Category Archives: Oceania

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Investors are expecting higher inflation, which is weighing on the sharemarket.

The sharemarket reversed an earlier gain to end the day lower as expectations of higher inflation pushed up bond yields, denting the appeal of some stocks.

The benchmark S&P/NZX 50 Index closed down 0.8 per cent, or 95.067 points, to 12,085.18 on Monday.

The 10-year government bond yield lifted 7 basis points to 1.913 per cent late Monday afternoon, from 1.84 per cent around midday.

We have seen a pretty significant reversal in the market as interest rates spike up further, said Brad Gordon, an investment adviser at Hobson Wealth Partners.

READ MORE:* Sharemarket weakens as investors eye recovery, ditch utility stocks* Sharemarket slips as Contact, Meridian fall out of favour

Its inflationary driven, he said. Inflation feeds directly through to interest rates and interest rates feed into stock market valuations. From a valuation perspective, rising interest rates are not good for stocks.

Gordon said the rise in bond yields hurt stocks with a high price-to-earnings ratio, such as Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and The a2 Milk Company, two of the biggest companies on the benchmark, which reversed their early gains to finish lower.

Fisher & Paykel fell 4.2 per cent to $27.34, its lowest value this year. A2 Milk dropped 2.1 per cent to $9.92.

KIRK HARGREAVES/Stuff

Changes to global energy indexes are expected to prompt selling of Meridian and Contact shares.

Electricity generators Meridian Energy and Contact Energy also lost their shine after a Forsyth Barr report said changes to S&Ps Global Clean Energy Index would reduce the weightings of the two companies and require exchange-traded funds that track the index to sell the companies shares.

Forsyth Barr estimates the changes would result in the sale of about 9 per cent of Contacts shares and about 8 per cent of Meridians shares. Contact shares offered great value, while Meridian looked expensive, the analysts said.

Contact slid 0.5 per cent to $6.68, while Meridian slipped 3 per cent to $5.15.

The main news of the day was the announcement by Oceania Healthcare that its chief executive Earl Gasparich had resigned while at the same time Metlifecare announced that it was employing Gasparich as its new chief executive to implement its growth strategy.

Its a bit of a surprise, said Gordon. We dont actually see CEOs move like that, poached directly by competitors, very often.

Oceania dropped 1.4 per cent to $1.43.

Meanwhile, the newest listing on the sharemarket, meat kit company My Food Bag, fell for a second day, down 2.3 per cent to $1.70. The shares, which were sold to investors at $1.85 each, closed down 5.9 per cent at $1.74 on their first day of trading on Friday.

Gordon described the shares as very soggy and said investors were probably a little bit disappointed.

He noted the initial offer was at a relatively full price, and the shares had declined along with the rest of the market, as higher interest rates impacted valuations.

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Sharemarket falls as bond yields spike higher, reducing appeal of equities - Stuff.co.nz

Niue's associate membership status with the Oceania Football Confederation has been revoked following a decade of inactivity.

Photo: Oceania Football Confederation

The former Niue Islands Soccer Association has been inactive for the past 10 years, putting it in breach of the OFC Statutes.

Every OFC member association must ensure their elected President serves no more than three full terms of office for four years, manage a register of members that is regularly updated, implement a club licensing system and communicate any amendment of its statutes, rules and regulations to Oceania Football.

Members must also inform OFC of any authorised signatories who are able to enter into legally binding agreements with the confederation and third parties.

OFC said it is aware a new organisation representing Niue is being established and welcomes its application for associate membership.

The OFC Executive Committee has also confirmed more schedule changes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Oceania Football has announced further delays to a host of regional tournaments. Photo: OFC via Phototek

The qualifying process for the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup has been delayed until at least 2022 while the OFC Women's Nations Cup will now start in June next year instead of January.

The OFC Champions League, Beach Soccer Nations Cup, Under 16 and Under 19 Women's Championships and Futsal Invitational have all been postponed, while the Under 17 and Under 20 Men's Championships have been cancelled, after FIFA pulled the plug on the proposed World Cup events in Peru and Indonesia.

