New Zealand Books

Flenley and Bahn have created an incredibly comprehensive reconstruction of Easter Island's history. They cover the origins, flora, fauna, tides, culture, language, stone carving, etc. In fact, for a layman such as myself, the sheer volume of details is a bit overwhelming, and I frequently found myself skimming. (I really didn't want to know that much about Chilean palm tree nuts or pollen samples.)

The authors make their very plausible (and exhaustive) case that the Easter Islanders doomed themselves by invoking an ecological disaster, possibly compounded by drought, which led to starvation and internecine warfare.

The stone giants are the embodiment of some sort of archetypal figure from the human subconscious and have fascinated generations. I came away from the reading most impressed by the fact that every scientist, archaeologist, doctor, engineer, or assorted wing-nut who had seen the stones was compelled to try and figure out how they were carved or moved. The megaliths seem to cast a spell over the most sane and rational people. (I found myself telling my husband we should go there for our next vacation)

While somewhat compelling, this book was really not what I expected. I found it to be basically a reiteration of the first edition published in 1992. Have the authors nothing new to say? I would skip this book- not worth the read- there is so much wonderful material out there on Easter Island. This seemed like a waste of good time. Next!

This is an excellent, up-to date (2003), fairly easy read of an astounding place, Rapa Nui, the island in the South Pacific better known as Easter Island. This is in fact an updated edition of an earlier 1992 edition, that has been revised to incorporate new ideas and developments in research into a place which has seen quite a deal of academic interest and debate over the last few decades.

It is, as the title suggests, mostly a discussion of some of the more enigmatic and mysterious aspects of this small island at the 'edge of the world', so to speak. Discussions include how the Polynesians got there in the first place (several thousand kilometres from just about anywhere), what happened to the island's original flora and fauna, why there are now virtually no trees on the island, why and how they built and transported the enormous statues, why their culture seemingly underwent several periods of cultural implosion, and how they came to have their own system of rudimentary symbolic writing-no small thing incidentally- since it is only one of a handful of societies where a form of writing is thought to have arisen independently (although this is debated for Easter Island).

Rest assured, once one delves into the detail and human richness of the history and culture on Easter Island, (past what one hears via the grapevine or via populist travel articles), one begins to find things one did not quite expect. Put simply, it becomes a kind of mirror of the human psyche, of humans in close interaction with their primeval environment, with all its ghastliness and beauty, and their myriad inclinations towards both the tragic and the beautiful.

Take for example, the extreme feeling of isolation that a seafaring culture must have felt, of being stranded, once all the original tree species had been cut down and driven to extinction, and they couldn't make any more sea craft (something a number of environmentalists have pointed out). Imagine the keen loss of traditional values that must have been felt, once the statues were thrown down (in a probable revolution of some sort), or the desperate alternative worship of man-like birds, who could fly away into the sea and escape their lonely, now barren, isle. And what about the island's trees in the first place-there was a highly prized native palm on the island, that could be sourced to transport statues, make ropes, make sea craft, and provide an alcoholic sap amongst other things, which was driven to extinction by the islanders-whether by over-exploitation, neglect, or through an inability to adapt and change, or all of them. And there are even suggestions that is was in the making and transporting of the statues themselves which at least partially caused the islander's ultimate cultural downfall-the transport of the statues required the felling of timber, and if one of these two practices had to cease or change, it probably wasn't the felling of timber.

It is difficult to know for certain what variety of factors were responsible for the extinction of the prized trees, but no doubt isolation, neglect, and an inability to change must have been major factors. In addition, the Polynesian rat evidently had a big appetite for native palm nuts (teeth marks in nuts). Without the timber from the trees, soil erosion and degradation set in, and most importantly they couldn't make wooden boats to fish, and so they began to starve. Archaeological evidence also indicates an outbreak of warfare at about the same time as the trees became extinct. There is indeed a myriad of archaeological evidence here to delight anyone interested in the rise and fall of nations and cultures to be sure, scattered in caves, swamps, dwellings, quarries and various other places on the island.

