Island Days

Vanuatu is a vibrant South Pacific island-resort destination with a rich history, offering many opportunities for a memorable conference.



This group of 83 islands, lying about 2,500 kilometres north-east of Sydney, is easily accessed with increased options since new airline Pacific Blue introduced direct flights from Brisbane, as well as Air Vanuatu’s flights from Brisbane and Sydney.

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Vanuatu is only two and a half hours flying time from Brisbane and three and a half from Sydney. There are also air services from New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Fiji.

Entry to Vanuatu is at the capital, Port Vila, on the main island of Efate. The people of Vanuatu, meaning “land eternal”, are predominantly Melanesian, but Vanuatu boasts 113 distinct languages and is one of the most culturally diverse countries on earth. The population is just over 200,000.

Port Vila is a bustling town with a distinct French influence, situated on a magnificent harbour, with more than 40 restaurants and cafes offering cuisine from many nations – Melanesian, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and Mexican.
Travellers should make a point of visiting Vanuatu’s small villages, where they will be warmly welcomed and can watch fascinating ceremonies and see traditional island culture.

Vanuatu is perhaps best known for its active volcanoes – there are eight, with the most accessible being Yasur on the southern island of Tanna. Tours take visitors to within 150 metres of Yasur’s rim through a moonscape of volcanic ash. Yasur has been erupting continuously for at least 800 years, but is different from most volcanoes in that it does not produce lava, instead spewing enormous red-hot rocks into the air.

An hour’s flight north from Port Vila by light aircraft is the largest island in the group, Espiritu Santo, which is a magnet for scuba divers and is known as the inspiration for James A Michener’s classic Tales of the South Pacific.
The wreck of US troop carrier, the President Coolidge, which sunk during World War II, has become a popular dive site, sitting in 25 metres of water just off the coast. Another well known diving spot is Million Dollar Point, where much of the American war machinery was dumped into the sea.