Crossing Melanesia: Australia to Fiji
Crossing Melanesia: Australia to Fiji
From the tropical shores of Australia's Top End to the reef-ringed islands of Fiji, this transformative voyage traces the ancient heart of Melanesia. Sail from Darwin across the Torres Strait to Thursday Island, into the tribal cultures and wartime history of Papua New Guinea at Alotau and Samarai, and on to Guadalcanal, where crystalline waterfalls and moving WWII memorials share the same green horizon. Discover the turquoise lagoons and effervescent springs of Espiritu Santo and Port Vila in Vanuatu, then close with an unforgettable finale in Fiji's twin treasures of Suva and Lautoka.
About This 17-Night Crossing Melanesia: Australia to Fiji Cruise
Crossing Melanesia: Australia to Fiji is a 17-night one-way voyage aboard the luxury small ship m/s Paul Gauguin, sailing from Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory to Lautoka, Fiji. In between lies the remote heart of the South Pacific, from the tribal cultures of Papua New Guinea and the WWII history of the Solomon Islands to the famed beaches of Vanuatu. Below you'll find the departure, along with everything the fare includes.
Everything Is Included
Every Paul Gauguin fare is all-inclusive, and this crossing is no exception. One price covers your stateroom, dining across the ship's restaurants, and beverages including wine and spirits, along with all crew gratuities and the onboard enrichment the line is known for. Les Gauguines, the ship's Polynesian ambassadors, sail with you and share their music, dance, and warmth the whole way across. The main costs left to your discretion are spa treatments and any shore excursions you add, which is how you reach the reefs, rainforests, and WWII sites that give this route its character. For a luxury small ship voyage this remote, the value is hard to match.
1 cruise
From
Darwin, Australia (Australia)
To
Lautoka, Viti Levu Island (Fiji)
17 nightsaboard the shipm/s Paul Gauguin
Next departure
*Price displayed is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability, and subject to change at any time. The category of stateroom to which this price applies may no longer be available. The price includes the PGC Bonus discount.
Through the Heart of Melanesia
This is a voyage for travelers drawn to the road less sailed. Over 17 nights the m/s Paul Gauguin crosses from Australia's Top End through Melanesia to Fiji, reaching islands that see only a handful of ships a year. Because she carries so few guests, she can anchor off remote shores and slip into small ports the large lines cannot, while days at sea give you time to settle in between them. One morning you are ashore among the canoe cultures of Papua New Guinea, the next you are walking a Guadalcanal battlefield or swimming Vanuatu's effervescent Champagne Beach before the final run east to Fiji.
Islands & Ports on This Itinerary
Seventeen nights, with real time to slow down and reach islands most ships never see. Here's where you'll drop anchor.
Your crossing begins in the tropical capital of the Northern Territory, a laid-back gateway to Kakadu, Aboriginal culture, and Australia's wild Top End.
Darwin, Australia
In the Torres Strait between Australia and Papua New Guinea, this small island carries a rich Islander culture and a pearling history all its own.
Thursday Island, Australia
The gateway to Milne Bay is known for its seafaring culture, its dance and drum traditions, and the pristine coral reefs and WWII relics close at hand.
Alotau, Papua New Guinea
Once the busy administrative center of the region, this small island near the eastern tip of Papua New Guinea is now a quiet, walkable reminder of its colonial past.
Samarai Island, Papua New Guinea
An overnight in the Solomon Islands capital pairs crystalline waterfalls and rainforest trails with the memorials and battlefields that mark one of the most storied chapters of the Second World War.
Honiara, Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands)
The largest island in Vanuatu is famous for its turquoise lagoons, inland blue holes, and the pale sand of Champagne Beach, where natural springs send bubbles shimmering up through the shallows.
Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
Vanuatu's capital sits on a beautiful natural harbor and is known for its lively markets, cultural museums, and nearby attractions such as the cascading pools of the Mele Cascades.
Port Vila, Efate (Vanuatu)
Fiji's capital brings colonial architecture, busy markets, and lush rainforest to the edge of the sea, a lively counterpoint to the quiet islands behind you.
Suva, Viti Levu (Fiji)
Your voyage ends in Fiji's second largest city, a relaxed sugar port on Viti Levu and a warm Fijian farewell to the South Pacific.
Lautoka, Fiji
Itineraries
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What Seventeen Nights Across Melanesia Gives You
Seventeen nights is enough to stop counting them. The sea days between ports become their own reward, with time to read on your balcony, linger over dinner, and watch the islands of Melanesia rise and fall along the horizon. Because the m/s Paul Gauguin is a luxury small ship, she reaches quiet anchorages and lesser-seen ports that larger vessels skip, so each morning ashore feels genuinely yours. Five countries pass beneath the same familiar cabin and crew, from Papua New Guinea's villages to Guadalcanal's memorials to Fiji's warm welcome, and Les Gauguines keep the ship's easy warmth close the whole way. With meals, beverages, and gratuities already covered, there is nothing to tally at the end. Whether this is your first crossing or the kind of voyage you have waited years to take, it unfolds at exactly the pace it should.
Plan Your Crossing
Drawn to the remote islands of Melanesia, or already set on the crossing from Australia to Fiji? Our team is reachable seven days a week to help you choose a departure, explain everything the fare covers, and answer whatever you'd like to know about life aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin. Call 1 (800) 848-6172, request a quote online, or order a brochure to explore this 17-night voyage alongside the rest of our itineraries.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a 17-night one-way voyage from Darwin, Australia to Lautoka, Fiji aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin, crossing five countries. Stops include Thursday Island, Alotau and Samarai Island in Papua New Guinea, an overnight at Honiara on Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo and Port Vila in Vanuatu, and Suva before the finish in Lautoka.
Rather than a round-trip through French Polynesia, this is a one-way crossing through Melanesia. It carries you from northern Australia through remote islands rich in tribal culture and WWII history, with more days at sea, on a route the ship sails only rarely.
The itinerary includes an overnight at Honiara on Guadalcanal, which gives time to pair the island's crystalline waterfalls and rainforest trails with its moving WWII battlefields and memorials.
Yes. Accommodations, all dining and beverages, onboard entertainment and enrichment, crew gratuities, and the cultural programming of Les Gauguines are built into the fare. The only separate costs are spa treatments and any shore excursions you choose to arrange.
The largest island in Vanuatu is known for its turquoise lagoons, inland blue holes, and Champagne Beach, where natural springs send bubbles shimmering up through the pale sand.