Drive Around New Zealand: Your Guide to Great Drives (Drive Around - Thomas Cook) [Paperback]

Gareth Powell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2006 | Series: Drive Around - Thomas Cook

Combining guidebook and route map, this series contains everything a self-drive traveller needs to know to tour a region or country by car. As well as road maps and city plans which pinpoint driving routes and other tours, these detailed guides are packed with Information on the top sights to visit, places to stay and restaurant recommendations. 1 Includes an introductory chapter on essential travel facts, including information on climate and currency 1 Features comprehensive driver's guide explaining the rules of the road, including helpful road safety information and road signs 1 Each tour features a descriptive introduction, setting the scene for the route ahead 1 Features ideas for exploring on your own, including walks and tours around towns and cities

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Clear, attractively presented with useful maps."
-- Evening Standard newspaper (UK)

"Holidays don't have to involve flights, airports and coach transfers."
-- Western Mail newspaper (UK)

About the Author

Gareth Powell first went to New Zealand in 1963 to interview and be interviewed by Barry Crump whose book, A Good Keen Man, has become a small New Zealand classic. Since then the author has been in New Zealand some thirty times.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Cook Publishing; 1st edition (March 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841575186
• ISBN-13: 978-1841575186
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #717,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #93 in Books > Travel > Australia & South Pacific > New Zealand

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great guide to have around, August 7, 2007

By 

Chapati (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Drive Around New Zealand: Your Guide to Great Drives (Drive Around - Thomas Cook) (Paperback)

I spent about three months in New Zealand earlier this year and found this guide great to have around. I would certainly purchase it only in addition to a more detailed and thorough guidebook for New Zealand (I went with Rough Guide to New Zealand, which I found very detailed and helpful), as it doesn't give you nearly the amount of detail on places to stay and eat and visit as one of those guide books does.

However, for planning scenic drives, it's excellent. We were able to modify its suggestions and itineraries to fit our interests and time constraints- this was made very easy by the detailed maps. I would agree that an overall map of the North and South Island would come in handy, but the detail provided in the numerous smaller maps was much appreciated all the same.

The author goes in detail over several places of interest, and many places that I'm sure I would have missed if they hadn't come up in the guide. It was easy to read, the directions are easy to follow, and it thoroughly added to my experience of New Zealand. A great buy if you are planning a driving holiday through that gorgeous country!

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for planning purposes, March 31, 2007

By 

W. E. Fritsch (Divonne les bains, France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drive Around New Zealand: Your Guide to Great Drives (Drive Around - Thomas Cook) (Paperback)

I have read this book for planning our trip to N.Z. and the rating applies to only this aspect. We hope that our actual experience will confirm the numerous recommendations. The area maps are very helpful, but additional, separate maps of the full area of the North and South islands would improve the overall orientation. It took me until the very last page of the book (281) to locate Christchurch!

A minor point (page 181): "It is not the largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere, although that claim is often made; the largest is the Todaiji Temple in Japan." The author does not appear to be aware of the fact that Japan is in the northern hemisphere .... !?