which island to go to

Oh, the dilemmas of life !!

I'm presently in Los Angeles and want to head to New Zealand for a month or so. I don't want to fly straight there, and have been looking at the various options. I'm totally flexible, and am looking to go in about a month or so.

I want to go via some islands. It doesn't really matter which ones. I have UK passport, so I prefer to go to islands where I don't have to bother getting a visa beforehand.

One thing that's presenting a big problem is that I'm really not into is beaches and all of that. I don't mind looking at them, or perhaps sleeping on them, but I'm not into spending daylight hours lying on them. Because of that, I'm really not sure how much time to plan for whatever islands I visit. Normally, when travelling by land, that's not a problem, as one just goes to the next place whenever one feels like it. However, as most travel is by plane, then I'd need to book those tickets in advance. As I haven't much of a clue how long I want to spend on whatever island, it makes the flight planning pretty difficult. I prefer the spontaneity of ferries, but alas, there don't seem to be many of those around.

I quite like the idea of some sort of air pass that allows me to visit a few islands. Again, it doesn't really matter which islands.

I'm not sure about New Zealand. Is that the sort of place that can act as a base, and I can visit some islands from there? Another snag popping up is that the air passes I've read about require themselves to be purchased before arriving in that country. If I did that, I'd be totally guessing at how long I want to spend on whichever island it is.

As I'm super flexible on this, I feel that I want to go to the islands that are the least hassle. Can anyone advise me on which islands those are likely to be?

Many thanks in advance.

Cook Islands is the easiest and cheapest

you could fly LA to Fiji cheaply with Fiji airways, I think you only need a ticket out of the country. and then fly on to New Zealand, have you really looked at a map of the pacific to see the distance between some of the places from New Zealand.

What's your budget for flights?
That's a relevant question because flights in that area of the world aren't cheap.

If the islands to visit don't matter, some routes may be:

Los Angeles-Papeete-Rarotonga-Auckland. You could skip either Papeete or Rarotonga, if you prefer it.
Los Angeles-Nadi-Port Vila-Auckland.
Los Angeles-Nadi-Noumea-Auckland.
Los Angeles-Nadi-Tongatapu-Auckland
Los Angeles-Nadi-Apia-Auckland.

You could make longer routes like Los Angeles-Nadi-Wallis-Noumea-Port Vila-Auckland... if your budget allows it.

I'm not sure about New Zealand. Is that the sort of place that can act as a base, and I can visit some islands from there?

It would be better to use Fiji as a base but I don't know if Fiji Airways is still offering the pass they offered (during some time) when they were called Air Pacific. It woudln't hurt to ask them about it. If that pass was available, that would likely be one of the best bets if you want to see several islands.

I find flights from Auckland NZ competitive to the islands- I have flown Air Pacific (now Fiji Air) and Hawaiian Air between Island but now I just use Auckland as a base.
Each pacific island has its own personality and will suit different people.

You may be best to fly to NZ and ask travellers in hostels what they thought of each place to get an idea of what suits you, your budget and expectations

Fiji is well set up for backpacker travel with many adventure and outer island travel options at a reasonable price.Probably quite a social option if you are on your own.

The Cook Islands is a popular NZ holiday destination and is well set up for tourists, prices are similar to in NZ, there are no ferries between islands so from a budget point of view its either rarotonga (only 32 kms in circumference) or flying which can blow your budget.

Samoa is less set up for tourists but pretty easy and cheap if you take local buses and stay in beachside fales. There are less tourists than Fiji and some places you may be on your own - so it depends if that appeals or not....activities are mainly snorkelling and walks , the interisland ferry is cheap.

Tonga and vanuatu are more adventurous and less touristy ....

These are all quite affordable fares from NZ - 200-400NZD each way depending on when you book.

read forums and talk to other travellers to get a feel for each place and what you think would suit you.

Thank you all so much,

for your replies.

Alas, I realise how expensive flying can be. It's a damn nuisance, but I just tell myself that most of this planet's population don't have the options that most of us on forums such as this one have.

I rang Fiji Air and was told that their airpass was phased out about a year or two ago. She didn't think that they were planning on introducing a new one. But, you never know I suppose.

It's a frigging nuisance having to guess ahead of time how long I plan on being on each island. It wouldn't be so bad if the airlines charged reasonable change fees, but they don't (unless I fly first/business).

Cheers again all. Feel free to add more info, if you think ti's pertinent.

frisbee... Here are a few thoughts.

If you're going to NZ via LAX then the Air NZ deal is probably your most convenient and least expensive stop.

You can get a pretty good deal by taking Air Raro's RAR-Atiu-Aitutaki-RAR deal and see three islands. In the off season short notice shouldn't be a problem.

Not many visitors are aware of it, but you can catch unscheduled flights between the islands of Mauke and Mitiaro for less than $150NZD. You'll have to set it up with the local Mauke or Mitiaro Air Raro agent after you're on the island to get it. It's not common for tourists to do this because it's not available on a regular basis. It also requires a lot of flexibility and some patience. You may have to buy a full-fare return ticket when you head out but Air Raro will give you a full refund with 24 hrs notice of the scheduled flight if you decide to change your flights.

The outer islands of the Southern Group of the Cooks offer a really nice mix of remoteness, cleanliness, friendly people, almost no tourists and natural beauty. If that's your thing, they're hard to beat.

Also... Cook Islands govt underwrites tickets from LAX to the tune of $500 or so. That's why you can get them so cheap (I paid $670USD RT in 2013). So check out ticketing options using a separate LAX_RAR ticket option if you book with ANZ GB-NZ via LAX.

I like ANZ a LOT better than Fiji Airways. I'm a pretty cheap traveler but I'd pay $200 more to fly Air New Zealand over Fiji Airways any day. They stranded me in Nadi for three days last September. The only communication besides four bogus "rescheduled" flight was "don't leave the hotel, we may go at any time." They stink... big time!

You could also take a look at Air New Zealand's Explorer Pass to see if it could suit you.

Star Aliance had a South Pacific pass but I don't know if they are still offering it.

Thanks again all. I'd previously looked at the Star Alliance pass. Apparently, a stop somewhere in South East Asia is a requirement, and I don't want to go to any of those countries right now. Plus, the cost for a 29,000 mile pass is about 5,000 US dollars. That seems quite steep. Especially as the change fees are their normal scandalous prices.

Cheers again all.