A Long Way from Home: Australia & the South Pacific

Steven Alcala | August 2026

The Long Way to Australia

My partner and I had the opportunity to sail on an eight-night South Pacific cruise departing from Brisbane, Australia. We decided to turn the voyage into a two-week trip, giving us some time to explore the Land Down Under — a destination neither of us had visited before. Better yet, we had enough American Express points to cover our business class flights over.

The catch? We would be flying from Miami to Doha and then on to Brisbane — nearly 30 hours of travel.

At first, that didn't concern me. In fact, I was excited to fly Qatar Airways and experience their brand-new A350. I'd heard great things about their business class, and it did not disappoint — although that's a story for another day.

What I hadn't anticipated was how much a 14-hour flight would take out of me, especially knowing that after just a two-hour layover in Doha, we'd be boarding another flight of almost the same length to Brisbane.

Which brings me to my first “learn from me” moment.

Qatar offers a stopover option in Doha, allowing travelers to spend some time in the city before continuing their journey. If I were doing this trip again, I would absolutely take advantage of it. Even though the flight to Doha was comfortable and I managed to get some rest, having the chance to get off the airplane, decompress, stretch my legs and recharge would have made that second flight much easier to tackle.

Does that mean I regret the way we did it? Absolutely not.

At the time, the goal was Australia. Looking back, the journey there deserved to be part of the trip too.

Brisbane — The City That Surprised Me

For this trip, I allocated three nights in Brisbane. I knew the journey over would take a toll, and I wanted to give us a few days to recover from the jet lag and adjust to the time zone before embarking on our cruise.

Being our first visit to Brisbane — and Australia — I really didn't know what to expect. Of course, I had spent countless hours researching our destinations, but no amount of research can completely prepare you for experiencing a place in person.

What I found was a vibrant, modern and cosmopolitan city spread along the Brisbane River, with parks and greenery woven into the architecture and fabric of everyday life. Walking trails followed the river, cafés spilled into outdoor spaces, and the city had an energy that felt lively without being overwhelming. Add in the friendly people, great coffee and seemingly endless brunch spots, and Brisbane quickly made a very good first impression.

Admittedly, our first night was pretty much a washout. After an evening check-in at our hotel and a light dinner, we were out for the count. Surprisingly, though, we woke the next morning feeling well rested and eased into our first day by simply exploring the city on foot. Coffee, brunch and leisurely walks through the parks and along the river helped us get our bearings, while plenty of sunshine certainly helped with our recovery. My favorite stop of the day was a local wildlife sanctuary, where we had our first chance to see two of Australia's most recognizable residents — kangaroos and koalas.

The following day, I wanted to venture beyond the city and see a different side of the Australian landscape, so we took a private tour into Queensland's Scenic Rim. This wasn't the vast Australian Outback you might picture when thinking of the country, but the transition from Brisbane's urban landscape to open countryside dotted with farms, ranches, wineries and small towns gave us a glimpse of an entirely different side of Queensland.

Some of my favorite moments were also the simplest. We stopped at a local pub for a few pints, where the joyful banter among the locals gave us a chance to experience that genuine friendliness we'd already begun to notice in Brisbane. Later, we visited a beautiful local winery, surrounded by the rolling landscape of the Scenic Rim. It was a relaxing change of pace from the city and exactly the kind of day I had hoped for when planning this part of the trip.

Back in Brisbane that evening, we finished our stay with dinner along the river — a fitting end to a few days that had been intentionally unhurried. What began as time I'd built into the itinerary largely to recover from jet lag turned out to be a destination experience in its own right.

Setting Sail for the South Pacific

Following our stay in Brisbane, we embarked Royal Caribbean International's Quantum of the Seas for an eight-night sailing through the South Pacific. After two days at sea, our itinerary would take us to Nouméa, New Caledonia, followed by Mystery Island and Port Vila in Vanuatu. From there, two more days at sea would bring us back to Brisbane.

After a few days exploring the city and countryside, I was ready to trade Australia's urban energy for something completely different.

A Little French Flair in the South Pacific

Nouméa, New Caledonia has an interesting personality — distinctly South Pacific, but with an unmistakable French influence thanks to New Caledonia's ties to France. Think a little French Riviera mixed with the relaxed pace of island life.

We arrived on a Sunday, which meant downtown Nouméa was much quieter than usual, with many shops and businesses closed for the day. Fortunately, we'd done a little research beforehand and knew this would be the case. Rather than letting the timing work against us, we took advantage of the nearby ferry and headed for Signal Island.

Signal Island is a small nature reserve surrounded by clear blue water and home to sea turtles, tropical fish and seabirds. You can walk around the island fairly easily, following trails through tropical vegetation that occasionally open onto another stretch of beautiful beach.

That was probably my favorite part. We wandered until we found a quiet stretch of sand that felt almost entirely our own. Clear water, a beautiful beach and very little else around us — it was the simple South Pacific setting I had pictured before the trip.

Finding Paradise on Mystery Island

If you made me choose a favorite stop from the cruise, Mystery Island would probably be it.

