South Seas Cruise - from Papeete - 120666

Papeete is the capital of Tahiti. The island is a mixture of beautiful coves, white sandy beaches, tropical plants and French vanity.

Moorea, the pineapple island, was formed from the remains of an extinct volcano. The island has excellent tourist facilities and a large range of hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. Moorea can be explored in just a few hours - a bike tour is highly recommended. Several diving schools also offer interesting underwater tours.

The volcanic island of Bora Bora is home to one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world, "the pearl of Polynesia". It is surrounded by several small islands. The region's airport is on one of these islands, the other has hotel resorts. There are also orchids growing in the wild, making this a wonderful area to take a long walk. Thanks to the lagoon, there is also a wide range of water sports on offer, such as sailing, glass-bottomed boat-trips, snorkelling, diving ... The main atttraction is the 100 metre-high mountain "Muto Toopua" with "Hiro's bell" - uniquely shaped basalt rocks that sound like a bell when struck.

This is one of the main towns in the Kingdom of Tonga, with a population of approximately 21,383. The royal palace, situated at the waterside, which was built during the Victorian era, is particularly worth seeing. The royal tombs (Malaekula) can be found in the southern part of the business area. The picturesque covered market and the Tongan National Centre, where visitors can learn various handicrafts, are not to be missed. The bird park around 2 km off the main road, where staff endeavour to conserve the native birdlife - particularly red shining parrots - through a breeding programme, is also extremely interesting.

With a population in excess of 1 million, Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand. It lies between the Pacific Ocean and the Tasmanian See. It got its nickname the "City of Sails" on account of the "thousand ships" moored in its harbour. The city spans an 11 km wide sound of volcanic rocks and is a paradise for watersports fans. To the North of Auckland, Leigh Marine Reserve provides plenty of opportunity for every imaginable kind of underwater activity. The main cultural attraction is the Auckland Museum.