Welcome to the Travel with a Challenge South Pacific Theme Page of feature articles that have appeared in past issues of our web magazine. Fully updated with current content and richly-illustrated as well as informative for senior travel readers, we invite you to explore this exciting collection which ranges across the vast Pacific Ocean from the five Hawaiian Islands and French Polynesia to the Cook Islands (Rarotonga) and Australia.

This web magazine offers exciting articles on cultures and countries, cruise and train travel, nature and wildlife holidays, and active adventure vacations worldwide. Use the site navigation menu above right to explore other travel themes and destinations suitable for senior travelers.

Longing to visit somewhere that few will experience in their lifetimes? At Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, northwest of the Hawaiian Islands, you can now be a privileged guest for a week where rare and endangered sea birds, plants and marine wildlife make their homes. US military history is also a major part of this atoll’s intriguing story.

South Pacific guidebook author and long time authority on the region, David Stanley, shares little known facts about the black pearls of French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, and offers tips on how to select good quality pearl jewelry.

Sail the South Pacific on a 16-day adventure with travel writer, Margie Goldsmith, as she boards a very modern freighter delivering cargo to the remote Marquesas Islands year round while introducing up to 200 passengers per trip to the best of traditional Polynesian culture and heritage, 900 miles from its home base in Tahiti.

 
Shirley LaPlanche shares her encounters with nesting turtles and an abundance of other natural residents on a recent visit to this unique coral island ecosystem located on the Great Barrier Reef off the Queensland coast.

  
Join travel journalist, Alison Gardner, for an exploration of Kangaroo Island, one of Australia's lesser known ecotourism treasures, where rare animals, sea mammals and birds enjoy a spectacular geological frontier.

Visitors to the Australia's Great Barrier Reef are choosing to mix their vacation time with a little volunteer time by helping scientists to monitor the environmental impact of coral bleaching on one of the planet's natural wonders. A huge job where the observations of many people make the difference!

Sign up for a challenging, active, inexpensive holiday in Australia by joining our author and 8,000 other cyclists, from toddlers to seniors, for a nine-day, 580-kilometer ride along Victoria's picturesque Great Ocean Road.

Definitely our most visited Theme Page any month of the year, the Alternative Hawaii collection takes readers way beyond Waikiki to explore the finest natural treasures, active adventures, educational programs, traditional Hawaiian culture, and a variety of health and wellness options on five Hawaiian islands.