NZ FRENZY (North Island New Zealand)

NZ FRENZY (North Island New Zealand)

• Hiking trails
• Waterfalls
• Hot Springs
• Beaches
• Caves

OK, here's my deal. I've been a popular guidebook author in Oregon for the past 7 years (click on my profile.) I went to NZ in early '06 to see the famed natural beauty---I'd heard all the hype in Outside and Adventure (just like you have). I was SO stoked to go for 3 months! I got a LonelyP-type book and an "adventure map", but mostly I intended to find a Kiwi-written guide to NZ's non-touristy "hidden" stuff. In NZ I looked everywhere, but there wasn't one! More frustrating was that the "info sites" in every town often had no real info about the cool free places to see---they all specialize in commercialized touristy bookings. The neat places that I learned about were from other travelers, because, (as you'll soon learn), Kiwis often don't know much about their own NZ. Sometimes I'd learn of "hidden" places up ahead, but more often I'd learn what I'd MISSED along the way - places that were now behind me. I was frustrated..."nobody ever told me"..."I'd driven right by"...the stuff wasn't in LP nor RG...my maps had icons for waterfalls, caves, hot sprgs, but they had no detailed directions or info to help me plan ahead. I spent WAY too much time quizzing less-than-helpful I-sites , I spent WAY too much time camping in crappy spots because it got dark and I just stopped where I could ......Finally, it took me 3 weeks to commit myself to writing this guidebook. Now, in four years I've spent 270 days camping on just the North Island. I did find "the stuff"...I did buy a mtn of books, got stacks of brochures, got old copies of Fromm, Moon, DK, ...then I'd spend days pouring over all the info and mis-info to try to sort out the good from the crap. I walked plenty of crap trails and wasted heaps of hours and gas investigating "blah" waterfalls and beaches. I also found SO much that made my jaw DROP, my eyes BOGGLE, my heart SING. Oh my God is NZ cool...but not the NZ that I found in the popular guidebooks.









Price: $ 16.01