Editorial Review :

An illuminating road trip through the history, life, and attractions of one of the most beautiful countries in the southern hemisphere
The beauty and grandeur of New Zealand has captured the imagination of movie-goers over the past couple of years, and the country is a dream destination for many around the world. Straying from the Flock is an intimate and personal account of one passionate traveler's visit to this incredible country, its mountains and beaches, fjords, rainforests, vineyards, and hidden eateries. Each of the fifty chapters describes one day in his travels-fishing, flying, cattle herding, befriending locals at every turn. Filled with colorful stories and memorable personalities, the book not only describes the trip of a lifetime, but captures a life-altering experience for its writer. From mountains and rainforests to cities and beaches, Straying from the Flock is both a moving memoir and personal travel guide to this amazing country.

Customer Review :

Poor Proof Reading

Since I've never been to New Zealand, I looked forward to this book.

Every thing went fine until I got to page 52. After two words I thought-What is the reason I'm reading this stuff again--a typo?? then more similar words--What's going on??. I stopped went back to where I read these words before. I then found out that pages 21 to 52 were repeated. So The book starts nicely 1- 52; then 21- 52; then on to page 85. I can't believe a book which, is missing 30 some pages, could get through Proofreading and on to the publisher, printed and out to the book stores.

I've read the book reviews--No mention of missing pages--VERY STRANGE.

I returned the book, got my refund, so money wise I'm satisfied.

For this reason I cannot recommend this book, unless you get it for FREE
and or have an active imagination.

Rating :

Great Book about the Essence of New Zealand

I have been to New Zealand once before and am preparing to go again, so I downloaded this book on my Kindle to read. The last time I went to the North Island. This time I am going to the South Island. Both these trips involve home exchanges. I am familiar with much that Elder wrote about the essence of New Zealand and its people--the meandering roads, one lane bridges, the ever present closeness to the sea, the sheep, and the easy going nature of its people. I will be avoiding all the extreme sports too! Heck, unlike Elder, I don't even ski--never mind bungee jump.

Also good on observations about Australia.

A pleasant journey through places already seen and places yet to be visited.

Rating :

Disappointing

"Straying from the Flock: Travels in New Zealand" chronicles the author's two month journal through New Zealand from the bottom of the South Island to the tip of the North Island. Throughout the book, the author includes historical facts and other statistics on New Zealand. Unfortunately, not all facts included in the book are accurate. For example: the author states that the population of New Zealand is three million, when in fact the actual population is a little over four million (the last time it was three million was in 1974). This is just one of several basic factual errors on New Zealand included in this book.

The author visited many spectacular places in New Zealand during his two month stay. Sadly his egotistical writing style makes for a very uninspiring read. If the author toned down his pretentious rhetoric it would have been a much more enjoyable book.

The author includes a passage on a one-night stand he had with the friend of a host he met during one of his many home stays. I found it very creepy that the author felt it necessary to boast about this in his book. Particularly as I bought this book to find out more about New Zealand - not to hear about the author's sexual conquests.

To further degrade my opinion of this book, pages 53 to 84 were missing from the copy I ordered from Amazon. I know this is not directly the author's fault, but he may want to demand higher standards of quality control from his publisher.

If you are looking for an informative and entertaining travel book on New Zealand, particularly if planning a trip there, then don't buy this book. I recommend reading a book by one of the other more reputable travel publishers.


Rating :

My first Kindle review but it's not the finest in travel writing

My first book review, but sadly I wish it were high praise for this book. Instead I rated it three star, and that is being kind to the author.

I bought this book as I'm about to make a trip to the South Island, New Zealand, the first in twenty years. Incidentally the islands were named North and South to make it easier for Australian tourists, and that's where I live, Tasmania.

It was apparent however after only a few pages that I'd wasted my money in purchasing the book, and did indeed try to cancel the order for my Amazon Kindle, but was unable to do so. The style of writing reminds one of the travel section of a weekend newspaper. It is simply not first class travel writing. If the reader wants to read this style of book, then read Bruce Chatwin's Patagonia, even if there is no intention of going there. Incidentally Bruce Chatwin is a new Zealander.