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Niue removed as associate member of Oceania Football - RNZ

The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has revoked the Associate Membership of Niue.

The Associate Member status of the former Niue Islands Soccer Association has been revoked, following a decision taken by the OFC Executive Committee during its March 3 meeting, an OFC statement read.

The former Niue Islands Soccer Association has been inoperative for the past 10 years, putting it in breach of Article 10 of the OFC Statutes

Article 10 states that:

Every Member Association has the following obligations:

It has previously been stated by Sascha Derkop that the Niue Soccer Association has had no contact with OFC since the early 1990s.

The OFC writes that the Executive Committee had no other alternative but to revoke their Associate Member status.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel, according to the OFC press release.

OFC is aware that a new entity representing Niue is in the process of establishment and welcomes its application for Associate Membership in the future.

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Niue's OFC membership revoked - Football in Oceania

Staff Reports, Pacific Daily News USA TODAY Network Published 4:30 p.m. ChT March 3, 2021

What Im Hearing: The latest on what to expect from the 2021 Olympics USA TODAY

A dancer celebrates the raising of the ONOC flag in this file photo from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.(Photo: Jojo Santo Tomas/PDN)

With less than 150 days to go, the Oceania National Olympic Committees President Robin Mitchell highlighted support being deployed toward Oceania inpreparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games, slated to start in July.

ONOC is working around key areas of support for its Olympic committees to ensure the safe participation of its member countries at the Games in Japan.

Some COVID-19 free islands are still vulnerable because the vaccination programs vary.

The need is to emphasize the importance of compliance and shared risks of non-compliance and to demonstrate that the planning thus far is robust and rooted in science and stakeholder listening. he said.

Mitchell said 35% of athletespots are still up for grabs. Australia, the largest Oceania member, will arrive in Tokyo with about 420 athletes while New Zealand, ONOC's second-largest member, will have about 200. The rest of Oceania will have about 150 athletes total, including universality slots, and every nation is being represented.

At the moment, all the focus ...is on Tokyo before looking at the pre-Games training, so until the borders open up between the islands and Japan, most of our island NOCs are training in their countries, Mitchell said.

Mitchell said while the Tokyo 2020 Games organizing committee hasn't made vaccinations a requirement for athletes and officials, being vaccinated would be ideal and the onus falls on the NOCs to work with their respective governments.

Guam National Olympic Committee president Ricardo Blas,secretary general of ONOC, said it has been a long journey of resilience.

Noting that many athletes are still training in their own home countries with the challenge of facilities and resources such as focused individualized sports-science-specific needs per athlete, we are working digitally to inspire and keep athletes focused," Blas said.

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Oceania Olympic committees say support is there as Tokyo Games approach - Pacific Daily News

More than 400 weightlifters have returned to the platform to compete live in Spain and the United States this weekend, raising hopes of a return to some sort of normality after a year lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among them was Lidia Valentin, one of the worlds most popular weightlifters, who topped the standings in the Absolute Spanish Cup in Leon today, where the mens winner was David Sanchez.

That event was restricted to the top 30 lifters in Spain, 15 men and 15 women, across all weight categories and was televised live on the La Liga channel.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, nearly 400 athletes opted to lift "in person" and another 600 chose to compete virtually at what is believed to be the first hybrid international competition in any sport.

The four-day North American Open Series 1, now featuring Canadian as well as United States lifters, got the show back on the road after a run of cancellations and postponements.

Neither the Spanish nor the North American event is an Olympic qualifier or an official International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) competition, but they are a sign that the sport is opening up again in the build-up to four continental Championships which will take place in a 23-day period next month.

The fifth continental Championship, in Oceania, has been postponed until late August because of COVID travel restrictions, which leaves the IWF with a problem in terms of Olympic qualifying as Oceania lifters will be denied a chance to win "gold level" points.

The qualifying period has been extended until the end of May so the IWF Junior World Championships in Saudi Arabia can be included along with two other events in May, the East Asian Championships in Korea and the South-American and Ibero-American Championships in Colombia.

