OCEANIA
Oceania is a continent of geographical and political divisions of 28 states and island groups within the vicinity of the Southern Hemisphere (or simply Australia, New Zealand, and contiguous Pacific Islands that include and states of Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and the Malay Archipelago). The Polynesian Triangle actually includes Hawaii which based on its Oceanic language Hawaiian affirms its membership to Polynesia by culture and geography, albeit politically, it is a US territory. Geographers have formerly tagged Oceania as Australasia, but that was politically unacceptable because its direct translation of “south (austral) of Asia” regards Asia all too well. Australasia/Oceania is the world’s flattest continent, in great part due to Australia’s desert terrain.
Australia, the world’s only continent and country rolled into one and set in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the smallest continent, but eponymously, Australia as a country is the 6th largest in the world at the same time. About the same size as the United States, Australia’s population is but 7% of US’. Sure, in Oceania, we hear about animals that far outnumber people. Australia does put the wild in “wildlife” as the land with the more nasty biteys in both land and water than any other nation. The kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, dingos, emus, and kookaburra are a few of these. Beyond this, the world also associates with Australia the Outback, which, credits to reality show Survivor, we know a little bit more than the usual.
Politics
More geo-political discussions would perhaps lead to dismember Australia from Oceania, but for the moment, this is child’s talk. Oceania and Australia are used interchangeably in reference to the continent of the Pacific. Australia exemplifies a colonial society as even at the present time a colonial-aboriginal clash remains. Europeans settled in Australia and displaced the Indigenous Australian population for centuries, proclaiming the land terra nullius or ‘no man’s land’ even amidst the indigenous population. With political evolution as seen befit, a multiculturalism policy is promoted to encourage racial harmony in relation to the abolition of the White Australia Policy.
By essence, Oceania patterns their administration to foreign political traditions, just as Australia’s politics takes on the framework of a hybrid sort of parliamentary democracy that is based on the English Law. This is so because many regions of the continent were subject to European, Japanese, and American influences. While Oceania is granted autonomy under local governance of its own legislative assembly, the aftermath remains, that is economic and political instability.
Weather
Oceania lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, hence the seasons are similar. Winter is from June to August; spring, from September to November; summer, from December to February; and autumn, is from March through to May. The islands of Oceania are tropical or subtropical. New Zealand has a deciduous forest climate, while much of Australia has a desert to desert scrub climate, at the same, tropical and temperate too. But while Oceania is an idyllic and serene territory, the peaceful continent of white clouds and lush rain forests is a disaster waiting to happen, as most of the islands of Oceania are near the edge of the Pacific tectonic plate with seismic events over thousands reported each year like Vanuatu.
Culture
So, approximately all regions of Oceania were declared terra nullius which is technically interpreted as the absence of a civilized society by western terms. Not long after “discovery,” the regions were claimed under sovereignty. Thus, with no recorded accounts of their own culture and practices, virtually everything about the culture and customs of Oceania are accounts of European voyagers. But, note that life in Oceania has been in existence for thousands of years, i.e. in the Philippines where evidence of early human settlement traces back to 2000 BC and Solomon Islands to 1000 BC. With persistent foreign control, the people adapted to their culture and lifestyles leaving theirs behind to simply reckon and honour for ceremonial purposes.
For instance, Micronesia was under Spanish and, later, German rule, then the US, until its eternal struggle for independence was rewarded in 1970. As can be expected, people changed to Western-style clothing to trade professions. Particularly, language had an irreversible turn as a result of European foreign control. Many languages are indigenous to Oceania with the Austronesian family as the most commonly found all throughout the Pacific, as in New Zealand and Papua. Australia alone is home to many diverse families of indigenous languages, as many as 750 languages and dialects in the late 18th century. At present, less than 150 indigenous languages remain in use with 20 thereabouts endangered.
Languages
English is largely represented in Oceania, especially in Australia and New Zealand that this has become the de facto national language amidst an absence of an official language. Australian English is major classification of English with its exclusive accent and lexicon, albeit, pronunciation derived from Cockney and evolved ever since. The languages of European settlers have also entrenched in other regions such as Spanish in Easter Island and the Philippines, and French in Caledonia. Inevitably, creoles have formed with the Euro-indigenous interaction of languages.
Customs
Oceania is a continent of immensely cultural sensitive people that pride on a high tolerance for diversity, though it took a while to get in this state of mind. In Australia and New Zealand, there exists a huge demographic of those with Anglo-Saxon background like Irish, English and Scottish. Now there’s more diversity especially in big cities like Melbourne where there are over 100 nationalities from Indians, Filipinos, Chinese, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Greeks, etc. The people have learned to become a carefree, festive bunch with an eternal list of celebrations magnified by each contributing nationality, as a setting of conglomeration of races. Chances are, there’ll be at least one in the neighbourhood. Oceania is for folks who need a bit of a drink, a little more of a good time, and a bunch of laughs.
