"'The stuff that goes on in making movies? They ought to make a movie about it,' says veteran film scout Randy Spangler. And he should know. Spangler’s been working in Hawaii’s busy film industry since the 1970s, when he got his start finding locations for the TV series Hawaii Five-O. So many productions have been filmed on the most populous island, Oahu, that I wonder why it’s so attractive to Hollywood and television studios..."

Exploring television and movie locations in Hawaii, USA.

"Spending a week in the USA’s island state? You won’t be lost for things to do. Between the urban delights of the Pacific’s biggest city, Honolulu, and the natural attractions across the eight main islands, there’s plenty of material for a memorable trip. Here are some ideas..."

Suggesting attractions to visit over seven days in Hawaii, USA.

"Are you up for a travel challenge? Here it is: could you travel anywhere in the world, taking only cabin luggage with you? It may sound impossible, but it isn’t. For years, I’ve been honing my approach to packing light, to the point where I only ever take a single bag. The upside? I zip through airports, often bypassing the check-in desks entirely if the airline offers mobile check-in. When I leave the flight at the end of the trip, I can walk straight out of the airport..."

"'An artist told me he was upset with Chinatown because it was supposed to be the artistic centre of Hawaii, but it wasn’t delivering,' says Brandon Reid, Honolulu bar owner. 'He said all we needed was wall space, lighting and a bar. It just unfolded from there.' For a long time Chinatown was the city’s notorious red light district, home of brothels and dodgy bars. However, in recent years the district has transformed itself into an attractive entertainment zone..."

Investigating the lively bar scene in Chinatown, Honolulu, Hawaii.

"'Papua New Guinea was really a pioneer in South Pacific music,' says Braden Chin, manager of prominent Port Moresby music label CHM Supersound. 'My dad, Raymond, would take the biggest PNG music stars on tour to the Solomon Islands in the early '80s and just blow the locals away. They were treated like rock stars.' In the heady years after PNG gained its independence, the country’s music was on a creative upswing, influencing the sounds of its near neighbours..."

"Starting from a popular brunch spot which serves waffles made from the local root vegetable taro, we visit a local restaurant to try shoyu chicken, a delicious Hawaiian marinated dish involving garlic and ginger. Then it’s Japanese grilled food at a tiny place in a curved brick building with a few aluminium-topped tables. A classic bar offers the chance to eat loco moco, a hefty dish invented in the 1940s for hungry surfers..."

Taking three walking tours of Honolulu, Hawaii, covering food, history and architecture.

"When Tom Hanks was marooned an island in the 2000 movie Cast Away, not everything about his performance was fictional. The Hollywood star really was located on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific – the Fijian island of Monuriki. Monuriki lacks any permanent human population. What it does have is the remarkable Fijian Crested Iguana, a lizard covered in patches of different shades of green and blue..."

Discovering the conservation work of the Kulu Eco Park on the Coral Coast, Fiji.

"Only three days in Fiji? Tough luck. This South Pacific destination is so full of diverse islands and attractions that you could happily spend weeks, maybe months there. On the other hand, three days in Fiji? Great! A short stay is better than not visiting at all, and there are still plenty of activities you can do in that space of time. Those three days can be neatly matched with three types of activities: on the water, heading inland, and chilling out..."

Outlining a list of interesting activities for a short stay in Fiji.

"I’m standing within the Naihehe Cave in the interior of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island, my cheap trainers filling slowly with cold water as the light strapped to my head picks out the rocky walls. Ahead is the 'pregnancy gap', a low passage between this chamber and the next, presumably named because a pregnant woman couldn’t make it through. Beyond the gap is a set of caverns within which the local Sautabu tribe hid centuries ago..."

Joining an excursion to a hidden cave in inland Fiji.
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"As we look into the Red Zone, we see a series of vacant lots surrounding old commercial buildings which have lost their facades; and behind them, the ominously leaning form of the 1980s Hotel Grand Chancellor. However, there is a silver lining to this tragic destruction - the need to rebuild the city centre almost from scratch provides an opportunity to create something special..."

Visiting Christchurch, New Zealand, to gauge its post-earthquake recovery.

"'All the world’s a stage,' wrote William Shakespeare, but he might as well have said 'All the world’s a beach.' Through Asia, Australia and the Pacific there are beaches of every type, hosting every attraction. Whether you’re after a rest, a meal, a party or a spot of retail action, there’s a sandy shore out there for you. Here’s a selection of the best..."

Detailing a number of fine beaches, including two in Hawaii.
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"Across the Tasman, both the natural and adventure travel delights of Queenstown can be sampled more cheaply by staying at this flashpacker accommodation. It’s an easy place to find, as it’s located on the town’s main street within easy reach of dining and entertainment. Ensuite doubles include bath tubs, apparently 'to soak up the day’s adrenalin'."

Detailing upmarket 'flashpacker' hostels across Australia and New Zealand.
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"The highlight of the Antarctic Experience is an automated ride around an indoor penguin habitat. The ride is a mix of the really interesting and the really naff - there are chic mannequins modelling Antarctic gear, along with fake seals and an unconvincing orca. But the live penguins are great."

