is 100% dictated by airline schedules.

Nauru was annexed and claimed as a colony by the German Empire in the late 19th century. After World War I, Nauru became a League of Nations mandate administered by Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. During World War II, Nauru was occupied by Japanese troops, who were bypassed by the Allied advance across the Pacific. After the war ended, the country entered into UN trusteeship. Nauru gained its independence in 1968.

This was once the ‘rich kid’ of the Pacific, wealthy through phosphates, but today Nauru’s future is in the balance. The economy peaked in the early 1980s when Nauru was one of the great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean. The phosphate reserves are now almost entirely depleted, and phosphate mining in the central plateau has left a barren terrain of jagged limestone pinnacles. When the phosphate reserves were exhausted, the trust that had been established to manage the island’s wealth diminished in value. By 2005 Nauru was a failing state with an uncertain future, dependent on injections of cash from other countries to keep afloat. Freight deliveries are rare and employment is scarce. Today’s situation is a far cry from the glory days of the 1970s and ’80s.

Inland, the phosphate fields, created by years of strip mining, have left the island with an almost lunar beauty. This part of the island is also known as ‘topside’, and here one can also see the infamous Australian offshore detention center (Regional Processing Center). The picturesque Buada Lagoon is the only body of water on the island. This slightly brackish, freshwater lake is surrounded on all sides by dense vegetation and groves of palm trees, bananas, pineapples, pandanus trees and a few indigenous hardwoods such as the tomano tree.
This afternoon is free.

Overnight in Nauru.

Day 03: Nauru                                     B-D
This morning we will continue with our exploration of Nauru! Yaren is the largest settled area, and here we find the Parliament House and a few other government buildings as well as the remains of WWII relics. We will enjoy a stop at the small tropical white sandy beach of Anibare Bay… probably the most beautiful beach on the island.
This afternoon will be free.
Overnight in Nauru.

Day 04: Nauru – Tarawa, Kiribati        B-L-D
After breakfast transfer to Airport to catch the flight to Tarawa. On arrival meet and assist at the airport and transfer to Hotel.
Kiribati! Welcome to another true remote island paradise, and one of the world’s smallest island nations situated in the middle of the Pacific. Fewer than 6,000 visitors make it here each year (approximately 4,600 in 2016), making it the 4th least visited country in the world. This geographically isolated nation is ‘untouched’ thanks to how secluded and inaccessible the islands are.

The passing centuries have had little impact on Kiribati’s outer islands, where people subsist on coconuts, giant prawns and fish. The country has a total land area of 800 sq km (310 sq mi) but, incredibly, it’s 33 atolls and islands are spread over 3.5 million sq km (1,350,000 sq mi) of ocean. In fact, Kiribati is the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres, straddling the equator and extending into the eastern and western hemispheres! Today’s climate change projections predict that the ocean could swallow this country whole by the end of the century. In anticipation, the Kiribati government has purchased land in Fiji, where they can relocate their people.

Kiribati has been inhabited by Micronesians speaking the same Oceanic language since perhaps as far back as 3000 BC. Throughout history arrivals from Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji have impacted the ‘cultural landscape’. Intermarriage tended to blur cultural differences and resulted in a significant degree of cultural homogenization. Within these islands a Micronesian culture developed, and it was also infused with elements from Polynesian and Melanesian societies. Chance visits by European ships occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries, as these ships attempted circumnavigation of the world or sought sailing routes from the south to north Pacific Ocean. Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979, and today Kiribati is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the IMF and the World Bank, and became a full member of the United Nations in 1999.

The permanent population here is just over 100,000, half of whom live on Tarawa Atoll. This is one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries, and has few natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence, and today copra and fish represent the bulk of production and exports. In one form or another, Kiribati gets a large portion of its income from abroad (fishing licenses, development assistance, worker remittances, and tourism).

1889 saw the arrival of one notable visitor — Robert Louis Stevenson. Setting sail for the Pacific islands, after spending time in Hawaii and Tahiti, he spent time on the Kiribati atolls of Abemama and Butaritari (in the Gilbert group). This was prior to heading to Samoa in 1890, where Stevenson spent the last of his days.

Today we will enjoy a tour of the island. On the south side of the island we will see some of the WWII relics and memorials. The Battle of Tarawa was one of the bloodiest battles to take place in the Pacific during World War II, and during our visit you will hear some of the stories of the battle and visit some of the most significant sites and memorials.
Overnight in Tarawa, Kiribati.

Day 05: Tarawa                                   B-L-D
Along the north we will learn about the unique culture of the region and experience a little slice of local life in a traditional Kiribati village as we continue with our exploration. Our cultural discovery and village visits will enables us to learn about some of the traditional cultural practices of Kiribati that are in use today. You will have the opportunity to interact with those you meet along the way. You might see how garlands are made and how different types of mats are prepared from coconut or pandanus. Witness the preparation of thatched roofing and how toddy is cut. We will also visit a clam farm and learn about these beautifully coloured inhabitants of our reefs.
This evening we will enjoy a buffet dinner with some I-Kiribati traditional dance performances. Kiribati Dancers are recognised across the Pacific for their iconic cultural dress and incredible songs with accompanying dance. This is a true highlight.

Overnight in Tarawa, Kiribati.

Day 06: Tarawa, Kiribati – Auckland, New Zealand             B-D
After breakfast transfer to Airport to catch the flight for Auckland. Arrive Auckland meet and assist at the airport and transfer to hotel.
Located in the northern part of New Zealand, the cosmopolitan city of Auckland is the largest metropolitan area in the country. The geographical location of Auckland is such that it lies between the Hauraki Gulf of the Pacific Ocean to the east, the low Hunua Ranges to the southeast, the Manukau Harbour to the southwest, and the Waitakere Ranges and smaller ranges to the west and northwest. The region is also the site of Auckland Volcanic Field, comprising of around 50 volcanoes. This vibrant and bustling city is also the biggest Polynesian city in the world, a cultural influence reflected in many different aspects of city life.
Overnight in Auckland.

Day 07: Auckland Sightseeing                      B
Flight schedules to Niue dictate two nights in this beautiful city, so this morning we’ll enjoy an orientation tour of Auckland followed by some well-deserved free time.

Travelling via Auckland’s ‘Golden Mile’ (Queen Street), our tour takes us through the university grounds past many of Auckland’s historical buildings. We will pass by Parnell Village, the Central Business District, the Mission Bay area, Tamaki Drive, and the Harbour Bridge before our visit to the Auckland Museum. Here we find three expansive levels that tell the story of New Zealand’s history, from emergence as a nation through the loss and suffering of war, to their uniquely ancient natural history and priceless Maori and Pacific treasures.
You will have some free time this afternoon to explore this city and have dinner on your own (our hotel is well-located in the city center).
Overnight in Auckland.

Day 08: Depart Auckland                   B
After Breakfast departure transfer to airport to catch the flight for onward journey.