Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Tramping in New Zealand: Walking Guide

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great book for planning a tramping trip to New Zealand, although it's a bit too much to carry while actually hiking. The book contains good references and maps to the most popular tracks, and some of the lesser known tracks. If your tight on cash, I recommend going to the visitor centers in New Zealand and picking up the DOC pamphlets they supply. D.O.C. has detailed pamphlets on pretty much every track in New Zealand and they only charge about 50 cents (US) for each one. But if you want to plan a trip from home, this is the book to get, it's far easier to understand than the other New Zealand tramping books, and gives good information on what you need to bring. It also gives good info on the New Zealand back country hut system. Buy a hut pass, they're only 35 bucks (US) for a year. It even supplies some decent fly fishing tips for the rivers that border some of the tracks. But be warned that almost every other tourist hiker in New Zealand also has this book, so if you really want to get away from people, you'll have to do some bushwacking.

This edition is far better than the previous editions. It's new organization and additional information sections are a marked improvement. A new section on Flora and Fauna gives a highlight of any New Zealand tramp. This book acts as an excellent reference book while tramping. Of course, if the book contained every piece of required information, (i.e. highly detailed maps and every step of the way instructions) it would require 1000's of pages. The authors surmount that difficulty by including instructions on how to obtain additional necessary information. The book is perfect for those that are looking into or planning a backpacking trek to New Zealand.

If you are going to New Zealand to hike the multi-day tracks called the Great Walks, this is a pretty good guide to them, but is somewhat dated (over 4 years old). What really surprised us on our recent trip is that for the most part you can't do a day hike on many of the famous Great Walks such as Milford, Kepler, or Heaphy. The trails are designed to be one-way multi-day hike trails with a designated start and end spot for backpackers who want to camp or stay in the huts.

There are a couple of locally written hiking books that have good information on 2-8 hour day hikes in New Zealand that let you sample some of the Great Walks that are not one-way routes. One of the most useful is "Day Walks in New Zealand" by Shaun Barnett. It has 100 day treks on both the north and south island with some amazing two dimensional maps and beautiful photos. We used the book on a two week trip to the South Island and found some wonderful hikes from the book in the Milford Sound area that let you stay at nice hotels and lodges and still experience the back country and beauty of New Zealand. For example, the book highlights the hike to Lake Marian near the Hollyford Track and the day hike to Key Summit which is part of the Routeburn Track. It also has wonderful short hikes in Abel Tasman National Park using the water taxi services, several hikes in Mt Cook National Park, and multiple tramps in Mount Aspiring Park as well. The book is produced in New Zealand but is listed on Amazon so you should be able to buy it before you leave.

Another great resource for shorter hikes is the New Zealand Department of Conservation website: [...] It has a lot of useful planning information to supplement any books you purchase on Amazon to help in your trip planning.

By far the best guide available about tramping opportunities in NZ. The track guides are pretty accurate and provide a good overview of what to expect.

This is the book to have when planning your hikes around New Zealand! It is the easiest way to find out about hikes in an area without having to go to the local DOC (Department of Conservation) office. It gives information on the hike itself, procedures for booking Great Walks, transportation to and from the hike, and places to sleep and eat. Local DOC offices will have additional information on hikes, however, if you are already in the area, and it's important to find out if the huts you want to stay on will be functioning! This book does not have as much accommodation or eating places detail as the larger general Lonely Planet New Zealand book.

Highly recommended!

Tramping in New Zealand (Walking)

The book had all the basic info. you need for hiking in New Zealand. It's easy to read with a couple of nice pictures. Enjoy!

I bought this book about a year ago and I'm not going to NZ until 2010, but I just wanted to get to know the tramps and the areas around them. Once Again, lonely planet delivers a 5* guide. This is an absolute must if you travel to NZ for the sake of tramping.