Another interesting discovery is the preserved fossilised roots of native palm trees, which are almost identical to the modern day, very versatile Chilean species. Also of interest to me was the subtle development from religious ritual and symbolism, to depiction of the same on favourable rock outcrops, ultimately to communication of the same on wooden articles-the Rongorongo script. In short-'religious ritual' to 'writing'. Writing originating as art inspired by cultural isolation? There are suggestions here that it was the Spanish who influenced this trend towards writing, but after reading the debate here, I'm not convinced. The extreme isolation to me suggests a kind of inspired artistic innovation or expression. Readers might also be surprised to learn that the origin of the Polynesians themselves is from Taiwan in about 4000 BC-an island nation, that has frequent political troubles, and I presume also may have had, around 4000 BC??.

There are various other discussions on the geology, geography, climate, the infamous Kon Tiki expedition, genetic research into islander origins, Polynesian dispersal and seafaring, archaeological excavations (of course), agriculture, general ecology, statues and ceremonies, food issues, the western human impact from the 18th century onwards, the introduction of smallpox, western religion, slave trading from Peru in the 19th century, and revised views on issues concerning resource sustainability, and ultimate parallels with the rest of the world. It is worth mentioning here that the first edition received some criticism for failing to note differences in resource availability with continental landmasses (which have a larger degree of alternative resources, and further discoveries of eg minerals), and these issues have been incorporated in this revised edition. Comparisons are also made with two other pacific islands, although in somewhat limited detail, Mangaia and Tikopia, which experienced similar ecological and cultural crises, but apparently managed to 'see them through'. There are also a number of black and white and colour plates, and quite a few diagrams which provide good support to the discussions.

An excellent overview of a thoroughly fascinating, and always surprising place.

This is likely the most comprehensive and authoritative work available on the mysteries of Easter Island, concerning its unique culture and its famous statues. The writing here is rather dry, with only occasional glimmers of personality, though the knowledge presented is robust and is usually entirely readable for the interested layperson. The book gets off to a pretty slow start as Flenley and Bahn unnecessarily debunk the discredited theories of Thor Heyerdahl, while they seem to have a colonialist-style disdain for the memories of the present Easter Islanders. The book eventually improves, presenting a general history of the island and an overview of its isolated brand of Polynesian culture. Utilizing archeology, linguistics, botany, anthropology and other disciplines, we learn here that the Easter Island culture evolved out of a likely total isolation from their Polynesian kin (it's one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth), adapted to specific environmental challenges, and developed a highly unique society focused on building giant statues and monuments. But at some point the closed cultural and environmental system collapsed, probably with deforestation and soil erosion as the root causes, and the rich island culture broke down into mayhem and anarchy. This is a chilling lesson for humankind, though Flenley and Bahn wrap up the book with a pretty weak and predictable environmental message for the world. [~doomsdayer520~]

I picked up her book on bicycling in Spain at the library and liked it so much I bought Fried Eggs and Chopsticks and eagarly awaited the release of Kiwis Might Fly. Her books are written for the arm-chair traveler to laugh over but not emulate. Her personal experiences plus brief forays into history make a very enjoyable read.

I was given this book from a friend as a vague taster of NZ before I headed down there for a year and they seriously recommended reading it. I didnt know much about New Zealand and didnt really feel like I needed to know much about its history or landscape. But as I started reading this book I was suddenly fuelled with intregue and curiosity about the beauty of NZ and how it came to be. Based on a personal perspective of Polly Evans who decided one day that she's bored of Rainy England and feels it a good idea to ride around NZ on a 600cc on a mission to find out if the modern Kiwi bloke really is on the verge of extinction, this extremely funny book boasts educational references, drama, personal reflection and a fairly decent overview of NZ as a whole. Despite the strange theme, the book delves into personal experiences of many of the sights and attractions around NZ, clear and detailed references to the history different places and events, lots of good clean British humour and an engrosing writing style of adventure. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be inspiring and and exteremly interesting. Plus there arent many books that make me laugh out loud, and this one did, a lot! I've also used this book as a good reference to many trips out so far, handy!

