what did you...
 

You either WISH you would have packed? Or, what you DID pack and used the most often on your trip? My husband and I are preparing for our NZ trip (and I am looking for last minute gifts) and would love to hear your thoughts!

I wish I'd packed less stuff, or at least less heavy stuff. I wish we'd bought more lightweight clothing, including waterproof things - anything to get the weight of those damn bags down, even though we did stay within our 20 kg per person limit. I can't think of anything extra that I wished we'd packed. Always be prepared for the possibility of rain in NZ, by the way.

Well, this is probably going to sound weird, but we always take a plastic cone filter for making coffee (the type you place over a cup and pour boiling water over ground coffee to make drip style brew).

We love our morning cup o' joe, but dislike coffee from a French press and would rather skip it altogether than drink that instant stuff.

Most hotels/motels/cottages in NZ provide a coffee press, kettle and/or packets of Nescafe and tea.

So, we pack our trusty Melita one cup coffee filter, some small paper filters and a pound of our favorite ground coffee. Add some of that wonderful calorie laden fresh NZ cream and we're good to go.

In six trips to NZ, we've always, always needed our waterproof jackets, our fleece jackets and our hiking boots.

Self service laundromats are easy to find (and most hotels/motels have them), so it's easy to pack fairly light.

As far as gifts - if you mean what gifts to bring back - I usually bring back NZ calendars. If you're looking for gifts to take to NZ - I like to take regional cookbooks from my home town (and a set of American measuring spoons and cups if the person to receive the gift lives outside the US).

Have a great trip and be sure to post a report when you get back so we can all be envious.

Melnq8 - great idea for the cookbook and including US measuring spoons and cups is brilliant! That'll be going to my Aussie friends today.

Thanks and happy holidays,

mom

I was glad I packed some laundry detergent and fabric softener. I simply scooped one-load worth into several ziplock bags-- which saved me having to pay crazy prices for it in the hotel laundry room.

I forgot to add my packing tip.

I always bring a down throw in my carryon. It measures 52 x 60 inches and is very light and squooshes down to nothing. It comes in handy to keep warm (I hate airplane blankets near my face); I can fold and roll it as a lumbar support; fold and use as an adjunct to flat pillows in Europe; I've even used it waiting at train stations which often seem very cold.

My husband didn't want to bother carrying one, but he sure liked using mine!

aggiemom -

I'm guessing you live in Texas because of your screen name - just thought I'd mention that my favorite cookbook (which just happens to be from Texas) is the Wild, Wild West Cookbook published by the Junior League of Odessa (purchased mine in Houston). It would make a great gift IMO.

Thanks for the tip, Mel - I'll look into it!