2 . What comes to mind when you think of a museum? Perhaps you picture an imposing building in a rather traditional design made of high-quality stone. But according to the Museums Association, "a museum is defined as a place enabling people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment." And so of the 2500 estimated muse in the UK, a few are bound to be considered a little unconventional and peculiar. No matter how special your interest, there's a museum for you!

What about Neil Cole's Adventures in Science Fiction? This quirky (离奇古怪的) museum of classic science fiction was opened by founder Neil Cole. Visitors to this Allendale attraction in Northumberland can see items ranging from props used in the BBC series Dr Who to part of Thor's costume from the Avengers movie. "Science fiction has become more mainstream so I thought people might want to see this," says Mr Cole.

If clocks are more to your taste, why not visit the Cuckooland Museum? Set up by brothers Roman and Maz Piekarski, this Cheshire collection of over 600 cuckoo clocks is considered to be the largest of its kind in the world-and all from the Black Forest region in Germany.

Finally, you could visit the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities in London. This alternative institution dislikes the trend of educating visitors through written explanations alongside its exhibits. Instead, it displays a its all special treasures, which include dodo bones, shrunken heads and a collection of McDonald's Happy Meal toys, with no explanation at all.

These are just a few examples. There are many more wonderful institutions out there. All you have to do is go and find them!

3 . It’s no secret that Auckland(the largest city in New Zealand)is a diverse city full of different cultures and new research has shown exactly how it and the rest of the country are changing.

More than 200 ethnic groups are recorded as living here and Auckland has a wider variety of cultural groups than London or Sydney, with 40 percent of its population made up of different ethnicities.

The changing makeup of the country’s population is showed in the latest NZ Geographic magazine,which focuses on ethnic diversity,age,wealth and attitudes,drawn from the latest census(人口普查)figures.

Massey University humanities and social sciences research director Professor Paul Spoonley said Auckland’s multiculturalism today is way beyond what experts believed likely a few years ago.

Asian communities,in particular,in New Zealand have almost doubled since 2001,when 6.6 percent of the Kiwi people(New Zealanders)were Asian.The proportion(比例)in Auckland was 14.6 percent. By 2006,18.9 percent of the citizens in the city were Asian and today 23 percent identify themselves as Asian.

Nationally,the census showed 11.8 percent of the population was Asian—and that figure was increasing.“The figures are higher than I would have thought a few years back.”Mr.Spoonley said.“And the healthcare system is attracting Asian workers.”

The article also showed that Kiwis had overall become more accepting of migrant communities and particularly of Asian peoples.That had been a hugely noticeable change,Mr.Spoonley said.

An Asian community leader Kai Luey in Auckland said there were a number of things that attracted Asians to New Zealand and particularly to Auckland. “The environment is clean，there’s fresh air and there’s safety of food. There’s a good education system here in New Zealand...”

New Zealand was also considered to be a much safer place than many other countries,such as America,Canada and Australia.

4 . Attractions for Kids with Dinosaur Fever

While there are plenty of movies and books that can teach your little one all about dinosaurs, the following children’s attractions will allow them to come face-to-face with their favorite dinosaurs and learn in an interactive, fun environment.

1. Dinosaurs Alive at Cedar Point

Sandusky, OH

See the “age of dinosaurs” come to life with interactive exhibits based on real fossil evidence. At the Dinosaurs Alive section of Cedar Point park, visitors can walk among more than 50 life-sized dinosaurs which move and roar. See these gigantic lizards (蜥蜴) up close and learn more about the most fearsome period of the earth’s history.

2. The Chicago Children’s Museum

Chicago, IL

The Chicago Children’s Museum is filled with plenty of activities for kids of all ages, but one of the coolest has to be the Dinosaur Exhibition. At this exhibit, children can spend time digging for dinosaur bones at an excavation (挖掘) site, looking at dinosaur fossils, and learning what life is like for real archaeologists (考古学家).

3. Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Pittsburgh, PA

In addition to plenty of exhibits about wildlife, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History has one of the finest dinosaur fossil collections in the world. Visitors can see experts work with real dinosaur fossils in the PaleoLab. Make sure to snap a photo in front of Dippy, the scarf-loving dinosaur guarding the front of the museum!

4. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN

From the dinosaurs exploding out of the side of the building to the fossils within, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is filled with fun things to do. Kids can touch a real T-rex bone and see reconstructed dinosaur skeletons up close.

8 . As one of the most adventurous places to visit in South America, Patagonia deserves some serious travel time. These are my top recommendations for backpacking in Patagonia:

●Patagonia is probably the safest part of South America. I’ve hitchhiked in Chile without problems and would thoroughly recommend this as a form of transport. (Get tips on hitchhiking in South America here.)

●Car hire is also an interesting and rewarding way of seeing Patagonia, although booking in advance during high season is again recommended. I recommend using Rental Cars and suggest you check out this complete guide to planning a Patagonia road trip for essential tips and tricks.

●The shoulder seasons, October — November and March — April, are far quieter and cheaper for backpacking in Patagonia. Accommodation and agencies in some towns are sometimes not running in October or April though.

●Bus schedules vary depending on the season and change year-to-year. Always visit the bus station when you get to a new place to confirm timings and buy tickets for the next leg of your journey. It’s also important to plan additional days into your Patagonia backpacking trip in case you can’t travel on the day you had initially intended. For more information about this subject, check out this detailed guide about getting to Patagonia.

●Self-catering is by far the best way of keeping costs down on these Patagonia backpacking trips. Where possible, I’ve highlighted the best places to stock up on food. I’ve also written in more detail about visiting Patagonia on a budget.

●However, crossing the border between Argentina and Chile, you cannot take fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese or meat. It will be confiscated and if you don’t own up to it (particularly when heading into Chile), you may be fined.