This book is less about The Kiwi Man (its ostensible theme) than it is about Polly Evans and her newfound love of motorcycling. If you want a sometimes entertining overview of things to do and see in New Zealand, this isn't a bad choice, but a cursory overview is all it is. I read it in an afternoon. Deep, it's not: some of the background info sounds as if she pulled it off of a tourist brochure. And it could use a good editor (why, or why, does she get paid to write books when she doesn't know the difference between further and farther?) I got none of that Bill Bryson I-love-these guys feeling for the people of New Zealand, nor did I get that (often entertaining) sense of grumpy irritation that so many travel writers affect (though she sometmes seems to attempt it, it just comes off as mean and off-point, as with the minister's wife and the potato peeler...very odd). Come to think of it, I learned very little about New Zealand at all, other than it's very pretty, has a wide range of weather and topography, offers some nice roads for motorcycling, and is filled with mostly nice people who are happy to help tourists. I knew all of this. Oh, I did learn that it's frighteningly easy for a novice to rent an oversized motorcycle there.

Ms. Evans has to reach way too hard to incorporate her "theme" through most of the book (her attempt to tie it all together in the last pages is laughable). She occasionally tries out an overly arch tone that is intensely irritating -- I found myself skimming those parts -- and she sometimes falls into the "and then I went here and turned around and went there" style of a boring blog. Perhaps this would have been better if she'd been honest about her real subjects -- her motorcycle and herself. Presumably, the meaningless title for this book was chosen by the publishing house, as it has nothing to do with the text. Maybe there are too many chick-motorcycle-travel books for yet another, but a more honest tile for this book would have been something like _Kawasaki Kiwi: How I Got My Groove On and Learned to Fly_. After all, what really happened is that this gal had an affair with a bike. It just happened to have happened in New Zealand. The search for The Kiwi Man had sod all to do with it.

It's difficult to write travel books with a "twist" but Polly Evans has a pretty good try here in a book that has two on the go at the same time. First, a lady with no previous motorbiking experience passes her test in the UK and, only a couple of weeks later, hires a 500cc road bike to circumnavigate the whole of New Zealand. Brave or stupid, her gradual mastery of this "monster" provides an engaging backdrop to the journey and results in a series of hilarious problems. Second, she sets out not only to see the country but to discover whether the traditional Kiwi male - the pioneer who could mend a clapped out tractor with a rubber band - still exists. A quest which allows her to include some fascinating facts about New Zealand's development, takes her to places that most tourists miss, and gives her the opportunity to ruminate on the issues facing a traditionally male dominated society in the process of change.

All good stuff but the problem is that, as with many "I'm off to see the country in a few weeks" travel books, she can only scratch the surface of the place. For example, in Christchurch she takes an immediate dislike to its "faux" Englishness, with its boatered punters and its school children in 1950's uniform, without having the time or inclination to get behind why these things exist. As a result, her conclusion that the city is in some form of ridiculously nostalgic time warp completely misses the point that this need to replicate the safety & security of "home" was an integral part of the male "pioneering spirit" she is in fact seeking, and that Christchurch with its strong links to rural farming communities still embodies, more than any other of New Zealand's major cities, this particular aspect of its history and life.

Truth is that it's virtually impossible to draw objective conclusions about a country or its people without immersing yourself in it and, with only a couple of days in each place, what she in fact ends up with is a series of intriguing snapshots rather than any real answers to the question she sets herself. But, no matter, because, in the end, it's an enjoyable ramble which, on the way, provides an excellent "primer" into New Zealand's history, captures a great deal of what a tourist can expect to see when there, and includes some wonderfully entertaining incidents as you follow her round its beautiful landscapes on her huge machine.

