This Just In!

"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).    

What's your best travel tip? Send us your tips, and if we publish one, you'll get a one-year subscription (or a renewal) to Budget Travel. You can e-mail them to us at Tips@BudgetTravel.com. Best Tips Ever The cleverest tips we've ever run are in The Smart Traveler's Passport, a handy book available at Amazon.com and select bookstores. Send us a tip: If yours is one that we illustrate, we'll send you a free book (and a year's subscription to the magazine). 1. DIY car insurance I collect vinyl bumper stickers—the kind that peel off without leaving a mark—and put them on the bumper when I get a rental. With my car dressed up like it's local, I don't have to worry about thieves who target tourists. Chris Manos, Centennial, Colo. 2. Beat the competition On our last cruise to Hawaii, most of the passengers rented cars to get around. When we got off the ship, everyone else began loading onto the rental-car bus, but my wife and I hopped into a taxi and paid a small fare to get to the rental-car agency. We were the first to get a car. As we drove off to explore, we noticed a long line of people from our cruise waiting for their wheels. Gary Kessler, Avondale, Ariz. 3. Strap happy If the strap from your travel bag or camera is digging into your shoulder, put a padded seat-belt cover on it. You can find these at most auto-parts stores for less than $10. Gretchen Hord, Weatherford, Tex. 4. Museum markdown The Museum of Modern Art in New York shows films every day for $10. If you keep your ticket stub from the film, you have 30 days to apply its value toward the museum's $20 admission fee. Carli Entin, Hoboken, N.J. 5. Scents and sensibility To avoid the hassle of taking a perfume bottle with me on trips, I spray my accessories with the fragrance before I pack. Dori Pappas, Drexel Hill, Pa. 6. Coming clean You can't always count on public restrooms to have soap, so it's best to take your own when you travel. The mini shampoos from hotels work great as liquid soap. Ed Foster, Texarkana, Tex. 7. Wrap star My husband and I line our suitcases with bubble wrap and layer it between our clothes. It's a life-saver: The wrap lies flat against the sides, keeps our clothes wrinkle-free, is almost weightless, and comes in handy when we buy breakables that we want to carry home. Nanette Ruffner, Miami, Fla. 8. Sew clever On a recent vacation in Rome, my husband accidentally sat on his glasses. As we were trying to fix them, we lost one of the screws. We searched throughout the whole city for inexpensive reading glasses but found only designer glasses that cost hundreds of dollars. In desperation, I got out my sewing kit and stitched the glasses together with a needle and thread. They held perfectly! Sandy Davenport, Destin, Fla. 9. Child's play When my husband and I travel with our kids, we always plan to spend a day at a local zoo or amusement park about midway through the trip. For example, we've gone to Leofoo Village Theme Park near Taipei and to Parc Astérix, an amusement park north of Paris. The trips are a good break from museums and monuments, and we always learn a lot about the local culture. Gwen Gibbons, Thousand Oaks, Calif. 10. If the shoe mitts¿ The little shoe mitts that are part of some hotels' complimentary toiletries are great for dusting your computer monitor or wiping the lenses of your glasses or camera. Kimberly Button, Orlando, Fla. 11. Show and cell Asking for help in another country can be tricky, but traveling with a camera-phone has made my trips easier. I've created a photo album with pictures of basic necessities like a bottle of water, a toilet, a taxi, and stamps. Now when I'm traveling and I don't know the word for what I need, I just show a local a picture of it on my phone. Jena Persico, Arlington, Va. 12. Indulge early At some point between booking and boarding a cruise, I go to the cruise line's website and order myself a gift or two—usually gift certificates to the spa or the casino. Prepaying for these is my way of treating myself without feeling like I'm blowing my budget while I'm on the vacation. Shauna Neuhauser, Apple Valley, Minn. 13. Ham it up On a recent trip to Ireland, my girlfriends and I rented two cars. In the southwest part of the country, the road signs can be very confusing, so we used handheld short-distance radios to communicate. Being able to talk saved us many times from getting separated on tricky turns and roundabouts! Lisa Gault, Starke, Fla. 14. ID your ID We have four passports to keep track of when our family travels, and we used to waste time at security trying to figure out whose was whose. Finally, I put the label maker to use and stuck our first names onto the front of each passport. Mary-Jeanine Ibarguen, Altamonte Springs, Fla. 15. Drop some pounds To avoid going over luggage weight limits, I've switched to using a large duffle with wheels. My midsize suitcase weighs 14 pounds, but my duffel bag weighs in at a mere 7 pounds. Shelby Spiva, Clifton, N.J. 16. Check it twice Look closely at your boarding passes when you do curbside check-in. On a recent flight, I checked in curbside and got boarding passes for both legs of my flight. As I headed to security, I realized I had been given someone else's boarding pass for the second leg! Tracey Madden, Dover, N.H. 17. Duck the cover charge If you're looking for a place to eat in Italy, check to see if the restaurant has a coperto, or cover charge. If you want only a light breakfast or lunch, skip the sit-down places, buy a pastry or panini from a bakery, and do some sightseeing while you eat. You can save a lot of money by doing this! Blair Sechrest, Cary, N.C. 18. When in Rome... Next time you book a rental car at a busy airport in a foreign country, don't be afraid to use the smaller European companies. On a recent trip to Rome, my husband and I decided to skip the American options and rent from Auto Europa instead (autoeuropa.it). When we landed, exhausted from an overnight flight from Boston, we walked right up to the rental counter and were on our way in less than a half hour. Jen Kelley, Acton, Mass. 19. Cruise control Because of a late connecting flight, my family and I missed our cruise departure from Miami. The cruise line offered to fly us to the ship's first scheduled port stop so we could join our group a few days later. We didn't want to miss so much time at sea, though, so we came up with a better solution: We asked the cruise line if we could join a different cruise leaving from Miami the next day. The company obliged, and we had a wonderful trip. It never hurts to ask! Mary Myers, Erie, Colo. 20. Throw on the towel My wife and I always bring our own towels to lay across our lounge chairs when we go to a beach resort, to a hotel with a pool, or on a cruise. Because most of the other guests use the white towels supplied by the resort, our chairs are easy to spot. We use the resort's towels to dry off if we go into the water. Brian Metzler, Fair Lawn, N.J.