TIP: Check all entry restrictions on your passport at all stops along your entire route before embarking on your holiday.

 TIP: If you have the luxury of time, budget 1¹/₂ -2 days for the glaciers (either Fox or Franz Josef) because your ability to go to the glacier is heavily dependent on variable weather.

 TIP: Franz Josef Village does not have too many motels, hotels, and B&Bs. Make sure you have confirmed reservations before you land up there, even more so in the peak season (January - March).

 TIP: Book your glow worm caves or Milford Sound tour from Queenstown itself.

 TIP: The period from late January to early April, especially during the Chinese New Year, is the peak tourist season in New Zealand. Book early to avoid disappointment - especially if you plan to hire camper vans or want a choice of cars to choose from. It is possible to book through web sites on the Internet.

 TIP: Camper vans get booked even faster than cars - book at least 2 months in advance to avoid disappointment.

 TIP: Camper vans get booked even faster than cars - book at least 2 months in advance to avoid disappointment.

 TIP: If you are an AA member (Automobile Association), make sure you ask for discounts on accommodation bookings, rental cars and motor vehicle insurance.

 TIP: Travel times - while If you are an AA member (Automobile Association), make sure you ask for discounts on accommodation bookings, rental cars and motor vehicle insurance.

 TIP: NZ weather is variable and could even changes several times within a day - sunny and warm one minute, cold the next, rainy the third... Factor this into your travel plans and also remember to carry some warm clothing which could be taken off if necessary.

 TIP: Keep your sunscreen handy because New Zealand's UV rays are among the strongest in the world due to the clarity of the air.

 TIP: Remember to carry anti-sandfly cream with you when you visit Milford Sound. You should be able to get them at most pharmacist stores.

 TIP: Both Australia and New Zealand are very particular about the food stuff you get into their countries. Specially trained sniffer dogs ensure that apart from the usual drugs, narcotics and contraband, you're not carrying any restricted food. They believe that the unique ecosystem of their country may get altered if they allowed the entry of substances that are alien to that region. So, make sure there is no uncut fruit or unbranded processed food that you're carrying with you. Customs in Australia and New Zealand are so serious about this that they even check the soles of your shoes to ensure that you're not carrying inordinate amounts of alien mud and muddy substances too!

 TIP: A typical motel custom we observed was that we were given a pint of milk and small pack of breakfast cereal at the time of checking in. Aileen had also "taught" us that we were expected to wash the dishes and leave them on the drainboard before we checked out and that we were supposed to leave the keys hanging from the door and simply drive away.

  TIP: When in Dunedin, try the raspberry cheesecake at the Bacchus - you won't regret it.

  TIP: Franz Josef Village does not have too many motels, hotels, and B&Bs. Make sure you have confirmed reservations before you land up there, even more so in the peak season (January - March).

  TIP: Motel, B&B, car and camper van rentals... you may book these on the Internet (where websites classify them by backpacker places, farmstays, B&Bs, motels, hotels etc). If you haven't had the time to do these bookings, you could still arrive in NZ and then call and book B&Bs or hotels from the airport (phone numbers are available at all airports). Even the Kiwis travel around a lot during the NZ summer (January - March) - so book early, especially if you have a tight schedule.

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