Asia Cruise - from Darwin - 129243

The relaxed atmosphere of the outback dominates in Darwin too. The nearby wilderness of Cockatoo National Park boasts cave paintings and aboriginal art, rock formations that are more than 20,000 years old, and the dense lush Australian rainforest with many many waterfalls.

Jayapura is the capital city of the province of Irian Jaya in Indonesia and also the largest city in the region. Quaint and pleasant are probably the best adjectives to describe Irian Jaya. The Museum Jayapura, located on campus at Cenderawasih University and with exhibits including some interesting anthropological artefacts, is worth a visit. Tanjung Ria beach – formerly known among allied forces as 'Base G' – is now a popular holiday resort with a large number of watersports facilities.

Cairns, the capital of the "Far North" region is full of that tropical lust for life. As the secret "backpacker capital" of Australia, it has an almost magical pull on young travellers thanks to the seemingly limitless recreational activities it has to offer. It is far easier to reach the Great Barrier Reef from here than from central Queensland. The crystal-clear waters, palm-lined islands and sandbanks attract divers and snorkellers in particular, making the two offshore islands, Green Island and Fitzroy Island, hugely popular holiday destinations. The outer reef loved by divers is around 50 km away. In the near vicinity are untouched sections of coast and a mysterious wilderness of rainforest backed by a high mountain range.