All things Art Deco in Napier, New Zealand

At 10:47 a.m. on Feb. 3, 1931, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale shook the town of Napier, onNew Zealand'sNorth Island,...

The rock stars of Easter Island

As our tour group gazes at the view from the slopes of Rano Kau — one of three extinct volcanic peaks on Easter Island — an...

Vanuatu islands: Get happy, get a little wild

My teenage daughter is standing in a lineup of tribesmen and she is angry with me. As I lift my camera, she says, "I look hideous,"...

A taste of the real Fiji

If — like me — you are old enough to say, "It didn't used to look like this," then — like me — you're probably...

Destination weddings beckon more brides, grooms

The turquoise lagoons and misty mountains of Bora-Bora have always enchanted bride-to-be Maja Sakowsky. She's so enamored of the fabled...

Homes away from home on New Zealand's Coromandel Peninsula

In New Zealand, an impressively large percentage of the population owns second homes. These are called "baches," purportedly evoking...

Tasty Wellington, a place to be eaten up

From a sidewalk bistro table, the scene looked a lot like San Francisco: Victorian houses, cable cars, chalkboards scribbled with the day'...

Samoa: Tradition marches on

Even in darkness, on the way from the airport, Samoa didn't look like anywhere else I'd been in Polynesia — not like Rarotonga or...

A toast to Auckland wines

New Zealand's largest city is an ideal jumping off point for sampling the country's growing reputation for wines.

Rolling and roaming in New Zealand by camper van

On the Pacific nation's South Island, every day is an adventure. Travel by camper van can make the experience still more up-close and...

Fiji: Beauty, warm waters and a range of lodgings

Fiji is one of those island daydreams you can't believe still exists.

Moderately priced resorts amid Fiji's extravagant beauty

The Nanuya Island and Octopus resorts fit this traveler's budget.

Casting away in the South Pacific

On our first night aboard the Mystique Princess, cruise director Albert Wong warned us about the consequences of being left ashore.

Bora-Bora: Dreams are made in French Polynesia

Bora-Bora, French Polynesia

Finding Paradise on Rangiroa, the slow-paced South Pacific atoll

Twice a day the tide changes here on this South Seas atoll, and when it does, 8- to 12-foot-tall waves churn through Tiputa Pass, creating a...

Island paradise at your fingertips

Times Staff Writer Rosemary McClure has a thing for islands and has hopped to dozens all over the world. Here are a few of her recent...

Hiker opts for comfort on New Zealand wilderness trek

REPORTING FROM NEW ZEALAND