Hawker centres abound but the Maxwell Centre, one of the biggest, is a good place to start your cheap-eats journey.

Tristram Clayton is co-host of NZ Herald Focus, here he shares his most memorable travel memories.

Tim Bray appreciates the past of Auckland's theatre industry and how it has become home.

Apart from the traffic/road conditions safety aspect I was also wondering about personal safety while biking around.

A short drive from the city lies Brisbane's Scenic Rim region where you'll find national parks, local wineries and quaint country towns.

At Mangarara, they put the planet before money, writes Tim Roxborogh.

Stop! This is the empire of the dead, reads a sign greeting visitors at the entrance to the two-kilometre long tunnels filled with bones, writes Patrick Fort.

Tablets are catching up to toys when it comes to travelling with kids and a free hotel breakfast is a must.

As far as activities, the Botanic Gardens are a must and free guided tours are available twice a day.

Gratuities are being solicited more than ever and travellers are prime targets.

My question is, can pilots vary the planned routes as he did or do they need airline approval? But it did save time on a long direct flight.

Books can take you places, but Steve Braunias wants to go for real to the exact place he's been reading about.

Formerly known as Joliffetown and Moonlight Gully, it was subsequently named for the Blackball Shipping Line, which leased land in the area to mine coal.

Stay at the Ovolo Hotel in the former wool store-cum-Naval building on Finger Wharf (Russell Crowe owns an apartment at the end).

You're more likely to come down with a nasty bug than be injured while travelling - and that touch-screen entertainment device could be responsible.

Tourists who don't do their research can make all kinds of cultural gaffes abroad for something as simple as a hand gesture or a drink order.

It's understandable to feel a bit panicked over the Zika virus - it's all over the news right now.

Once known as the 'Pearl of Asia', Phnom Penh is filled with French colonial buildings and has a picturesque riverside promenade.

Formerly a mill town, the area was surveyed in the 1880s, in 1903 the main trunk line came through and the school was opened in 1904, the same year the phone line was brought in.

For travel in South America, she recommends carrying a mixture of US dollars, partly in cash and partly in travellers' cheques, or ATM cards.

Here are our top five sites to see the best sights the Pacific has to offer under water.

People rush back and forth behind the window, calling out orders as they move in seemingly synchronised motion.

Time travel is difficult-but not impossible: witness the nostalgia-seeking horde that descends on Napier for the Art Deco Weekend each February.

Just like Auckland in 2011, as we swung into Rugby World Cup mode, Brisbane has undergone a rejuvenation and had an injection of coolness

Remember to withdraw cash when you're in big cities or airports, as smaller locations might not have the facilities available.

One of my best mates is a total pro when it comes to finding memorable, well-priced accommodation anywhere in the world, from New York to Invercargill.

Most road rules in New Zealand for motorhomes are similar to those for cars.

On a hot air balloon ride over the Gold Coast you're treated to magical views, as warm ocean currents meet a lush green hinterland for 30km from Coolangatta to Southport.

You don't have to travel to remote parts of Australia to experience its indigenous culture. There's plenty on offer right on Sydney's doorstep.

We were greeted in New Plymouth with a powhiri, an aeroplane-shaped cake, several Taranaki mayors, and a couple wearing his-and-hers Crocs.