I really enjoyed this book for what it was--a passage of time. I'll spare you the synopsis since 2 other reviewers have given you that already.

What I liked about this book was at times you can actually hear yourself groaning along with the characters bad decisions, and wanting to give them the high five when they make the good/best/or right decision. The ending left me feeling a bit disconnected, but I think that was the point.

It's a light easy read. No great mysteries of life solved here, you'll be disappointed if you're looking for that in this book.

For the most part, I strongly agree with the previous review. I originally discovered Perkins when I came across "Not Her Real Name", a collection of brilliantly written short stories about a somewhat lost generation. I was thoroughly impressed and couldn't wait to read the follw-up. However, after reading "Leave Before You Go", I must say, I AM a little disappointed. While I found myself able to connect with the unwittingly emotionally bankrupt characters that she portrays, and yes, both cheering and jeering at their decision-making skills -- I felt like I was being dragged in circles. In the end, I also felt disconnected and unsatisfied -- like there was not resolution or character DEVELOPMENT at all. However, I haven't lost my faith in Perkins yet. Her uniquely tangible descriptions always leave me wanting more.

Emily Perkins is supposedly one of the new and talented voices of todays New Zealand literature. By chance I read some of her articles in a magazine. It struck me that she seemed to be writing for young women, but still definitely had a talent. Just as much by chance I came into possession of her first novel, "Leave Before You Go", but here my curiosity turned into direct disappointment. The novel starts off with Daniel, a young Englishman, bored with his uneventful life in England, and so he decides to take the risk as a one-time drug courier. He ends up in New Zealand where he meets Kate and her friends who are equally dissatisfied with their lives. Again I get the impression that Emily Perkins is turning to other young women her age, who are in turn bored with their lives and maybe haven't anything better to do than reading this unfascinating and uneventful story. Nothing much happens, and the descriptions both of Auckland and a trip further south in the country are straight out dull. There are occasional moments better than others but all together the entertainment value hardly exists, neither in the storyline, the character portrayals or in the language itself. If I was an 18-year old girl, not having read any other books by my own free will, I might have given it three stars. I'm giving it two stars because of the moments where she does display her talent, but if Emily Perkins can't come up with anything better than this in more than 200 pages, she should probably concentrate her talent on the short stories and essays in women's magazines. Honestly!

Increasingly many young (and not so young) people live aimless lives. Perkins paints a realistic picture of half-a-dozen of them.

No, she doesn't paint it. She photographs it.

Here, Daniel is a Brit who takes a one-way trip to New Zealand as a one-time drug runner, and ends up destitute there. The Kiwi scene centers around Kate, a very-small-time cinema usherette who's single and looking. Unlike fairy tales, they don't pair up promptly. Instead they drift...

If you like to see your world in black and white, skip this. If you see it in shades of grey and want to get a glimpse of life at the unmotivated end of the human spectrum, it's very useful.

I thought this was a good, thorough book that contained all the info you might need to know if you're considering moving to New Zealand.

I found thins book to be not at all helpfull to me in moving to New Zealand. In fact I found it to be very out of date and the back section that talks about the Kiwi people and their way of life seemed depressing to me. I found the book to be constantly stereo typeing Kiwis. Sheep, beer, rugby etc. I think that the information in this book was true 10 years ago but a lot has changed in New Zealand in that time, especially in the cities. The information in this book is all available on the internet and it is constantly updated there.

I bought this book about a year ago, just as I was beginning to think of a move to New Zealand. Well, here we are, one year later... and I'll be there in four weeks time!

This book helped me so much that I simply had to write a review of it before leaving. There are only about twenty books on my list to take with me to NZ, and this is one of them. I can't recomend it highly enough.

I've been to NZ a handfull of time now. I find this book to be right on the mark. It captures just about everything you need to know about living and working in NZ, and many thing you don't need to know... but are entertaining in their own right.