In the absence of live competition in Oceania an email tournament was staged across the region throughout February, with a record 590 athletes from 20 countries taking part.

Eileen Cikamatana, formerly of Fiji and now lifting for Australia, stood out for her performance in the womens 87kg with a best total of 250kg, while the rapidly improving Samoan Don Opeloge made 387kg in the mens 96kg class.

Samoans finished top in seven of the weight categories.

"Live" events have been held in Russia and elsewhere recently, and Russia will play a lead role next month when it hosts the European Championships in Moscow.

But most athletes of all ages have been restricted to virtual competitions during lockdowns, the most high-profile of which have been in Peru and Colombia.

The last lift made in an event sanctioned by the IWF was a year ago yesterday, on March 5 2020 in the Rogue Weightlifting Challenge at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio.

In the field for todays contests at the North American Open is Kristen Erickson, a former shot-putter who competed in the super-heavyweights on that day last March before COVID-19 wiped out the rest of the 2020 programme.

That was at "the Arnolds", named for Arnold Schwarzenegger, a multi-sport event that usually draws 200,000 spectators over four days.

"It was a strange set-up," Erickson said, "because there are usually thousands of people watching and this time there were none.

"It was like a weird ghost town, and it was an introduction to the strange year that 2020 became.

"After I got home from the Arnolds I went into the office for one day and that was it, I was working from home after that."

Erickson, 26, is a data analyst for United Healthcare in Philadelphia who was swamped with work once the pandemic took hold, but never gave up on training.

"I would train every day as usual because the US Nationals were in May, but then they were cancelled," said Ericksen.

"Then Id train every day for the next meet in September and that was cancelled too.

"So I kept training for Atlanta in December - cancelled.

"You had to have faith that the next meet would happen to keep your discipline, to not give up.

"My feeling after 2020 is that Ive lost a year of learning to be a competitive lifter in the arena, of dealing with pressure, of travelling, of being in a different setting, in a different bed, eating different food.

"For some of my friends it caused a lot of damage to their motivation.

"People who are not in the sport for the long term, maybe they lost their fire.

"It could have happened to me as I was working from home - get up, walk 10 steps to work, log off at the end of the working day and the couch is right there, inviting you to sit down.

"Do I really want to go and train?

"But I would never let myself ask that question, I was always prepared, ready to go with no 15-minutes in between.

"My motivation was the thought that a meet will come some day.

"I competed online, which was nice, but it was my own bar, my own plates, at my own club - it felt like a normal training day rather than a competition.

"Im glad to be back in a safer, smarter way.

"Hybrid is the best compromise we could have had.

"This is giving us hope for the nationals in Detroit in June and July."

Phil Andrews, chief executive of USA Weightlifting, said the decision to try a hybrid format, for an event with just under 1,000 entries but no spectators, was made in December.

Athletes had been training outdoors, in basements and garages, and in rented storage boxes.

"The community showed determination to keep the sport alive," he said.

Those competing in person must undergo a test before arrival, wear masks at all times, have their temperature checked, stay socially distant and even bring their own pens for signing in.

Coaches are not allowed to gather round the scoreboard, loaders must wear goggles - the list goes on.

"Its very nice to be back in a situation here where you meet athletes and coaches and you talk to them about sport all day, not governance issues," said Andrews, referring to the political turmoil within weightlifting.

There was another bonus, said Andrews - the possibility of using the experiences from this event to shape future decisions.

Many competitors live a long way from venues, such as the day's first lifter from Hawaii, and a virtual option would cut their costs enormously.

New technology could also help in testing and recruiting referees.

One of the top performances in the first three days came from Maddison Pannell, who made a clean and jerk of 109 kilograms in the 49kg weight category.

Pannell, a former gymnast and CrossFitter who came late to weightlifting, has made very rapid progress.

In Leon the multiple Olympic medallist Valentin, now 36, weighed in at 74kg and made 103-130-233 while Sanchez, weighing 75kg, made 152-185-337.

Ilia Hernandez and Irene Martinez finished second and third in the womens event, and the same positions in the men's event went to Marcos Ruiz and Alejandro Gonzalez Baez.

