My partner and I are planning to visit New Zealand next year, and we want to break the journey in each direction. Neither of us has been to the Far East before, but are there other stopover options besides these? Jon Foster, by email

Doc Holiday responds: The recent boom in New Zealand tourism means that there are almost as many stopover options en route to Auckland, as there are to Australia. The most popular options are still Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok, and any of the consolidators and travel agents selling fares to New Zealand will offer lots of flight options, hotels, and local tours too.

Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok are each fascinating choices, where you can enjoy a few days break from your long flights, in extremely vibrant surroundings. Also in the region, and on the way to New Zealand, are Kuala Lumpur, Brunei, Taipei, Seoul, Osaka, and Tokyo. A newcomer to the route is Emirates, which lets you stop in Dubai. Although you might prefer to split the flights up more equally, as the flight from Dubai to Auckland still takes about 20 hours.

Heading west, you can stop in New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. Or for a really exotic option, Air New Zealand's Coral Route strings together various South Pacific Islands. You could spend a few days enjoying the laid back atmosphere of Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, or Tahiti. This is particularly great value, as the cheapest return ticket to any one of them from the UK, is usually considerably more expensive than stopping there en route on a return ticket to New Zealand.

Lastly, and usually the most expensive option, is travelling via Latin America, and stopping off in either Buenos Aires or Santiago. On the latter, you could be even more adventurous and see Easter Island on the way from Chile to Auckland.

For details on fares and hotels, try Trailfinders (0845 0585858, www.trailfinders.com), Austravel (0870 1662020, www.austravel.com), Travelmood (08700 660004, www.travelmood.com), Quest Travel (0871 423 0135, www.questravel.com), Bridge and Wickers (020 7483 6555, www.bridgeandwickers.co.uk), and Travelbag (0800 082 5000, www.travelbag.co.uk).

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