Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

From Colombia throuh pacific to Australia-boat/air-need help

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea

I'm on the end of my trip. Still in Peru but heading to Collombia. I'll be there in 2 months or less then I want to get to Australia somehow... Flights are expensive (I know is just to late) and I have no USA viza so even more expensive (i cant flight throuh USA-that's true? ) still Maybe you have some idea maybe throu some island if not cheaper but the same price at least more interesting or Boat! I realy want to join some crew but where to find one boat? In Panama? Flight to some of the islands? which one? It's gonna be cheaper or not at all?

Need help any advice wellcome

There are very few, if any, flights from South Amrica to the Pacific Islands, except possibly the Galapagos. You might fond it easier to go via New Zealand, or direct to Australia from where you are. Whatever you do, it is not going to be cheap.

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By air, the only direct flights from South America to Australia are with Qantas (non-stop out of Santiago de Chile), LAN (out of Santiago de Chile with a stop in Auckland) and Aerolíneas Argentinas (out of Buenos Aires with a stop in Auckland). I think you could find a connecting flight with LAN from Bogotá to Santiago de Chile. Maybe, you could find a connecting flight with Aerolíneas Argentinas from Bogotá to Buenos Aires but I'm not sure if you will be able to make it without an overnight stay(s) in Buenos Aires as the their route from Bogotá to Buenos Aires isn't daily and their route from Buenos Aires to Auckland isn't neither daily. None of these routes will be cheap.

If you want to go from South America to Australia by air passing through a Pacific Island, you would have to go to Eastern Island (from Santiago de Chile or from Lima) with LAN. LAN has a weekly flight from Eastern Island to Papeete (French Polinesia). You could skip Eastern Island taking the weekly flight from Santiago de Chile to Papeete (that flight make a stopover in Eastern Island). From Papeete, you can fly to Australia changing planes in Auckland (e.g.: with Air New Zealand or with Air Tahiti Nui/Qantas). This alternative won't be neither cheap.

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Why can't you fly through USA?

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Fly to Papeete with LAN, as suggested. Fly Papeete to Rarotonga (capital of the Cook Islands) with Tahiti Nui (code share with Air Rarotonga). Then either fly Air NZ from Rarotonga direct to Sydney, or via Auckland (near daily flights) or with Virgin Australia from Rarotonga to Auckland (transit) and then to Australian cities from Auckland. VA code-shares with Air New Zealand on trans-Tasman flights.

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