The tiny, uninhabited island sits just off the coast of Vanuatu, and when a cruise ship arrives, residents from neighboring islands come over to welcome visitors and share local crafts, food and elements of their culture. It gave the island an interesting combination of activity near the tender landing while leaving plenty of room to wander away and experience its natural surroundings.

In some ways, Mystery Island reminded me of Signal Island — only on a larger scale. We explored paths through the tropical vegetation, walked along seemingly endless stretches of pristine beach and, once again, found that the farther we wandered from the crowds, the quieter everything became.

Eventually, we found our own little stretch of paradise.

Standing there with clear water in front of us, tropical vegetation behind us and hardly anyone else around, it felt almost like we'd wandered onto the set of a South Pacific movie.

There wasn't a landmark we needed to see or an attraction we needed to check off a list. The island itself was the experience.

And perhaps that's why Mystery Island remains one of my favorite memories from the entire trip.

Beyond the Beaches of Port Vila

Our final stop took us to Port Vila, Vanuatu, which immediately felt quite different from Nouméa. The pace was relaxed and the infrastructure much more basic, with the area near our arrival point feeling more industrial than tropical paradise. We were told that cafés and shops could be found a short walk away in town, but by this point in the trip, my sense of adventure was beginning to lose a little steam. Instead of setting off on our own, we had booked a small excursion to a local turtle sanctuary.

As much as I'm an advocate for exploring destinations independently, there is something to be said for a well-organized excursion — especially when the guide becomes as much a part of the experience as the destination itself.

Ours was a small group led by a friendly local guide who seemed genuinely excited to share his home with us. As we drove across the island and eventually boarded a small boat to reach another area, he told us about Vanuatu's history, its culture and what everyday life was like for the people who lived there. His pride and affection for his island were unmistakable, and listening to him gave me a much greater appreciation for the place we were visiting.

Along the way, we passed through communities and saw glimpses of daily life that we simply wouldn't have experienced had we stayed near the port. Everywhere we went, we were greeted by smiling, welcoming faces. For a few hours, we weren't just looking at Vanuatu's beautiful scenery; we were beginning to understand a little more about the people who call it home.

The turtle sanctuary was enjoyable, and yes, there was plenty of crystal-clear water and beautiful tropical scenery along the way. But strangely enough, those aren't the things I remember most.

I remember the drive. I remember the boat ride. I remember listening to our guide talk about his home.

Sometimes the most memorable part of an excursion isn't necessarily the place you set out to see.

Sydney — When One Night Isn't Enough

Surely no trip to Australia would be complete without a stop in Sydney, so following our cruise, I had allocated one night there before flying home. I knew we wouldn't be able to see much, but I figured one night was better than nothing. I was also approaching the end of my two weeks of allotted vacation time and wanted to return home on a Saturday, leaving Sunday to recover before getting back to everyday life.

It all made perfect sense on paper.

Of course, even the best-planned trips are bound to have the occasional hiccup, and ours fortunately — or unfortunately — waited until the very end.

We woke in Brisbane on the morning we disembarked Quantum of the Seas to the dreaded message no traveler wants to receive: our flight to Sydney had been cancelled.

Suddenly, an already short stay became even shorter.

The morning we'd expected to spend making our way to Sydney instead became a scramble to find another flight. The soonest option I could secure wasn't until later that afternoon on another airline. Thankfully, we had travel insurance to help with the unexpected expense, but by the time everything was sorted out, much of the day was already gone.

We eventually arrived in Sydney later that afternoon, tired and a little worn down from the stress of the morning. There was still just enough time for a walk around the iconic Sydney Opera House, a quick ferry ride through the harbor and a casual dinner before calling it a night.

It wasn't a complete loss by any means. We had made it to Sydney, stood beside one of the world's most recognizable landmarks and caught at least a glimpse of that famous harbor.

But a glimpse was exactly what it was.

Looking back, allocating only one night to Sydney left us with no margin for the unexpected. One cancelled flight had taken what was already a very short visit and reduced it to just a few hours.

If Brisbane showed me what can happen when you give a destination enough time, Sydney taught me the opposite lesson.

What I Would Do Differently

Looking back, there is very little about this trip that I regret. We discovered a city in Brisbane that surprised us, escaped into the Queensland countryside, sailed to islands in the South Pacific I had only imagined visiting, and met people who helped us see their homes through a different lens. Even our few short hours in Sydney gave us memories I wouldn't trade.

But if I were planning the same trip today, I would give it more time.

I'd break up the journey with a stopover in Doha rather than treating the flights simply as a means of getting to Australia. I'd keep those three nights in Brisbane, which proved to be far more than just time to recover from jet lag. And at the other end, I'd give Sydney several days rather than trying to squeeze one of the world's great cities into a single night.

What I've come to appreciate is that traveling farther doesn't necessarily mean you should try to see more. Sometimes it means you should slow down.

An extra night can mean recovering from jet lag before setting off to explore. It can mean lingering over coffee instead of rushing to the next attraction. And sometimes it simply gives you enough breathing room that a cancelled flight doesn't take an entire destination with it.

Australia and the South Pacific gave us an incredible two weeks. But they also left me wanting more — not necessarily more places, but more time in the places we'd already chosen.

Perhaps that's the biggest lesson I brought home with me: when you've traveled halfway around the world, give yourself enough time to actually be there.