Sensitivity, politeness, and respect on the visitor’s part will go along way with the locals, albeit, they generally are not easily offended with ignorance for local customs or even homosexuality versus the Aborigines who require additional respect. In any case, the people of Oceania are no-fuss, friendly, and laid-back folks with their beer in pubs who don’t require tipping to know you appreciate their service. On any average day, they will be in their thongs, in the American and Aussie sense of the word. And, if you need to dress up, you’ll definitely get a memo. Certainly, no class or race is more superior over another in this mega-diverse continent. As concerns politeness than anything, lugging around perishables or crops from a grower state to another is prohibited.
Main Attractions
Oceania is a year-round destination with an outstandinglyfavourable weather conditions and very minimal extremes. Be it Fiji for honeymoon, sunbathing in Samoa, or luxury in Bora-Bora, the panorama you’d bet is unlike any other. There can surely be no greener foliage, cleaner water, friendlier people and gentler acoustics from the ukulele than in these Pacific Island nations. The Nausori Highlands (Fiji) can simply be anyone’s out-of-bounds, but there are more destinations that have been trudged lightly-the place for claustrophobics really. Also, the distance of the Pacific nations is ideal for island-jumping and cruising much like Southeast Asia. This is what gives Oceania the accolade for unparalleled experiences of beach life, relaxing, and partying in the widest of spaces. By any means, the continent is a value-for-money destination.
As for Australian destinations, now that’s a list that will run forever. The cosmopolitan cities like Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney are the typical tourist attractions. Besides the Opera House in Sydney, Australia is known for its distinctive array of flora and fauna unavailable elsewhere due its seclusion as an island continent, like the Great Barrier Reef. While surfing is a rather iconic activity, adventures that involve the water and the terrain are truly an Aussie brainchild. On the other hand, New Zealand is a destination in its own right, most instinctively for the scenery, as the setting for the ethereal world of Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and King Kong. Like Australia, the people utilize the terrain for theirs and the world’s adventurous compulsions, and from the humble beginnings of Hackett’s bungee jumping in New Zealand, more adrenaline-gushing activities have been given birth to. The country remains to this day, the best holiday destination in the world, even without naming a specific place.
Costs
In general, the people of Oceania are great voyagers and navigators given their terrain. These are folks with travel in their blood. Within the islands especially, travel is necessary. So, if anybody understood the beauty and expense of travel, this would be the people of Oceania. Besides the plane fare, getting around the continent is relatively inexpensive, especially if holding an “airpass”. For students and young people, incredible discounts are offered within Oceania. Students can even change their flight dates or stops with little or no extra cost.
Safety
Remember, these islands are practically formed by volcanic activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Disasters are a rarity, but some places in Oceania are absolutely advised against travel as the island of Tanna which has alerts on “very high level of activity”. Aside from seismic and geologic, activity, cyclones, droughts, and forest fires are a concern within the continent like New Zealand which not only sits on the Ring of Fire, but (the north and south of the island) is at the path of cyclones that originate from the Pacific and Antarctica as well. New Zealand prides on the best systems that monitor natural disasters with sufficient time to prepare and respond.
Australia owns some of the most callous and unforgiving terrain and heat that can be ruthless to the traveller. After all, Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, 142,000 are diagnosed each year, and 1,200 annually die from it. But of the 6 million tourists each year, around 400 deaths have occurred; almost 50% are age- or disease-related casualties. Others safety concerns in relation to travel are car crashes, drowning, and some heat-related fatalities. At most, there are only 4 deaths that are violence-related as assault. The safety issues really touch on the topological and ecological make-up of the land like the poisonous and aggressive wildlife like crocodiles, snakes, sharks, and spiders, citing a few. So, ask more about the stinger season and bush fire precautions than your occasional felons.
Opportunely, travel cost to Oceania is by and large more economical than in Europe. Depending on the location, some accommodation and food are even unbelievably low for such an advanced continent, but definitely without compromise to quality of service. In the Pacific Islands, cut-rate family-run hostels and bungalows can be found anywhere, and they are no less quaint and charming in the islands. Remember, that for typical transactions within the continent, only local currencies are accepted, while some businesses in the international terminals of airports may accept the USD and other currencies.
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Josh Boorman
Editor-in-chief
Backpacking Addictz
Twitter: @backpackaddictz
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