Mr. Hempshell touches on everything that a prospective migrant would want to know, with a great deal of humor as well (I love the little cartoons). I also bought books which were supposed to be about immigrating to NZ. Steer clear of these books. They tell you nothing that you can't find out for yourself on the NZ immigration web site.

If you are thinking of moving to NZ this is the book for you. Of all the books about NZ I've bought this year, this is the only one I still refer to. You'll not go wrong, trust me.

I read this book before i went on a vacation to New Zealand last year. It was fairly informative. If you have absolutely no knowledge of the country, this book will be very helpful. However books such as this one are not extremely useful, even if they were updated each year. (which this book isn't) The section about Television in New Zealand was outdated. This book makes it seem that even the best satellite service will not compare to even cable in the US. In other words, their television offerings are scarce. However, I found that to be untrue. Sky TV offers many channels and has good variety. This is just an example of how this book cannot possibly keep you informed about a rapidly changing country like New Zealand. The point is, if you really want the scoop on living in New Zealand, ask your friends who've visited for information. An even better way is to search on the internet. Go to a chatroom that has New Zealand inhabitants and ask them. They are very friendly.

Unlike the previous reviewer whose academic qualifications are unknown, James Bellich is a well-known historian in this country. Whenever anyone in this country attempts to portray the truth about a shameful episode in this country, they are met with howls of protest and outright lies. History has always been taught here from the perspective of the so-called winners, very few Non-Maori know the true facts and sadly even less care. Anyone who wants to read the truth should read this book.

I recently returned from North Island and toured the Waikato with James Belich's book in hand. As an indepth review of the New Zealand Wars or a primer for British-Maori relations, the book is indispensible.

Twenty years after its publication, this remains one of the most controversial interpretations of an aspect of New Zealand history. The book opens with an inequivocal statement of intent: "This is a revisionist history of the New Zealand Wars." Although it was initially hailed as a brilliant new interpretation, however, large sections have since been discredited in detail.

As examples, Belich claims (incorrectly) that Maori invented modern trench warfare; that the Ngapuhi chiefs Hone Heke and Kawiti 'won' the Northern War of 1845-6; that the British never understood, and therefore could not counter, Maori strategy; that the British defeat at Gate Pa in 1864 was the result of a Maori 'ambush'....the list goes on. What is interesting is that no military historian - Maori or non-Maori - has ever endorsed his interpretation.

Belich's reputation suffered a blow in 1998, when a television series based on this book was parodied by satirists and ridiculed by military historians. His reputation suffered what should have been a fatal blow in 2000, when it was revealed that some of the references in the book did not exist, but had been 'created' to support the argument. Belich's dwindling number of supporters are now reduced to making silly comments about his critics, rather than debating points on their merits.

Notwithstanding, this book is worth reading. However, it must be read alongside the earlier works that Belich dimisses with such contempt (particularly Cowan's 'New Zealand Wars'). Readers should be aware that Belich has no standing as a military historian. This is most clearly demonstrated by his use of the terms 'strategy' and 'tactics' indiscriminately, and his complete lack of comprehension of operational art.

Probably the book's greatest value is as a demonstration of revisionism 'gone too far', and what happens when a historian arranges the 'facts' to suit his or her thesis, rather than testing his or her thesis against the facts.

Prof. Belich has become 'the authority' on the New Zealand Wars and this book has become the standard text. This is hugely unfortunate. Not only is Belich's thesis that the native Maori were tactical and strategic wizards that were more than capable of facing the might of Imperial Britain (and in the process 'invented' a totally new form of trench warfare) profoundly flawed, the manner in which be supports his thesis is somewhat dubious. Belich frequently leaves out information that conflicts with his argument and often deliberately misquotes sources in support of what he wants to say.

