New N.Z. guide books

Press, 25 February 1989, Page 27

New N.Z. guide books

An attractive and practical new series of regional New Zealand guide books has been issued by the Government Printing Office. Authors have been chosen for their local knowledge. Each book has detailed maps, a selection of illustrations, and a good deal of information on matters as varied as local history, where to stay, and how to get a local weather forecast. Among the volumes received for review, that on Wellington, Horowhenua, and Wairarapa is particularly interesting. Apart from Wellington’s obvious attractions as a capital city, the region is not especially favoured as a holiday destination. Here author Peter Mounsey stirs the reader’s enthusiasm to venture a little outside the city to enjoy the walks and sights available in locations that vary from the rugged coast of Cook Strait to the equally rugged heights of the Rimutaka and Tararua ranges and forests. There is sensible advice on the degree of fitness required for various expeditions off the beaten track, and helpful information about how to use public transport to reach unlikely destinations. Whether a visitor’s interest lies in dining out, seeing the sights, or sampling nature in the raw, these are books that would enhance any holiday and might surprise local residents who want to learn more

about their own areas. (The Wellington guide of 278 pages is priced at $24.95 in paperback.) More compact, but rather less thorough, is “The Budget Traveller’s Guide to New Zealand,” by lan Grubb. (Hodder and Stoughton, $19.95.) Testing the Christchurch entry shows a good many omissions. (The R.N.Z.A.F. Museum, the Avon punts, Lyttelton’s time ball station and old steam tug, for instance.) The advice on places to eat is sketchy and not all entries live up to the “budget” idea of the title. Generally the book would work best for overseas visitors travelling light, but with an American Express gold card in reserve..lt is worth noting that in the advice on hitchhiking, the comment on trying to get from Christchurch to Queenstown is “Forget it — unless you’re a masochist.” For those who want to enjoy some of the best scenery and tramping that New Zealand has to offer, the BP Guides to major walking tracks have appeared in new editions (Penguin, $5.95 each). All are by Philip Temple, who brings a vast experience to his basic, helpful text which is supported by useful map’s and illustrations. Tracks available include the Heaphy, Hollyford, Abel Tasman Coast, Copland (the most truly alpine in the series), and Routeburn, and, of course, Milford.