Their next competition will be the European Championships in Moscow.

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Return of live weightlifting raises hope that the sport can return to normal - Insidethegames.biz

The study found that a person retiring to Thailand would need $389,835 in savings in order to maintain the same standard of living they were used to in the West.

Anyone thinking about retiring to Thailand should have the equivalent of around 11 million Baht in savings (approx USD$390,000), thats according to a new study on the cost of retirement around the world.

The study, carried out by online lender NetCredit titled The Cost of a Comfortable Retirement Around the World, looked at how much someone might need to retire aboard and enjoy their same quality of life.

This was determined as going out once a week, takeout coffee once a week, no smoking, moderate drinking, and no taxis or rideshares, eating mainly Western food at home, two vacations and renting a 1 bed apartment in a city centre, among other factors.

The figures are based on someone living for around 14 years after they retire with the average age of retirement in America (64) and the average life expectancy (78.7). The same calculations were then applied to almost every country.

The study found that a person retiring to Thailand would need $389,835 in savings in order to maintain the same standard of living they were used to in the West.

The amount of savings required for Thailand were considerably lower than the amount needed to retire comfortably in both the United Kingdom ($515,742) and the United States ($601,489.63).

Regionally, Southeast Asia remained an affordable option for retirement, with Indonesia ($290,599), Malaysia ($321,614), Vietnam ($353,906) and the Philippines ($369,340) offering cheaper alternatives to Thailand, while Cambodia ($389,146) was on a par with the Land of Smiles in terms the amount of savings needed.

In order to retire in Singapore ($946,993) or Hong Kong ($871,578), youd need around three times the amount of savings needed to retire in Thailand. (NNT World)

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The cost of a comfortable retirement in Thailand and in rest of Asia and Oceania - Pattaya Mail

The COVID-19 pandemic, while devastating to lives and livelihoods, also offered humanity the option of looking at it from two lenses either as a crisis or an opportunity to grow. Telecom major Ericsson chose the latter, said Priyanka Anand, Vice-President and Head of HR, Southeast Asia, Oceania and India, during her talk on Reimagining the workplace of the future on day two of Future of Work 2021.

The past year has been a non-voluntary experiment in evaluating the ways of working virtually, taking advantage of digital tools, offering flexibility and reevaluating old truths, Priyanka said, laying emphasis on how Ericsson accelerated its digital transformation journey during this time, to turn around things for its employees and customers.

Based on extensive internal surveys, Ericsson identified four key elements that will affect the future of work - emotional, physical, technological and the need for purposeful space. These are the aspects Ericsson has taken into account for its future of work outlook, which is dependent on collaboration between people and teams, and its leaders, Priyanka said.

We feel well positioned to tackle the new normal - one that is focussed on co-creating and delivering flexible workplaces to ensure that employees and the company thrives and performs at their best to deliver great customer experience [sic], she added.

To do so, a hybrid workplace is crucial, which offers employees both online and offline ways of working to collaborate and create an environment that fosters productivity, growth and efficiency. Flexibility is another key component, Priyanka said, adding that Ericsson has been focussed on giving people the choice of when and where they want to work from. The new normal is not about work from home alone, but from anywhere. When we move to the next new normal, we will adapt to a new reality and decide the future of the workplace.

The past one year has given companies the opportunity to redefine offices. Ericsson is also reimagining its workplace towards a new hybrid, flexible model, Priyanka said, listing out four key advantages of such a workplace.

With this future-ready environment, Ericsson seeks to gain a competitive advantage over how it retains and engages its employees, she added.

While the hybrid and flexible models of the future are still in the making, the company came up with unique ways to offer them in the present, all of which enabled the team to deliver to customers and even overachieve targets.

It did so by creating an anytime anywhere learning mindset and offering versatile content and context for employees to excel in their current roles. It also invested heavily in technology for reskilling and upskilling employees, and in digital tools to enable effective communication and collaboration. A prime focus during this past year was also on employee wellbeing, Priyanka said, with the launch of virtual employee assistance programs that provided access to counsellors and consultants for reducing physical, financial and emotional stress. The company also invested in a robust home-office set up for its employees so that they could create an environment within their homes to work effectively.

