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Getting thereNew Zealand and the South Pacific lie about as far away from the UK as it is possible toget so almost all trips will necessitate a long flight. There are many ways to make thisjourney a pleasant part of your trip including stopping off to discover another interestingdestination on your way. There is very little difference in actual flying time whether youchoose to travel westbound, eastbound or, indeed to travel around the world. Here are ourrecommendations for the most popular places to stop en route.USA864x4 trip in the desert, DubaiHollywood sign, Los AngelesYosemite National ParkThe most popular stop for travellers flyingwestwards is Los Angeles which provides a goodstarting point for exploring some of the USA’snational parks and Hawaii. The city itself is anon-stop, hedonistic playground with fantasticweather, miles of great beaches, excellentshopping and plenty of iconic sights familiar fromfilm and television. Don’t miss smart Beverly Hillsor Malibu, glitzy West Hollywood or the beachesof Santa Monica. Other options in Californiainclude the waterfront city of San Francisco, thestunning coastal drive between San Francisco andLos Angeles, Lake Tahoe, the vineyards of theNapa Valley and iconic national parks such asYosemite, Sequoia and Death Valley.The Far EastThe intoxicating cities of the Far East offer anexciting and exotic opportunity to break yourjourney. The principal cities are Bangkok, HongKong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and all arevery different in character. You may wish toexplore ancient temples, visit fascinating streetmarkets, experience the aromas and tastes ofexotic cuisines or simply relax on a palm-fringedbeach. It is easy to add a connecting flight frommany of these cities to visit either remoterregions and islands, or countries such as Vietnam,Cambodia, Laos or Burma.Buddha statue with long-tailed macaque, ThailandTwelve Apostles, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia’s great eastern cities of Melbourne,Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns are a relatively shortflight away from New Zealand and open upmany opportunities for exploring this wonderfulcountry. You may wish to take a few days toexplore Sydney with its Opera House andHarbour Bridge, go wine tasting in Melbourne,or perhaps go snorkelling or diving on the GreatBarrier Reef. Of course this enormous countryoffers many other possibilities too, including theRed Centre around Uluru/Ayers Rock and AliceSprings, the beautiful west coast city of Perth,the vineyards of the Margaret River or BarossaValley or the amazing rock formations in theNorthern Territory.The Middle EastMany flights route through the United ArabEmirates with stops in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai.Both offer a hot, dry and sunny year-roundclimate, superb beaches and tax-free shopping ingleaming, modern, air-conditioned shopping malls.In addition, exciting 4x4 trips into the desert,excellent golf courses and trips that uncover theregion’s ancient history are also available.Alternatively, you may wish to soak up theatmosphere in the silk and spice souks or hagglefor carpets and leather goods at the markets.