This post covers logistics from my recent trip to New Zealand, for posterity and in case any readers might be planning a trip. We mostly used the Lonely Planet guide to do our research, as well as lots of Web surfing. The Rough Guide was recommended as an alternative to LP by those we met.

Our vacation schedule worked out so we both had time off in the winter. We both love snowboarding and skiing (she's the skier) so a long ski trip would have been fun. But J has never been overseas, and she wanted to go somewhere warm, so we decided to go off to the antipodes.

First things first. Got J a passport and bought our nonstop tickets from San Francisco to Auckland on New Zealand Air. I highly recommend NZA. The cabins are spacious, the service first rate, and there was no shortage of food, snacks, or wine. They have a modern in-flight entertainment system with lots of good recent movies (some indie ones too). Thirteen hours is a long, long flight but NZA makes it about as comfortable as it can be.

Visitors from the United States can enter NZ with a tourist visa waiver; proof of return travel is required.

At the airport we bought prepaid SIM cards from Vodafone for my two unlocked GSM mobile phones. We didn't use them a lot, and have a lot of minutes left, but when we did they came in quite handy. (Anybody need sim cards for NZ? Email me.)

We decided not to get a car. I don't like driving to begin with, and I was even less willing to man the wheel since it meant driving on the left. Plus, we decided that a car is a hassle to park and refuel, and the driver has to worry about driving and can't enjoy the scenery. Instead we booked a Tranz Scenic rail pass, which includes ferry crossings to the South Island. The train was an enjoyable, relaxing way to travel, and we got to see a lot of the countryside. However, it tends to run very late - we were stuck at one station for over 2 hours! (Also, the food on board leaves a lot to be desired.) When we didn't take the train, we got around by a combination of tour buses, shuttles, taxis, and our own four feet.

Now, for our next trip to the South Island, we will probably get a car. It's just nice to have the flexibility to roam freely and not be tied to a train/shuttle/bus schedule. It also means a lot less hauling of luggage, which we were both tired of by the end. Just in case we got International Driver's Permits from AAA. (More on the luggage situation later.)

New Zealand welcomes tourists. Not only are the residents very friendly and helpful, but every city and town has a well staffed "iSite" tourist center. The center usually also serves as the bus station, and most have cafés and luggage lockers. The center staff will book accommodations and arrange shuttle transportation - crucial when you get dropped off the bus and realize you are miles from your lodging.

New Zealand food, particularly outside the major cities, derives its heritage from English food. Lots of sandwiches, tea, fish and chips, steaks, and beer. The food in the cities is much more diverse and interesting, with lots of good fresh seafood as well as Indian, Italian, and modern fusion offerings. All of the wine I had was excellent. I predominantly drank Chardonnay and Sauvingnon Blanc as my diet is heavy in seafood. New Zealand whites have rich, robust flavor that doesn't overwhelm the palate but instead rewards a second glass. New Zealand, being a former member of the Empire, serves tea everywhere, but espresso is the trendy drink.

The New Zealand doesn't stay up late, particularly in rural areas. We found this out the hard way when we arrived at one hotel late and couldn't get anything to eat past eight! We ended up ordering room service. If you like to keep a late schedule, keep this in mind.

Internet access generally wasn't a problem, except for the most remote areas. I used credit cards for most purchases, and for cash I converted travellers' checques at banks (there is a nominal fee). New Zealand isn't really that cheap. I would say prices were generally less than expensive parts of the United States, but only by about 30%. New Zealand economy (fueled by tourism) is growing rapidly and it's affected both exchange rates and prices.

The last item: luggage. I brought a small (35L) and large (50L) backpack. If I really needed to, I could wear both at the same time (one on the front), but it wasn't the most comfortable arrangement. J brought a backpack and a 25-inch rolling trolley from Hideo Wakamatsu. She bought it because it was pink and it was pretty. It was not cheap. If you are ever considering buying HW luggage, consider:

• The sides are soft ABS plastic that marks easily. The first time she took it on a trip it was abused by the baggage handlers and it ended up with big black streaks all over it.
• As we were leaving for the airport, the latch broke and we could not close the trolley. It is poorly designed and easily bent if you close the trolley while the latches are closed. In a panic we took the trolley to the store (fortunately nearby) and they swapped a new latch in.
• While we were in NZ, one of the four wheels jammed and broke its axle. J spent the rest of the trip rolling it upside down.

Suffice to say J is looking for new luggage.

Except for the trolley, we didn't run into any major difficulties during the trip. Surprising, perhaps, because we didn't invest that much time in advance planning. We had lodging and most of the major travel legs figured out, but the rest we made up as we went. If you want to go somewhere overseas where you'll get the maximum enjoyment for the minimum effort and stress, I would say it's hard to beat New Zealand.

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