Work is not the destination, but the journey and our leadership plays a key role in ensuring this as well, Priyanka concluded.

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Future of Work: Ericssons Priyanka Anand on how companies must prepare for the next new normal - YourStory.com

Fijis Trina Davis has made her debut for her new side ASA Tel Aviv.

The debut comes just days after her move from the USA to Israel. She played the first half in a 0-0 draw with table-toppers Maccabi Kiryat Gat. ASA Tel Aviv currently sit fourth in the table.

It felt great to be back on the field again, I love this team and how they play. They all play to win, fast, they all want to be there, so its nice to play with a team that has the same mindset as you, Davis tells Football in Oceania.

She played on the right wing in her first start for her new side.

I like right wing, but Im just not comfortable with how they play as a team yet because I just got here. I know as time goes on, Ill be able to fit right in.

So far the language is the biggest barrier for Davies.

Yes language I would say would be one of the hardest things being here, a lot of people speak Hebrew, even the majority of the team, so a few of them translate for me and a couple other Americans, Davis says, and admits that Google Translate has been a valuable tool the first few days.

Davis says the move to the Israeli side came about thanks to former Fiji mens head coach Christophe Gamel. Gamel has also helped out the womens team and has kept in touch, Davis says.

He asked me in June if this is something I wanted to do and I said yes, Davis says.

The 19-year-old attacker has signed a contract until June.

And while the full club name is ASA Tel Aviv University Sport Club, Davis will not be studying at the university.

No I will do online stuff while Im here through a university. Its a club affiliated with the university but I will not be studying here at Tel Aviv university, Davis says.

ASA Tel Avivs next match is March 4th, when they travel to play sixth placed Hapoel Raanana.

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Davis makes Israel debut: It felt great to be back on the field again" - Football in Oceania

New Zealand Football (NZF) has decided to remodel the way the top national division is set up. That could affect the current Premiership clubs.

On February 26th the NZF confirmed competition details for the new National League, set to kick off its inaugural season this summer.

The mens competition features 30 teams competing in three regional leagues, the Northern League, the Central League and the Southern League, with the top sides in each qualifying for the National League Championship phase. The regional leagues run across the traditional winter football season, with the National League Championship phase taking place from October to December, a statement from NZF read.

Four teams from the Northern League, three from Central and two from Southern, as well as the Wellington Phoenix Reserves will qualify for the National League Championship. That means a total of ten teams play in the top division.

But the teams in the current top-flight of New Zealand, the ISPS Handa Mens Premiership, are almost all franchise-based teams, with the teams being based off already existing teams playing in the winter leagues.

This could bring about a problem when teams who use the same players for the summer and winter leagues would be brought into the same league.

Would it mean the Premiership teams would have to cease to exist? Not necessarily, according to NZF.

The incumbent standalone entities (franchises) in the current ISPS Handa Mens Premiership will be able to compete in the new National League through either affiliating as a new member club of a federation under the relevant rules, or amalgamating with an existing member club, an NZF spokesperson tells Football in Oceania.

As a transitional measure to allow an appropriate timeframe for such changes, in 2021 an existing ISPS Handa Mens Premiership entity may enter into a partnership with an existing member club through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) approved by New Zealand Football and the federation. For the sake of clarity, any partnership means that all player are registered with the partner club and that, should the partner club qualify for the National League Championship, the partner club could operate under the national league entity brand.

So that means teams like world record holders Auckland City, Eastern Suburbs or Team Wellington, could potentially be found in the new National League setup.

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New Zealand to remodel top division. What will happen to the current teams? - Football in Oceania

In the final instalment of our 100 Trips of a Lifetime series, which also covers Africa, the Americas and Caribbean, and the UK and Europe, we offer inspiration for future escapes that could take you to Australia, Uzbekistan, Antarctica and beyond.

