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Adventure Travel with Norm explores expedition cruises, remote islands and wild places, from the Marquesas aboard the Aranui to the outer islands of the Cook Islands, Fiji and beyond. Host Normand Schafer talks with captains, guides, pilots and locals about snorkeling, diving, hiking, wildlife and culture in places few travelers reach, plus how to plan an adventure that fits you. New episodes every week. Plan your next adventure with Far and Away Adventures at farandawayadventures.com.

Publisher

Normand Schafer

Category

news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Jul 2023

Latest episode

24 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

141 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Oct 2026

   Pre-GPS Flights to the Northern Group: Air Rarotonga Founder Ewan Smith

   Imagine flying about 1,300 km over open ocean, before GPS, past the point of no return, with only one place to land. Normand Schafer of Far and Away Adventures.com (https://farandawayadventures.com/) talks with Ewan Smith, founder and managing director of Air Rarotonga, who did exactly that.Plan a remote Cook Islands adventure with a Far and Away Adventures specialist. Ewan explains what made that kind of flying possible: careful technical work and self-belief. In the early years, with one aircraft and little money, an unscheduled engine removal could threaten the whole business. He says many aviation businesses in the region failed for technical reasons, and that looking after equipment properly is what keeps remote routes flying. His lesson from decades of flying through the oil shock, 9/11, the global financial crisis and COVID: perseverance is everything. Wild places feature in another way, too. Ewan produced a documentary on the reintroduction of the kura, the Rimatara lorikeet, with Gerald McCormack, and his aerial photography captures the islands from above. Those remote islands still depend on the airline. Ewan describes a medevac from Pukapuka, where there is no doctor, completed in a single day. He talks about the Northern Group as a unique experience for travellers seeking truly isolated places, with few places to stay, and why the airline is working to make it more available. Ewan arrived in Rarotonga in 1973, aged 22, as a pilot and engineer, and founded Air Rarotonga about four years later with one Britten-Norman Islander. His early flights to the remote Northern Group felt, he says, like going to Mars. He also flew the first aircraft into newly built outer-island airstrips, with whole villages coming out to see. Get a free trip quote from Far and Away Adventures: https://farandawayadventures.com/form/quick-trip-request/?dest=Cook%20Islands&src=spotify

2. 

   21 Oct 2026

   Beyond Bora Bora: Discovering Maupiti and the Marquesas

   French Polynesia offers much more than its best-known lagoon destinations. Valerie from Tahiti Tours joins Normand Schafer to discuss Maupiti, the Marquesas, and the importance of choosing islands that match your idea of adventure. Far and Away Adventures.com, https://farandawayadventures.com/, helps travelers explore these possibilities through personalized South Pacific vacation planning. For travelers interested in seeing different sides of French Polynesia, the conversation highlights how dramatically experiences can change between island groups. Valerie explains that activities should guide destination selection because the same opportunities are not available everywhere. Someone interested in hiking may need a different combination of islands from someone who prefers beaches, fishing, and lagoon exploration. Maupiti becomes a particularly interesting example. Normand describes its guesthouses, simpler style of accommodation, and remarkable lagoon. He emphasizes that visitors should understand what a more local travel experience may involve, including accommodations that do not necessarily provide every comfort associated with luxury hotels. Reaching remote islands can also require extra thought because transportation choices may be limited. The Marquesas provide a contrasting type of adventure. Valerie expresses her affection for these remote islands and their distinctive culture. Normand observes that the landscape is very different, while Valerie discusses the importance of cultural traditions and crafts. The exchange makes clear that choosing an island is not simply about picking a beach or a place to stay. Adventure also requires practical preparation. The discussion turns to flights, ferries, and the challenges of changing weather. Normand recounts a disrupted Maupiti-to-Bora Bora journey in which canceled transportation forced several itinerary adjustments before a workable flight was secured. Valerie explains why quick decisions and local support become especially valuable in these circumstances. If remote islands, local culture, and distinctive landscapes appeal to you, let Far and Away Adventures help design a French Polynesia journey that balances discovery with practical travel arrangements.

3. 

   17 Oct 2026

   Northern Group Shells and Island Crafts: Mrs Q at Punanga Nui Market

   Around her stall you will find the wider island world: flower ei, pareu, island foods and coconuts, and local oils such as monoi oil. For adventurous travellers heading out to the outer islands, or just starting in Rarotonga, the market is an easy first introduction to Cook Islands craft and culture. She also shares how the market itself was born. After the 1992 Pacific Arts Festival, the huts used by visiting countries for carving and weaving were kept in use, and Mrs Q, back from travelling Australia with her art, helped open the market in 1993. It began small, took years to grow, and kept going through COVID with local people. It now has a new building. Mrs Q makes jewellery by hand using shells from the Cook Islands' far-flung Northern Group islands and pearl shell. Her earrings and pieces are a small, wearable link to atolls that few travellers ever see, and she talks about how she turns these materials into something to take home. Some of the most remote islands in the Pacific are hard to reach, but their treasures find their way to Rarotonga. In this episode, Normand Schafer of Far and Away Adventures.com (https://farandawayadventures.com/) talks with Mie, known as Mrs Q, a founder of the Punanga Nui Market.Plan a Cook Islands adventure, from Rarotonga to the outer islands, with a Far and Away Adventures specialist. There is a lesson in grit here too. Mrs Q explains that there were few tour buses when the market started, and the local mamas and papas had to be persuaded to come and sell. During COVID the market closed for a time, but it kept going with its own people. That same self-reliance runs through life on the outer islands. Her advice is to come on Saturday, the biggest day, when locals and visitors fill the market.

Who has been a guest on Travel News

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Rob
• marine biologist
• Ahura Resorts team

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Apple Podcasts (US)

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1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 37 / 100

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Quality

74

Social presence

0

YouTube

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Engagement

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