Where Could Your Family Live in the Pacific? Our 7 Destination Guides
🌊 Our Pacific Wish List
Some of our biggest family dreams sit in this part of the world.
The first is Milford Sound. Marty and I lived and worked there for nine months before the kids. It meant so much to us that we gave Leo the middle name Milford. One day, we want to take him to the place he’s named after. 🇳🇿
The second is closer to my Queensland roots. We’d love to do the Big Lap, the road trip all the way around Australia, and spend proper time exploring Tasmania. Both are firmly on our life to-do list.
Then there are the islands. Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, French Polynesia and Hawai’i each have very different costs, visa rules and rhythms of daily life.
This page is our directory: a short introduction to each destination, with a link to the full guide. Want costs, visas and schools side by side? Head to our Pacific and Oceania comparison.
🇦🇺 Australia
Australia is home for me, from surf beaches to the Red Centre. Our Brisbane estimate for a family of four is about €4,500 to €6,000 a month. There’s no digital nomad visa, so most visitors use visitor visas with strict conditions. It suits families who want outdoor life and strong services, and can handle the cost.
🇳🇿 New Zealand
This is the trip we talk about most, for obvious reasons. Since 27 January 2025, visitors can work remotely for overseas employers, as long as work isn’t the main purpose of the visit (Immigration New Zealand). Our estimate is €3,100 to €5,100 a month for a family of four. It suits outdoorsy families who don’t mind long flights.
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🇫🇯 Fiji
Our only time in Fiji was a single day in Nadi, on our way to Hawai’i, and it left us wanting more. Most visitors get up to four months on arrival, extendable to six. We estimate €2,000 to €4,200 a month, excluding school. Cyclone season runs roughly November to April, so plan a longer stay for the drier months.
🇻🇺 Vanuatu
For many Queenslanders, Vanuatu is the special-occasion island: my mum celebrated her 50th there. Australians, Dutch citizens and other exempt nationals can stay up to 120 days on arrival, with no extension or business activity. At about €2,400 to €4,700 a month, it’s not the budget option it’s often described as. It suits adventurous families, with an active volcano on Tanna and blue holes on Santo.
🇼🇸 Samoa
I knew Samoan culture through the Samoan families in Queensland long before I thought about visiting. Daily life in Samoa follows fa’a Samoa, the Samoan way, built around family, village and church. Most visitors get a free 90-day permit on arrival, but it doesn’t allow work. With an estimate of €1,500 to €3,200 a month, it suits worldschooling families who want culture and a slower pace.
🇵🇫 French Polynesia
This is where our mixed passports make the biggest difference. As EU citizens, Marty and the boys don’t need a long-stay visa, while I’d get 90 days as an Australian. It’s the most expensive destination here, at about €3,700 to €8,000 a month, and French is essential for schools and admin. It suits EU families with a strong income and some French.
🌺 Hawai’i
Hawai’i is part of the USA, but it belongs to the Pacific in every other way. Marty and I lived just outside Hilo on the Big Island before the kids, and it’s where I turned 30. Australians and Dutch citizens usually get 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program, with no extensions. Our estimate is €5,500 to €10,000 a month, so it suits ocean-loving families with a strong income.
Compare Them Side by Side
Costs, visas and schools vary hugely across the Pacific. Our comparison page lines all six countries up in one place, with the honest trade-offs of each. It also covers cyclone season, internet, time zones and which destinations suit which kinds of families.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Three questions narrow the Pacific down quickly.
- Which passports do you hold? Visa rules vary more here than almost anywhere. Australians can live and work in New Zealand, and EU citizens have an easier path in French Polynesia. Most island nations don’t clearly allow remote work on a visitor permit. Our guides to visas for nomad families and staying longer without a nomad visa explain the options.
- What can you realistically spend? Our estimates range from about €1,500 a month in Samoa to €10,000 in Hawai’i, before flights. See how the Pacific compares with the rest of the world in our cost comparison of 50+ destinations.
- When can you go? Cyclone season in the tropical islands runs roughly November to April. Our month-by-month guide helps with timing, and our health insurance guide explains why evacuation cover matters so much in the islands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these places have you actually been to?
Australia is home for me, and Marty and I lived in New Zealand and on Hawai’i’s Big Island before the kids. We spent one day in Fiji. Our Samoa, Vanuatu and French Polynesia guides are based on research and official sources, and we say so in each one.
Is Hawai’i in the Pacific or North America?
Both. It’s geographically part of Polynesia, but it’s a US state, so US visa rules apply. That’s why it also appears in our North America guide.
Do you have a guide to Tasmania or the Big Lap?
Not yet. Both are on our wish list, and we’ll write about them properly when we’ve done them. For now, our Australia guide covers costs, visas and where to base yourselves.
Where can we compare costs and visas side by side?
Our Pacific and Oceania comparison puts all six countries in one grid, with tips on cyclone season, internet and time zones.
Our Takeaways
The Pacific isn’t one decision. It’s seven very different ones, from Australian road trips to islands where Sunday is for church and family lunch.
For us, it’s also personal. One day we’ll drive the road to Milford Sound with the little boy who carries its name, and maybe tick off the Big Lap along the way. 🚐
Until then, these guides share our memories and our honest research. We’ll keep updating them as our own Pacific story grows. For more ideas beyond the region, see all our family-friendly destinations, or read why the ocean makes such a good worldschooling classroom.
Last updated 28-09-2026. Visa rules and costs change, so always check current details before you travel.
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