Grand Pacific Odyssey

Join Heritage Adventurer this afternoon in the heart of New Zealand’s commercial capital, Auckland. The captain and expedition team will be waiting to greet you on arrival and show you to your cabin. You will have time to settle in and familiarise yourself with the ship; take the opportunity to introduce you to your expedition team and our voyage plans. You are invited to join the expedition team in the Observation Lounge and up on the Observation Deck as you set sail for the Hauraki Gulf.

Spend the morning exploring the beauty of Great Barrier Island. Defining the eastern extent of the Hauraki Gulf, this beautiful island is largely forest-covered and there will be opportunities to explore ashore or join a Zodiac cruise. In the afternoon, sail into the Hauraki Gulf. Continuing northwards you have had considerable success with finding the critically endangered New Zealand Storm-petrel in the water of the northern Hauraki Gulf.

Wake this morning in the subtropical paradise of the Bay of Islands, home to more than 140 islands and stunning gold sand beaches. After breakfast there will be an opportunity to venture ashore for a coastal exploration, or join your naturalists exploring the sheltered bays, coves and island on a Zodiac cruise. Then bid our farewells to New Zealand and set our course northwards, passing Cape Reinga, New Zealand’s northern most point this evening.

Sailing north towards Norfolk Island, there is time to relax, join the naturalists on deck and enjoy presentations as you prepare for our arrival tomorrow.

Upon arrival complete Australian customs (please note a visa may be required). Have a full day to enjoy Norfolk Island, a former penal colony, which Captain Cook encountered in 1774 and named after the Duchess of Norfolk. This morning have the opportunity to explore the beautiful St Barnabas Chapel. This five-year labour-of-love features mother-of-pearl inlays, stained glass windows and a spectacular vaulted timber ceiling. This afternoon discover more of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Kingston, a former brutal outpost for British prisoners and Australia's second oldest settlement, or visit the Norfolk Island Botanical Gardens with its 40 endemic, or unique, species including 15 plant species considered to be critically endangered. For the more active you may wish to walk in the National Park towards Mt Pitt. The tracks wind through lush palm forests and stands of Norfolk Island Pine leading to remarkable views of the island and ocean.

Continuing our journey northwards, today arrive in the tropics, sailing across the Tropic of Capricorn and into the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Sail along the southern shores of New Caledonia before passing through the extensive barrier reef that surrounds the island and making our way to Noumea. This tropical island has been described as a taste of France in the Pacific, where Melanesian traditions blend with French sophistication. New Caledonia is a fragment of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, and it is believed that New Caledonia detached and became an island tens of millions of years ago. It is this isolation which explains both the extent of biodiversity and the incredible levels of endemism on this delightful tropical island. This afternoon enjoy an exploration of Noumea with our local guides. Heritage Adventurer will remain in port overnight, giving you the opportunity to enjoy the evening ashore.

Today have a full day set aside to explore the history, culture and beauty of New Caledonia. Visit local institution Port Moselle Market, Noumea and rub shoulders with the locals over the astounding range of fresh produce, souvenirs and handcrafts from around the island before continuing to the Maritime Museum for a journey through the history of the islands including their discovery by Captain Cook. A highlight of our day will be our visit to the Tjibaou Cultural Center which introduces the traditional Kanak culture via six architectural pavilions. Enjoy a traditional lunch before spending a relaxing afternoon at the beach with an opportunity for snorkelling.

Enjoy time aboard as you sail through the tropical waters of the South Pacific, relive the experiences of the past days and prepare for our arrival to the Solomon Islands.

Experience a traditional Solomon Island's welcome on arrival at Port Mary on Santa Ana Island. Also known as Owaraha or Owa Raha, this stunning coral island, first sighted by Europeans in 1568, is ours to explore today. Delight in the local hospitality and soak in the culture as you peruse local handicrafts, explore the lush forests with our guides and meet the local children at the village school or bask in tropical waters

Today sail towards Makira, the easternmost of the main islands in the Solomons' archipelago, anchoring in the protected waters of Anuta Harbour. Join our guides for a Zodiac cruise to explore the extensive mangrove forests lining the shores before enjoying a traditional welcome at a local village where island life continues unchanged for millennia.