A lightning tour taking in the attractions of New Zealand's largest city .
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"It’s not just from the obvious vantage points that the scenery impresses. On my first night, as I walk home from a fundraising concert to my accommodation along the dimly lit main road, there’s a brilliant full moon. It throws the pine trees into silhouettes against the sky, and I can hear my footsteps falling in the silence. It’s beautiful."

An exploration of Norfolk Island's old-fashioned charm and historic attractions.
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"Statues, statues and more of those mysterious statues. Let’s face it, you’re hardly going to spend time on Rapa Nui (Easter Island’s local name) without having a look at its famous figureheads, the moai. If you want sophisticated urban excitement, however, you’re out of luck. But what Easter Island lacks in chic, it makes up for in mystique."

Details a day among the treasures of this remote Pacific island.
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"Wherever you go on this exotic island, you encounter a nimble dance between Polynesian and Latin American traditions, whether culinary or cultural. It’s a hurahura (as the locals call their traditional dance) worthy of the dancing lady who appears on every second postcard in the Easter Island gift shops, dressed in a traditional feathery gear and shimmying away as if her life depended on it."

An exploration of Polynesian culture and Latin American influences on Easter Island.
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"Then we catch our first glimpse of Easter Island, a rocky, hilly green mound rising improbably out of the ocean. Down below, a silver-haired man waits with our name on a board for a hotel transfer. To our astonishment, he has a broad Australian accent and a slouch hat. So how does an Aussie bloke end up running a hotel on the world's most remote inhabited island? Via the movies, believe it or not."

Profiles an Australian hotelier resident on Easter Island.

"As we tear along the back streets, our Balkan-born cabbie delivers a running monologue on traffic lights, Macedonians, and the desirability of taking assorted shortcuts to avoid the dreadful congestion on the conspicuously quiet main roads. I peruse the street directory and supply useful hints on reaching our destination, as the meter rolls on. But at least Auckland is turning out to be more interesting than I had expected."

A 24-hour whirlwind tour of Auckland, New Zealand's attractions and entertainment.
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"Using the Goldilocks Technique, we dismiss the bungalows ('too cramped'); veto a five-star choice ('too expensive'); and enter the Fare Vai Moana in the characters of two dusty heat-stricken gentlepersons of the road, seeking sanctuary. But you have to have a few ordeals, just to remind you how good paradise is when you find it. And Mo’orea is very beautiful."

The delights of the island of Mo'orea, part of French Polynesia.
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"Ka-ching! Welcome to paradise! I know it's not right to worry about money when you're on holiday - it's supposed to be a time of letting yourself go and having fun. But French Polynesia is so expensive that it can throw a serious spanner in the 'letting yourself go' concept."

A light-hearted look at the expensive nature of French Polynesia.

"As vibrant as it is, Pape’ete may represent 'paradise lost' for many visitors. Rather than an idyllic focus of beauty, springing from Paul Gauguin’s famous paintings, the French Polynesian capital is a bustling blend of concrete, car fumes and lively nightlife. A short ferry ride away from Tahiti, however, Mo’orea is still a living postcard: beaches, an aquamarine lagoon, swaying palm trees and low-level development."

Focuses on the unspoiled inland attractions of Mo'orea, French Polynesia.
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"Mystery is the essence of Easter Island's attractions: for centuries, its hundreds of massive hand-carved statues (or moai) have puzzled and fascinated visitors. But for the moment, there’s a more pressing question as we leave the humble terminal building. Why does the bloke with our names on a board have an Aussie accent a mile wide?"

A travel piece on the enduring mystique of Easter Island.
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"Fiji time is a relaxed approach to everyday life, a feeling the new day is stretching on forever and might never end. It’s so relaxed, you might forget what day it is. And that’s a familiar feeling on Taveuni, bisected by the 180th meridian of longitude. For part of the 19th century, this marked the International Dateline. This geographical accident meant the island was divided into two days: the east side today and the west tomorrow."

Time takes on new flexibility on Fiji's third-largest island.
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"With the success of the movie epic Lord of the Rings, the New Zealand landscape looms large in the imaginations of would-be travellers worldwide. A lesser-known attraction is the café life of its capital city, Wellington. This compact, picturesque city has a surprising range of places to enjoy a drink."

Highlighting the impressive cafe culture of Wellington, New Zealand.
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"Nothing succeeds like nostalgia. The Berlin Wall has crumbled, Red Square is infiltrated by burger chains and China is into capitalism in a big way. But the red flag is kept flying in the most unlikely of places: New Zealand’s capital city. To get to the heart of the matter, take a stroll down Cuba Street, in Wellington’s city centre."

Investigating cafe names inspired by communist nostalgia in Wellington, New Zealand.
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"Walking is one of the great attractions of New Zealand, whether as three-day treks through stunning landscape, sleeping in huts or tents, living rough in the company of nature. But if you’re an urban kind of person and the great outdoors doesn’t appeal, you can still get in some walking and be at a good restaurant or theatre by sunset, if you’re visiting Wellington."

Hitting the walking trails in and around Wellington, New Zealand.
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I also have a selection of high-quality digital images available, depicting a variety of international locations. 

If you'd like to republish one of these pieces, or would like a new piece written about the same location, please get in touch via the contacts below:

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email:
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