5 Wild, Beautiful Sides of Australia and Oceania

In this tropical jungle wilderness (the oldest rainforest in the world), giant reptiles, flightless birds, and other living fossils lurk in the shadows, while a tangle of shrubs, vines, and palms stretch skyward for sunlight.

With its rugged coastline, the island is a summertime destination for sunbathers, bird-watchers, fishermen, and surfers.

This is not the night sky, but tens of thousands of Arachnocampa luminosa—glowworms with an eerie blue-green luminescence—suspended in the Waitomo Glowworm Grotto.

With an ancient history of geologic activity and a more recent history of Aboriginal occupation, this pristine shore on Tasmania’s remote northeastern tip is home to Australia’s celebrated wildlife and dramatic, coastal scenery.

The word “sea” summons the wrong visual: For most of the year, the Weddell Sea is more ice than water. Even in the summer months, this southernmost part of the Southern Ocean remains covered by a massive ice shelf, and huge icebergs drift into the northwestern edge of the sea, dubbed Iceberg Alley.