Our passage this morning sees us cruising through Iron Bottom Sound, named after the large number of Japanese and American ships and aircraft sunk here during the intense World War II naval battles. Located on the northern coast of Guadacanal, by the Mataniko River, Honiara was founded by the British as a military base during World War II. Honiara was witness to the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, where the Allied forces eventually overcame the Japanese invasion. Options for today include exploring Honiara's bustling central market and visiting historic sites including Henderson Airfield, war memorials and the open-air war museum.

Uninhabited for 150 years, this rugged island cloaked in rainforest and fringed with coral reefs is home to one of the Solomon Islands’ leading community driven conservation projects and administered by the Tetepare Descendants’ Association. Receiving international recognition for its conservation and archaeological significance, three species of turtle, including the endangered leatherback, nest on its beaches while other species inhabiting the island and surrounding waters include dugong, the world’s largest skink, endemic Tetepare White-eye and many more. Explore the island with local conservationists and experience the work being carried out.

The volcanic New Georgia Islands are characterised by extensive reefs and lagoons, rugged terrain and an abundance of rivers. Kolombangara is a dormant or semi-extinct volcano, 1,800 meters high and last active about 10,000 years ago. Nature enthusiasts will relish landing on Kolombangara Island where you plan to visit the Imbu Rano Lodge and Conservation Area which protects the islands central peak and search for the rare Roviana Rail along with other endemic bird species. Snorkel the wreck of a US NAVY F4F Grumman Wildcat (carrier version) WWII plane off a tiny island where the surrounding reefs are home to some of the highest fish counts in the world. Stock up on the local currency to purchase the wood or stone carvings that the people of the Western Province are famous for.

Sailing northwards and pass along the coast of Bougainville where time spent on deck rewards with the rich diversity of whales that call the deep waters of the New Britain and Bougainville Trenches home including Sperm Whale, False Killer Whale, Fraser’s Dolphin and both Dwarf and Pygmy Sperm Whales. Continue sailing north celebrate the important milestone of crossing the Equator with the captain and expedition guides.

Enter the protected (and historic) waters of the Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon this morning. This spectacular and enormous coral-fringed lagoon shelters 15 towering volcanic islands and features lush rainforests, waterfalls, deserted beaches and tiny villages. In 1944, American bombers sunk 60 Japanese Imperial Navy vessels and aircraft, the wrecks of which have been transformed into worldrenowned reefs teeming with marine life. Snorkle this underwater paradise, explore idyllic white sand beaches or the island of Dublon.

More lazy relaxing days at sea. Just remember, ‘God does not deduct from one’s allotted life span time spent sailing’ so relax and enjoy. This area is good for cetaceans, especially Humpback Whales which are known to occur here in reasonable numbers.

The largest of Japan's Bonin Islands, Chichi-jima is considered the 'father island' among an archipelgo rightly described as the 'Galapagos of the Orient' and supported by its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Explore pristine beaches, observe incredible wildlife and visit the village center, there may also be an opportunity to see Minami-jima's stone arch and the local Bottlenose and Spinner Dolphin populations.

With its name literally translating to 'bird island' Torishima, an uninhabited 453-hectare volcanic islet, is an internationally-protected bird sanctuary and the largest breeding ground for the once thought extinct Short-tailed Albatross. While no landings are possible, plan to circumnavigate this rocky outpost learning about the incredible conservation story behind this remarkable, endangered bird and the scientific debate surrounding whether it should be considered two species (Torishima-type and Senkaku-type).

Located in the Izu Islands archipelago, Hachijo-jima is a picturesque subtropical volcanic island resplendent with palms, ferns and hibiscus. The island’s two main mountains are the volcanoes Mt Mihara, in the south-east, and Mt Nishi, in the north-west. While here plan to visit the impressive tropical specimens at Hachijo Botanical Garden nestled in the natural forests of a lava field, and Nanbara-Senjoiwa Beach with its black plateau, created by the lava from eruptions of Mt. Hachijo-Fuji, stretching along its shoreline. For the more adventurous join a nature trek of Mt. Hachijo-Fuji before discovering the island’s culture and history at the Tama-Ishigaki cobblestone walls thought to have been built by exiled convicts.

After breakfast and completing Japanese arrival formalities, disembark the Heritage Adventurer. Bid farewell to your fellow voyagers and board a complimentary transfer from the ship to Yokohama City Air Terminal.