The tour rep described it as a scenic boat cruise around the spectacular Tassie coastline where whales, dolphins and sea birds frolicked in front of our digital cameras. Admittedly we may have built this up slightly in our excitement, but there were definitely some relevant details that didn't get mentioned... or heard perhaps....

This is the story of how a stay at the worst hostel I've ever experienced led to a private show put on by the French police....

Yahoo!Xtra staffer Matthew Ng takes a look at the best of the bunch from his travels....

"Egg!" my friend exclaimed when I told her where I was off to for the weekend. This is her word of choice when it comes to describing Rotorua. Others were even less kind with their descriptions when I mentioned my destination....

Having made the break from well-trodden London to resettle in unexplored New Zealand a year ago, I decided my parents' visit would be the perfect opportunity to check out the much lauded beauty of the South Island, and to see if it was indeed warranted....