New Plymouth is the sole port of refuge on the North Island's exposed west coast, backed by the spectacular cone of Mount Taranaki and offering a surprisingly vibrant city stopover for sailors on passage between Auckland and the Marlborough Sounds.

The Poor Knights Islands offer some of the Pacific's most spectacular diving and dinghy exploration — dramatic sea arches, vast caves, and extraordinary marine biodiversity — all within a day sail of Tutukaka on the Northland coast.

Ishigaki Island is Japan's subtropical frontier — a sailor's outpost at the far southwest of the archipelago where manta rays circle offshore, Ryukyuan village life continues on neighbouring Taketomi, and the wild jungle island of Iriomote offers one of Japan's most extraordinary nature experiences.

Tokyo Bay's southern marina complex at Zushi and Hayama puts the world's greatest city within reach — outstanding yacht facilities, the Izu Islands chain for offshore cruising, and bullet train access to Kyoto and Mount Fuji make the Tokyo region a compelling destination for Pacific-crossing yachts.

Okinawa is Japan's subtropical gateway — the first port of entry for sailors approaching from the south and the jumping-off point for the extraordinary Kerama Islands diving and the cultural riches of Ryukyuan history. Tomari Marina provides efficient and comfortable facilities in the heart of Naha.

Nagasaki is Japan's most historically distinctive port — a deep natural harbour flanked by hills, with 250 years of unique Western trading history at Dejima, profound atomic bomb memorials, and extraordinary multicultural food and architecture. One of Japan's most rewarding sailing destinations.

Osaka is Japan's food capital and most exuberant city — Nanko Marina provides a practical base for cruising Osaka Bay and the Inland Sea, with one of Asia's great dining scenes and Kyoto's world treasures 15 minutes away by train. The essential western Japan port.

Nuku'alofa offers cruisers an authentic introduction to Polynesian culture in a kingdom that has preserved its monarchy and traditions virtually unchanged — wandering past the royal grounds, bargaining at Talamahu Market, and watching outriggers skim across the lagoon at dusk are experiences money cannot replicate. As Tonga's best-equipped port of entry with fuel, provisions, chandlery, and repair facilities, it is the essential staging point for onward passages through the spectacular island groups to the north.

Minerva Reef is the ultimate passage-maker's waypoint — a pristine submerged atoll rising from the abyss of the South Pacific, offering shelter, spectacular snorkelling, and legendary fishing to those making the classic New Zealand to Tonga or Fiji passage. Stopping here, alone in an impossibly clear lagoon with no land in sight beyond the reef rim, is one of those singular ocean experiences that passage-makers speak of for decades.

Vava'u is the jewel of Tongan cruising — a magnificently varied sailing ground of protected channels, secret lagoons, and jungle-cloaked islands where the trade winds blow reliably and humpback whales roll alongside your hull. Whether you spend two weeks or two months exploring its 60-plus anchorages, Vava'u rewards the unhurried sailor with experiences that rank among the very best the Pacific has to offer.