(Ancient) Green Acres

For more travel news, updated daily, check our blog, This Just In. Southern fare Atlanta hosts its annual food festival Oct. 11 and 12, with cooking demos by celebrity chefs. tasteofatlanta.com, $35. Lions and tigers and...segways A new two-hour rolling safari tour at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park lets visitors see wildlife from a Segway. sandiegozoo.org. Scuba do Cruise West is now offering scuba side trips on three of its South Pacific sailings aboard the Spirit of Oceanus this winter. cruisewest.com. Disney goes global Tour operator Adventures by Disney has eight new trips, including a safari in South Africa. adventuresbydisney.com. Aztec art The Field Museum in Chicago is the only U.S. venue that will exhibit "Aztec World," a show of nearly 300 artifacts. fieldmuseum.org, through April, $22. Not-so-pricey pampering Spas in the Midwest and across the East Coast will be offering $50 treatments for Spa Week, Oct. 13 to 19. spaweek.org Very hands-on The Please Touch Museum reopens in Philadelphia this month, including an Alice in Wonderland–inspired rabbit hole. pleasetouchmuseum.org, $15.

"We Were a World Away" The U.S. and New Zealand share a language, but Robert and Barbara found that, in many ways, the similarities stop there. "All of the pressure and the politics in the U.S.—we just didn't feel that there," says Robert. "It was refreshing!" Meats on wheels The BBQ Bus tour made a stop for kebabs and sausages and then went on to Milford Sound, where Barbara and Robert took a short cruise. Fit family The Page family hiked to a park outside of Christchurch. "It was kind of a trek, so we stopped at the lodge up top for drinks and cookies," says Robert. Hut sweet hut At a penguin sanctuary on the Otago Peninsula, the Pages watched as the birds waddled back to wooden huts at the end of the day. Lure lore Nina gave her dad a jade necklace for his birthday. "It's supposed to keep me safe on the water," Robert says. View to a thrill The Pages were struck by New Zealand's stunning views, like the one overlooking Tunnel Beach. "The country is just ridiculously beautiful," Robert says. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Nina's good friend Addie braved a 720-foot-long zip line. "Robert and I passed," says Barbara. Teach a man to fish Robert caught several snapper on a fishing-boat tour. "The captain told me about a shop that would fry them up for us," he says. "We ate fish-and-chips and drank a couple of big beers." Cheers! The Pages bought some wine at a winery near Queenstown. Later, they drank it on the balcony of the chalet where they stayed.

