Conchords lift off
Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie are Flight of the Conchords (www.myspace.com/conchords), “New Zealand’s fourth most popular folk parody duo”, and the best thing to come from the Land of the Long White Cloud since merino wool undies. Their new comedy series, already a hit in the US, starts on BBC Four on Tuesday. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival (www.comedyfestival.co.nz) takes place across the country each May.

Breathe easy
The adventure travel specialist High and Wild (www.highandwild.co.uk) has developed a lightweight, portable oxygen system for its trekking clients – up to 40 per cent of people who attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro fail to reach the top.

Weekend warriors
Those with-it people at Mr & Mrs Smith have just launched their latest book, Smith 52 (Macmillan, £21.95). It’s a weekend-by-weekend look at what you should be out doing instead of washing the car, taking the kids to footie practice, traipsing around IKEA and so on. Suggestions include the Monaco Grand Prix, San Sebastián film festival and Iceland Airwaves music party.

You’ve been tango’ed
Don’t cry for me, Marge and Tina... Journey Latin America (www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk) is organising four nights in Buenos Aires, leaving November 29. See the Police in concert, catch Maradona’s legendary club Boca Juniors play at the Bombonera stadium, then stock up on Christmas gifts with a personal shopper. Tango lessons to impress ’er indoors are included. The price is from £1,609pp, with flights.

You know it makes scents
In a panic about flying? A Wrist Angel (www.wristangel.co.uk, £6.95 plus p&p) could help to calm you down. The bracelet comes with different aromatherapy pads, including Stress Angel, Pick-me-up-Angel and Positive Angel. A sniff on take-off or at 30,000ft is pleasantly soothing and distracting. And it could blot out the smelly hippy backpacker next to you.

Web of the week
www.travelbeard.com
One should never forget the real point of the internet – to waste time when your boss isn’t around (Facebook, anyone?). This site has photos of people who have taken pictures of themselves wearing false beards while on holiday from Madagascar to Romania. You, too, can send in your own beardy snaps. The point? There isn’t one.

Will Hide

Trivia all over the world

Did you know that the world’s biggest lump of coal – which weighs 15 tonnes – can be seen at Bedwellty House in Monmouthshire in Wales? Or that the first lager brewery opened in Wrexham in 1881? Or that Britain’s first speed bumps were installed in Fulham in 1984?

Two books published on October 4 are full of little-known facts about Wales and London, part of a series of I Never Knew That guides that will expand to cover countries across the globe.

Author Christopher Winn came up with the idea for a series of “travel trivia” books after noticing that traditional guidebooks often miss quirky “behind-the-scenes stories”. He said: “The most ordinary places can be interesting, if you get talking to people and hearing their stories.”

Winn began travelling off the beaten track partially because he drove a Morris Minor that regularly overheated. This meant that he preferred back roads to motorways.

Wales and London join books on England, Ireland and Scotland, with France and America planned soon.
Details: I Never Knew That... (Ebury, £9.99).

News in brief

Dolce Vita
Italy is now the favourite destination for customers of Saga Holidays, the over50s travel group. Details: www.saga.co.uk/travelshop.

Singapore swing
Changi Airport in Singapore has won the best airport category at the Business Traveller awards for the 20th time in a row. Details: www.businesstraveller.com.

Sent from Coventry
Wizz Air will fly three times a week to Gdansk in Poland from next March from £40 return. Details: www.wizzair.com.

Vintage skiing
The website www.originalskiposters.com is selling vintage ski posters from the “golden age” of skiing in the 1920s.

Euro star
The inaugural Brussels to St Pancras run on the new high-speed rail link took 1hr 43min – 28min less than the current Waterloo service. St Pancras opens on Nov 14. Details: www.eurostar.com .

Tom Chesshyre