The disagreement and debate regarding any given interpretation of an event is a normal and even critical part of the academic or social environment. The fact that Belich presents a revisionist thesis on a subject that has not been comprehensively dealt with for 60 or so years is to be applauded, and certainly the fact that it has provoked a renewed interest in the subject here in New Zealand is wonderful. Alas what is not so good is a social historian who masquerades as a military historian who, when he cannot bend a source to fit his thesis, ignores it.

Roel van Leeuwen mithras@wave.co.nz

Little to do with Spain has this charming narrative of a bi middle class kiwi man experiencing the problems of coming out. Mr Ihimaera takes us through different settings to explain the perceptions, relations and crafty names the hero gives to the people who make up his sentiments. In fact the nick names and images are the most imaginative part of the tale. 'The gardens' are a gay sauna that the hero returns time and again as if to gain perpective from his inner ad outer conflicts. Gripping as the story is the author could have left more to the imagination of the readers with out being so explicit about what is what in the tale.If he would have done so it could have been forgiving the over sugary romantic, politically correct, family orienteted, post aids poor ending he gves to the story. Nevertheless it's a good one for someone who wants to 'come out' clean saleswise.

I wanted to like this book - because I liked 'The Uncle's Son' a lot - despite its flaws (of which, are similar to the ones found in this book - inconsistent actions made by unlikeable characters.) I found the main character, David completely self-obsessed, unlikeable and ultimately, not a person who makes strong decisions in keeping with his (underwritten) character. Understanding his marriage with Annabelle (another severe sad sack of a woman - female characters are not a strong point here - they're all in awe of David, the formidable protagonist who women constantly lust after) - and his reluctancy to end a glaringly bad union is something this reader never got. It seems a forced plot point - especially when he's constantly quoting the 'love of his life', endlessing scoring new sexual conquests and looking for new partners. David seems like he's spiralling out of control - but not in a believable way. I also found the main character's sexual views disturbing. The author constantly re-iterates what a masculine, sexually dominant aggressive 'master' he is, pointing a finger at the cliche that effeminate, passive gay men are weak and lesser in the rank of homosexuality. A character this arrogant and unlikeable leaves the reader scratching his head, wondering how a gay author can perpetuate such harmful stereotypes.
Roimata from The Uncle's Son - a walking political agenda disguised in the skirt of a radical polynesian feminist/lesbian - is transplanted here in the form of another suspiciously similar character (but this time a man) - and the author's seeming fascination with Americans is replicated here many times. What is an American? A race? A political point of view? Or a good time? Here it's an offensive cliche - as is the word"Oriental", something I thought had been wiped out of our vernacular.
For all its good meaning toward sexual tolerance and racial understanding, Nights In The Gardens Of Spain, ends up offending this reader as royally as it seemingly is trying to educate. Perhaps if David was less self-obsessed, and more pro-active in his choices, we'd get a better sense of self.
In this garden he comes across more as a prickly thorn than as a sweet-smelling rose.

I beg to differ from some of the comments below. This is not what I would call a particularly sweet book, and in fact those people who read this book based on their love of the movie "Whale Rider" (which is based on the Witi Ihimaera novel of the same name), may be in for a bit of a shock!

This is a novel about a married father "coming out" after years of playing straight (at least in public). It is pretty graphic both in its raw description of David's sexual encounters and in its rendering of his emotional turmoil. But to me the graphic sexual encounters were part of the point. We've got used to the "soap opera" depictions of gay men on our TV screens and movies, but there is more to the gay lifestyle than good fashion sense and being best buddies with straight women. The sex scenes in this book "lift the lid" on what goes on between the sheets (or in the steam room...) and in doing so give the reader an insight into the physical side of gay life.

But its not all about the sex, and there are powerful accounts of love David feels for his wife and children and the adjustments they, his friends and his parents have to make as he leaves what from the outside (and even from the inside) looked like a marriage with everything.