Ticking off Sri Lankas key sights Dambulla cave temple, Sigiriya rock fortress, Buddha relics in Kandy can be combined with leisurely pedalling through out-of-the-limelight hill country in the middle of the island. Cycling through tea plantations, villages and vivid forest scenery gives a memorably rounded picture of the country. Fifteen days from 2,599pp, including flights, exodus.co.uk

The McLaren Vale region produces reliably world-class shiraz wines. Cellar doors range from humble family-run affairs to the five-storey, psychedelic dArenberg Cube (above). Alternate sampling sessions with kayaking on the pelican-packed Coorong lagoon system and catching waves on the Fleurieu Peninsulas beaches. Twelve days from 1,338, including campervan and flights, travelbag.co.uk

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Despite the overwater bungalows and pampering clichs, much of the Maldives tourist appeal is under the water. The Lhaviyani atoll has 50 dive sites, and the teardrop-shaped Kuredu Island Resort is best placed for exploring them. One week from 1,995pp, including flights and six days unlimited diving, diversetravel.co.uk

The largely forgotten Wat Phu Khmer temple complex in southern Laos is designed to be intimidating, climbing steeply up the slope of Mount Phou Khao. Nearby, the 4,000 islands of the Mekong River are made for hammock-based chilling in riverside bungalows. Sixteen days from 2,295pp, excluding flights, explore.co.uk

On Western Australias North West Cape, rumpled red outback gives way to Indian Ocean beaches and the multicoloured Ningaloo Reef is just 100m offshore. The worlds biggest fish hang out here, and boat tours drop snorkellers in the water next to the gentle giant whale sharks. Nineteen days along the west coast from 2,699pp, including flights, austravel.com

South East Asias under-the-radar cuisine is often the surprise of staple temple-touring itineraries, so ramp up the focus on fish amok and beef loc lac. Food tours, Khmer cooking lessons, rice wine-making sessions and beach barbecues can be laced between the traditional Angkor and islands holiday. Twelve days from 2,198pp, including six food experiences, excluding flights, insideasiatours.com

The furiously evolving world of Chinese contemporary art burns brightest in Shanghais M50 gallery district. Political pop art and realism rarely seen outside of the country help tell the complex tale of modern China. Expert gallery curator guides are best placed to help unpick it. Two-hour private tours 187,contexttravel.com

By day, the islands near Phuket are all about snorkelling jaunts in warm, shallow bays and cruising past towering limestone cliffs. But sleeping under the stars on board a catamaran, before moving on to the next days island, adds a sprinkle of magic. Visitor numbers will be capped in Maya Bay once tourism restarts but those who linger until night falls will be treated to a mesmerising, bioluminescent show in the water. One week from 934pp, excluding flights, gadventures.com

The oft-overlooked, north-eastern Isaan region is where Thai food doesnt get toned down for tourists tastes. Keep plenty of water at hand at mealtimes, then spend the days flitting between weaving workshops, Khmer temples and the prehistoric cliff paintings in the Pha Taem National Park. Ten days from 1,529pp, excluding flights, eastravel.co.uk

Perfectly-formed Rarotonga, with a mountainous green interior and white sand beaches around the edge, takes an hour to drive around. Aitutaki, meanwhile, is one big lagoon with outrageously white sand bars juttinginto it. Snorkel and crack open coconuts at will. Eight nights from 2,599pp including flights, hayesandjarvis.co.uk

Its all about being close to the water in Indonesias Komodo National Park. Gliding above bounteous reefs, pulling up on deserted beaches, stopping for a snorkel and poking around coastal grottoes should warm up intrepid kayakers for an encounter with 3m-long Komodo dragons. Ten days from 1,795pp, excluding flights, pioneerexpeditions.com

Amid Palaus archipelago of green-topped rock islands in Micronesia and some of the greatest snorkelling conditions on Earth lies a lake swarming with jellyfish. These jellyfish have evolved not to sting, so breaststroking through them is like plunging into a freakish aquatic ball pool. Day tour 121pp, viator.com

With all that snow on the mountains, there is usually plenty of fast-flowing water barrelling down Nepals rivers. Single-day and multi-day rafting adventures with a Himalayan backdrop on the gorge-lined Trisuli River hit that fun, but not recklessly dangerous, sweet spot. Thirteen days from 2,399pp, including flights, familiesworldwide.co.uk

