New Zealanders call it tramping. A new hiking trail named after Sir Edmund Hillary, the climber who conquered Everest, opens on the second anniversary of his death, Jan. 11, 2010. The 50-mile, four-day trail covers some of the most spectacular bush and beach terrain on Auckland's west coast, including the Waitakere Ranges and Anawhata beach, a place Hillary called "the most beautiful on Earth." The trail begins about 35 miles west of Auckland. www.newzealand.com/travel.

LIFE'S 'WONDERS OF THE WORLD' SPANS ANCIENT TO MODERN SIGHTS

There were seven wonders in the ancient world, and contests have been held to identify manmade and natural wonders of the modern world. Now a new book, "Life Wonders of the World," offers another take on the concept, profiling 50 wonders in six categories.

The book includes the original seven wonders, but only one, the Great Pyramids of Giza, still exists; the seven manmade wonders that won the New 7 Wonders contest in 2007, plus the contest's seven runners-up; 14 modern manmade wonders, like the Chunnel, along with 14 more natural wonders, like the Amazon. A final natural phenomenon rounds out the wonder list: the Northern and Southern Lights.

The coffee-table hardcover book ($29.95) comes with a unique feature: Seven detachable stand-alone 8-by-10 prints. Once the photo is removed from the book, a copy of it remains underneath, keeping the page intact. The photos depict the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt; Angel Falls in Venezuela; Stonehenge; the Grand Canyon; the Vatican; Mount Everest; and the Empire State Building.

EARHART TOOK TO THE SKIES TO BECOME A GROUNDBREAKING ICON

In January 1935 Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean from Honolulu to Oakland, Calif. A plaque on a monument at Diamond Head Lookout commemorates her flight.

In the movie "Amelia," director Mira Nair presents Amelia Earhart, (Hilary Swank) as a legendary aviatrix, a female adventurer who navigates uncharted territory physically and sociologically.

Earhart (1897-1937) first took flight in 1920 in a plane that lacked a gas gauge, brakes or rear wheels. While the story of her fearless Kansas youth and vagabonding teen years may have added dimension to her character, the film races past her first 30 years.

It begins in 1937, then flashes back to the pivotal year of 1928, when publishing magnate George Putnam (Richard Gere) auditioned the 30-year-old flier for the role of first female to fly the Atlantic. In 1928 she took a backseat to male co-pilots. But soon Earhart took the controls as the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo and first aviator to twice fly the trans-Atlantic route. The film presents Earhart as the "new woman," who resisted gravity and society's expectations.

— Advertiser Staff and wire services