As always, Ihimaera's writing is strong. He is easy to read, and has a geat "ear" for dialogue. While David is clearly identified as a Maori male, this novel has less of a culteral theme than other Ihimaera novels I have read - at least in the ethnic sense. I guess you could say that it provides a pretty good insight to the gay "culture" in contemporary urban NZ.

While this book won't be for everyone, it is certainly a thought provoking and ultimately very powerful novel.

This is an excellent novel - very different from Whale Rider - a major departure from Witi Ihimaera's previous work. I enjoyed it immensely, though I found it painfully sad and harrowing in parts. For me personally, I could relate to the story well because it brought up memories and emotions from my own marriage breakup and also when my father left when I was a six year old child. I felt the author portrayed the emotions of every character superbly - in fact the story was so real I found it hard to believe that the book was a novel and not an autobiography. It offers a rare and somewhat voyeuristic glimpse into the private life of gay and bisexual men - be warned it is quite raunchy and this may put some people off. I know quite a few gay men and know what their lifestyles can be like, and I found the story to be very real, very honest and extremely well written. His portrayal of the children and the effects of the marital separation on them was just right on the button. This book made me cry, big time. It is an unusual story but in my experience, reflects just how life can be. Complex, unfair, imperfect, unfathomable ... and yet somehow we can survive and life can work out for us in the end.

Don't be put off by any bad reviews of this book - but again, be warned that it contains quite graphic accounts of gay sex.

As a globe-trotting Kiwi who unfortunately left their copy behind when changing continents and came on here to replace it, I can only recommend the book. I loved it and only disagreed with one minor point. Other than that, it was spot on. It pokes fun at our national foibles while highlighting some of our national strengths in a balanced and clear way. The first time I read it I alternated wry grins with sheepish smiles and outright laughs.
Good stuff.

Jo, you truly are the definition of a xenophobe. Assuming you have actually been to New Zealand, you must really have some issues if you came away with an attitude like that. Wherever you are from, at least the majority of all kiwis are broad-minded enough to realise that despite your apparent lack of intelligence and ability to make sweeping generalisations, these are probably not traits apparent in everyone from your country. Get a life.

I have enjoyed the Xenophobe's Guides to three of the peoples that I've lived among (Danes, Swedes and English), and have felt them to be insightful and humorous. Consequently I was very disappointed by the Xenophobe's Guide to the Kiwis. It was neither insightful nor humorous. I felt that the light-hearted teasing applied in the other books was largely replaced by an air of base critical negativity. It concentrated on some very odd, and utterly redundant things that I feel the XG is hardly the forum for. The Kiwi author has taken the very real Kiwi trait of self-bashing to an unfortunate extreme in the completely wrong publication.

Jo Chambers is a bitter and twisted individual, who is in great need of a holiday. Jo ¡°sweetie¡±, I suggest a wonderfully relaxing holiday in beautiful New Zealand.

I bought this book expecting it to be quite useful on our recent trip. We've just returned from 4 weeks driving throughout New Zealand, and this book was worthless. I guess it might be worth buying if you're only going to be in New Zealand for a short week and don't expect to wander far from your hotel, but if you're spending any time there -- or if you're looking for a guide that will help you explore what New Zealand really has to offer -- don't waste your money buying this guide. The places shown as "must see" are very limited, with glaring omissions, and there are a lot of better (and much less expensive) hotels and restaurants than listed. Some of the information is just plain inaccurate, and even some of the maps have errors in them. We wound up trading this guide for a dog-eared Tony Hillerman novel in one of the places we stayed, and we got the better part of the deal. If you're looking for a good guide that will give you accurate information and lots of things to choose from, it's better to spend a little more and buy Frommer's or Fodor's. If you're looking for a good map, I highly recommend the AA New Zealand Road Atlas (paperback) -- it was our bible when it came to finding our way around the country.

Whether or not I agree with its top ten list, I cross-checked it over and over in planning my upcoming trip. Compact, well-written and informative -- it may be the only guide I put in my suitcase.