New Zealands third island is one big wildlife sanctuary. Ferny national parkland covers 85 per cent of the island and the normally elusive kiwi feels comfortable enough to appear during the day. The penguins save their cameo on the beach for dusk, however. Six days from 1,270pp around South Island and Stewart Island, excluding flights, intrepidtravel.com

Creating a bust or animal sculpture out of ice is impressive. Creating an entire townscape, with detailed skyscrapers and temples, is another altogether. Harbin turns its agonisingly cold winter temperatures into a feature, transforming the ice into a giant canvas. Six days from 1,595pp, including flights, jasmineholidays.co.uk

An 8th-century, Edo-era walking route through the mountains from Kyoto to Tokyo is the perfect excuse to explore rural Japan. Stays in guesthouses and ryokans, bathing in thermal onsens and mooching around outrageously well-preserved historic towns such as Nara intersperse the hikes. Five days from 1,155pp, responsibletravel.com

There are several tent-peg experiences in northern India Jaipur palaces, the Taj Mahal, tiger-spotting in Ranthambore National Park. Stitching them together by train adds a sense of journey. The journey is particularly impressive on the narrow-gauge Himalayan Queen, which conquers 864 bridges and 102 tunnels on its way through the Himalayan foothills. Two weeks from 1,995pp including flights, greatrail.com

New volcanic cones keep emerging on eastern Russias tumultuously wild Kamchatka peninsula. Lava fields, geysers, fumaroles and hot springs line the peninsula as landscapes alternate from barren moonscape to peaceful forest. Dodge acid lakes to climb the Mutnovsky volcano one day, raft along the Kamchatka River looking for salmon-catching bears another. Eleven days from 1,870pp, excluding flights, regent-holidays.co.uk

Not all Antarctic cruises get as faras the Weddell Sea. Amid the wildlife-spotting sessions, expect icebergs the size of shopping malls. Drifting through puts your ship in the middle of an elaborate dance of giant sculptures and slow-moving megabergs. Eleven days from 5,882pp, excluding flights, swoop-antarctica.com

It is possible to take a boat tour through the Waitomo Caves on North Island. But its much more fun to abseil down into them, zipwire across them in the dark, then float down the river in inflatable tubes through a tunnel of twinkling glowworms. Tour 103pp, waitomo.com

Every evening on Selingan Island,green and hawksbill turtles struggle up the beach, dig a hole in the sand, thenlay eggs in it. Watching these hardymums in action ends up being just as thrilling as Borneos better-known wildlife encounters with orangutans.Two weeks from 2,199pp, including flights, freedomdestinations.co.uk

The north of Vietnam is all about mountains, homestay accommodation and if you are on a motorbike gleefully splashing across small rivers. Dirt roads through thatched-roof villages and tracks hugging hillsides provide regular lashings of adventure. Nine days from 1,995pp, excluding flights, rideexpeditions.com

Between all the blue-tiled mosques, this unashamedly romantic route through Uzbekistan reads like a shot list for an Indiana Jones movie: the walled city of Khiva, the enormous Chorsu bazaar, the Emir of Bukharas summer palace and Tamerlanes mausoleum in Samarkand Eleven days from 2,299pp, including flights, rivieratravel.co.uk

There are few weirder places in the world than the Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea. You can peek into the reclusive North from the Dora Observatory, visit the park built as a commemoration to the displaced, and view the tunnels North Korea planned to invade through. Seven days from 1,675pp, excluding flights,onthegotours.com

The ascent of Luzons active Pinatubo stratovolcano starts off with a bumpy 44 ride through an astonishing valley of ash. But from the devastation of the 1991 eruption comes beauty, and the reward at the end of the trek is a dazzling crater lake. Day tour 128,barontravel.ph

To read about more amazing trips, take a look out our installments on the Americas and the Caribbean, the UK and Europe and Africa

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25 trips of a lifetime in Asia, Oceania and Antarctica, from swimming with sharks to breathing fire - iNews