Interested in getting coached? E-mail us your questions—seriously, the more the better—to Letters@BudgetTravel.com. Want advice? Log on for our weekly Online Trip Coach chats, Tuesdays at noon (ET), and let our experts answer your questions. Click here to submit questions and browse our archived chat transcripts. DEAR TRIP COACH... We're heading to New Zealand to travel with our daughter, Nina, who's studying in Dunedin, and two of her friends. We enjoy beaches, hiking, good wine, and locally grown food. Robert and Barbara Page, Hardwick, Mass. FIRE AWAY! Should we rent a car or try to see everything by bus? Without a doubt, get your own wheels. You'd eat up too much time trying to coordinate bus schedules and then wind up missing sights as you rode past. Just keep in mind that Kiwis drive on the left side of the road, like the British. We get to Auckland in the morning, and we're not meeting our daughter until later that day. How should we kill time in between? You'll probably be exhausted from your long plane trip, but do your best to stay awake until you adjust to local time. Stretch your legs, drink lots of water, and get some fresh air. Auckland's Sky Tower is a great place to get a feel for the lay of the land. Be on the lookout for bungee jumpers leaping off the side of the 1,076-foot tower (011-64/9-363-6000, skycityauckland.co.nz, observation deck admission $19). Back on the ground, stroll among the 65-plus shops and vendors selling jewelry, crafts, and clothing at Victoria Park Market, which has live music at lunchtime on the weekends (victoria-park-market.co.nz). Or walk along Ponsonby Road, an adorable drag with galleries, restaurants, and shops (ponsonbyroad.co.nz). Just off the road is Western Park, a green space laced with walkways. Any recommendations for casual restaurants where locals eat? Pubs are hugely popular with New Zealanders. The Gables is the quintessential local pub, with quiz nights and hearty food (248 Jervois Rd., 011-64/9-376-4994, entrées from $9). The Belgian Beer Café, a chain with great steak frites and rich Belgian brews, is a little more upscale. At the Ponsonby location, in an ornate former post office, you can eat in a courtyard (1-3 St. Mary's Rd., 011-64/9-376-6092, theponsonby.co.nz, entrées from $11). You'll get breakfast at your B&B, but save room for a second round at 5 Loaves & 2 Fish. The friendly local favorite is revered for its strong coffee, tasty egg burritos, and thick, honey-cured bacon (208 Jervois Rd., 011-64/9-361-5820, breakfast from $6.50). What route should we drive to Northland? Take the Twin Coast Discovery Highway, which loops around the region. Do the east coast section in one direction and the west coast section in the other. If you time your trip right, you can catch a sunrise along the east section or a sunset along the west. Where should we stop on the way? BeesOnline, about 45 minutes north of Auckland, produces gourmet honeys and has an unassuming café that's big on local ingredients. Ask your waiter for whatever's freshest and see if you can taste the honey—there's some in every dish (791 State Hwy. 16, Waimauku, 011-64/9-411-7953, beesonline.co.nz, entrées from $13.50). Farther north, visit the 82-foot-high Whangarei Falls (whangareinz.com, free). The ocean isn't visible from most of the highway, so you'll have to detour a bit to see the water. Two worthwhile spots are Aranga Beach, where a steep hike leads to views at Maunganui Bluff (kauricoast.co.nz), and, 28 miles northwest of Auckland, Muriwai Beach, a craggy, dramatic stretch with lots of crashing surf (muriwai.com). Can you suggest an easy, scenic hike near Paihia? A Fullers Bay of Islands passenger ferry departs Paihia every half hour and, in about 15 minutes, reaches Russell, New Zealand's first permanent European settlement—now a vacation town (Paihia Wharf, Marsden Rd., Paihia, 011-64/9-402-7421, fboi.co.nz, $8 round trip). A walking path leads about a mile—with a few steep inclines—to the peak of Flagstaff Hill, which lies at the north end of the town. A Maori chief became famous for repeatedly ordering that the British flag here be cut down. At the top, there's a 360-degree view of the surrounding islets, beaches, and deep-blue waters of the Bay of Islands region (doc.govt.nz, free). We're flying to the South Island to visit Christchurch and Queenstown. Where should we eat? For a special meal in the heavily British-influenced city of Christchurch, try Curator's House Restaurant. The lamb and seafood are superb, and the setting—a Tudor mansion beside the Avon River in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens—might be even better (7 Rolleston Ave., 011-64/3-379-2252, curatorshouse.com, entrées from $13). Nearby, in a fantastic stone building that wouldn't look out of place in Oxford, England, is Annies Wine Bar & Restaurant, a more casual option that still works for a nice lunch or dinner and has a wonderful wine list (The Arts Centre, 1 Worcester Blvd., 011-64/3-365-0566, annieswinebar.co.nz, lunch from $12.50, dinner entrées from $20). Queenstown is full of decent pubs and restaurants, but for something different, go to Joe's Garage, a hip, laid-back café with toasted sandwiches and tasty all-day breakfast (Searle Ln., off Camp St., 011-64/3-442-5282, sandwiches $8). Finding a place to relax is a challenge in Queenstown, the so-called adrenaline capital of the world. If you're craving a little peace and quiet, drive 10 minutes from downtown to Amisfield Winery & Bistro, housed in a stone-and-timber building. Go for lunch so you can take in the views of the vineyards (10 Lake Hayes Rd., 011-64/3-442-0556, amisfield.co.nz, lunch from $12). Where can we find a nice setting for a wine tasting near Christchurch? About an hour north of town, Pegasus Bay Winery is a standout—and not just for its smooth reds. The gardens are teeming with fruit trees and herbs for the restaurant, and the rolling hills and vineyards look like they're right out of southern France. Both restaurant and winery rely on sustainable organic practices (263 Stockgrove Rd., Waipara, 011-64/3-314-6869, pegasusbay.com). Just outside the coastal town of Akaroa, on the peninsula southeast of Christchurch, French Farm Winery & Restaurant has a Tuscan-style restaurant; during the warmer months—usually late October through late March—the outdoor pizzeria is open. Order a couple of thin-crust pies to go with the wines (12 Winery Rd., Akaroa, 011-64/3-304-5784, frenchfarm.co.nz, pizzas from $17). We'd love to go horseback riding near Queenstown. Is that possible? Certainly. A 15-minute drive from town, Moonlight Stables is an 800-acre ranch with rides through open fields that look up to mountain peaks (69 Morven Ferry Rd., 011-64/3-442-1229, moonlightcountry.co.nz, rides from $71). The scenery at Dart Stables, 45 minutes from town, where some footage for The Lord of the Rings was filmed, is absolutely spectacular (58 Coll St., Glenorchy, 011-64/3-442-5688, dartstables.com, rides from $90). Unasked-for advice Visit the seaside town of Oamaru in the early evening, when the amazingly cute Oamaru blue penguins march back to their nests after a long day of fishing (Waterfront Rd., Oamaru, 011-64/3-433-1195, penguins.co.nz, $15).

Want an Upgrade? Enter here. The upgradees "Six years ago, my sister went to South Africa and invited me to join her on safari, but I said no. She brought back a wooden giraffe, along with amazing stories and photos, and I've regretted my decision ever since. Now I'm finally getting to go!" —Anne O'Brien, Woodside, N.Y. Using our powers for the good of the people When Anne O'Brien, of Woodside, N.Y., booked a Kenya and Tanzania camping safari, she was making up for lost time: Not only had she never been to Africa, but she'd never even gone camping. "I know, what a way to start!" she says. We contacted Intrepid Travel to see if Anne's first wildlife adventure could begin with a bang, and the company obliged: The day before their safari, Anne and her sister, Elizabeth, a fellow New Yorker, were whisked off to Giraffe Manor, a Nairobi-area hotel where Rothschild's giraffes roam the grounds and are free to interact with guests. "They were the largest things I'd ever seen," says Anne. "They were so friendly, but there was no way I was going to kiss one like Elizabeth did!" Anne did, however, feed a few at the Giraffe Centre next door. Then they were off to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for an exclusive visit with orphaned baby elephants. Prior to the trip, Elizabeth had sponsored an elephant there named Kimana, and it seemed that no introductions were necessary: "When we walked out of the bush," she explains, "Kimana left his herd and joined us for a stroll!" Many thanks to... Intrepid Travel, which plants a tree in Kenya—44,700 so far—for every week that someone travels with the company in East Africa (800/970-7299, intrepidtravel.com).