This guide's major advantage is its size. The guide highlights all of the major New Zealand attractions with a terse, yet comprehensive, style. It may not have all of the information you need in New Zealand, but it will certainly help!

I am inclined to agree with reviewer Jaffe and the Editorial Reviews. As a native Kiwi I know Auckland and Fiordland well having hiked extensively in both areas.
The Auckland sections covers the well known outdoor main attractions of the region well: the islands of the Hauraki Gulf and the extensive network of regional parks, many of which are coastal and have fantastic views from the walks in them.
Fiordland is the "honey pot" for accessible wilderness hiking in New Zealand. The description of the History, National Parks, short day walks and longer multi-day treks on well formed tracks is quite good. The maps are a bit scant, but you will buy better maps when you arrive in an area. And NZ does publish a wide selection of very good maps of all our park network. For a day-by-day detailed guide to the walks you are better to buy the Lonely Planet "Tramping in New Zealand" (even us locals use it). The book index is not so good, even the Routeburn "Great walk" (the finest 3 day walk in NZ in my opinion) is not listed but you can find it on page 457 with a 1/2 page description of it. After 5 years the book is not really dated. The one new development in NZ is private walking tracks and I can recommend the Banks Peninsula Track just out of Christchurch (page 388 of the book).
So as a one volume "outdoor type" guide to NZ the book is worth buying and fills a niche not quite met by Rough Guide or Lonely Planet.
So come and visit us.

Adventuring in New Zealand turns out to be a fairly pedestrian travel guide, with little to recommend it. While claiming to be an "adventuring guide", there's little more about hiking, parks, fishing, climbing, etc. than any of the standard guidebooks. Design, illustrations, and indexing are second rate. Give this one a miss.

My partner and I found "Adventuring..." the single most useful guide for our visit to New Zealand in January 2003. I disagree with the prior negative customer review and wonder if M. Goldstein actually used this book for travel to New Zealand or was merely an armchair traveler seeking amusement.

It's true this isn't the kind of general guidebook so ably done by Lonely Planet and others. Jefferies doesn't refer the reader to specific restaurants or lodgings. What she does superbly is to introduce each region of the country with a detailed essay on its flora, fauna, terrain and history.

Her knowledge of New Zealand's parklands runs much deeper than a conventional guidebook. While not neglecting famous tourist attractions, she takes you far off the beaten path to smaller forest preserves that harbor natural treasures. The book is not a detailed trail guide, but it points you to the access points for the back country with useful general descriptions of many hikes.

Jefferies doesn't glamorize. Her descriptions of the deforestation and other environmental abuses that New Zealand has suffered might unsettle a conventional sightseer. For the environmental traveler with a serious interest in the natural history of the islands, it's just right.

I bought this book to help plan a month and a half long trip to New Zealand and Australia staying mostly in hostels. I cannot recommend this book for a reliable source of information for hostels or restaurants. Most restaurants I have tried to find no longer exist. The hostel and attraction prices are wrong (of course these are subject to change), however, the recommended hostels have been hit or miss. There have been some good ones as recommended by the book (Sydney Central YHA, Old Countryhouse in Christchurch, NZ) but there have been some disgustingly unclean (Bondi Beach YHA) and unlivable (Global Palace) recommended highly by this book. I think that a better source of information would be customer reviews on the internet.

It's a great book. It is very complete and very accurate, most of the times.
I didn't gave it 5 stars because sometimes it isn't very easy to find the information.

I recommend it.

I bought this book 2 months ago while planing a trip to OZ & NZ later on this year.
It is well orgenized (the TOC is region based) and drills down in each area to its unique and famous places.
The book has just the right quantity of information regarding each item with a veriety of maps and side trip activities.
It contains a lot of usefull data about both countries and you can defenetly see the it was written by backpackers.
Reading the book has contributed me a lot in the planing fase of the trip, hopefully i'll be able to compliment it more after i'll return.