And what is particularly irritating is the writer's habit of accounting for every dollar he spends in New Zealand, in NZ dollars, and then converting this into US dollars. He seems to have an obsession with money, and
sex. The latter becomes obvious later in the book.

The book will suit the first time visitor to New Zealand, but if you are looking for first class travel writing, indeed writing in general, then look elsewhere.

Rating :

Enjoying New Zealand Vicariously

I was given this book as a Christmas present from one of the people with whom I had travelled to New Zealand in February. Although ours was a very different view of New Zealand (from a cruise ship into towns and cities), I really enjoyed the chance to hear more about the countryside and the way to get around and enjoy it. I was very disappointed that there weren't pictures in the book, but there are quite a few pictures on the web site. I would have liked more pictures of the actual accommodations. The book has a great deal of information and I like that the author shares how he makes decisions about where to stay, where to eat, etc. I think that, if you're planning a trip to New Zealand, I would strongly recommend the book.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. ISBN13: 9781858288857
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
4. Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Editorial Review :

Discover a land of roaring surf, towering rainforests and day after day of sunshine with The Rough Guide to East Coast Australia. Be inspired by the cosmopolitan cities, the countless wine regions, gorgeous ByronBay, the Great Barrier Reef and all the fascinating, less-travelled places in between. With full-colour sections of Taking the Plunge, diving and surfing on the east coast and Ecotourism, the guide takes you way off the beaten track to discover the real Australia. Covering every region, from remote and unspoilt beaches where kangaroos hop along the shore, to alternative country towns with a character all their own, the guide also highlights unforgettable side-trips to the Torres StraitIslands and Uluru. Places to stay – the funkiest hostels, the glitziest resorts, the leafiest rainforest lodges – are covered in detail and with our hand-picked restaurant and nightlife recommendations you’ll always know where to find the action. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to East Coast Australia.

Customer Review :

Oz East Coast Rough Guide Rocks!

This is one of the finest guidebooks I have used. The authors write concisely, to the point and with some humor as well. Content is comprehensive -- they have really put some mileage on their shoes and gotten far down into the details for us. Organization is functional and easy to follow, or to skip around in the book. Authors use to advantage many insert boxes to highlight special content or discussions of places of outstanding interest (e.g., Great Barrier Reef). Users should be aware that the geographic coverage of the content is a fairly narrow band all along the east coast of Victoria, NSW and Queensland. What is covered is covered extremely well. But if you want or need detailed information on areas inland from the coast, you must use the internet or buy a guidebook with comprehensive coverage.

Rating :

1. ISBN13: 9780756615727
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Recognized the world over by frequent flyers and armchair travelers alike, Eyewitness Travel Guides are the most colorful and comprehensive guides on the market. With beautifully commissioned photographs and spectacular 3-D aerial views revealing the charm of each destination, these amazing travel guides show what others only tell.

Customer Review :

Excellent all round guide

I must say I am pretty impressed by this travel guide to Sydney. And I can doubly assure you of that it is excellent because I live here in Sydney! The reason I got this book was because in my experience the best travel guides are generally the ones from DK and this one didn't dissappoint. A travel guide like this is great for people who come to Sydney and stay with me. I can lend them this book to get around town during the weekdays while I am at work - but that said, even I find it useful.

I do a fair bit of travelling around internationallly and tend to take Sydney for granted. Reading through this book there are great little accounts of it's history as well as interesting suggestions for good restaurants and bars. When you've lived in a place for a long time you tend to frequent the same favorite spots over and over so it's nice getting tips for 'best restaurants and bars' that differ from those from other sources. One of the best things here are the walks at the back. I know most of the areas on them modestly well but I must say they are brilliantly planned. Also, as always, the maps of every suburb listed here are excellent for the novice to navigate around this city.

As for shortcomings, these are few and far between but even then it seems you can't please everyone. You can easily list things that could have been covered in better detail - but then again most people who visit here just won't have enough time to cover them all. Chinatown for one gets covered rather superficially. Also there is excessive coverage of St Mary's Cathedral - you can find plenty of far older and architechturally grander churches in any town in Europe. Churches of this size are rare here in Australia so for Australians it is considered worthy of mention but otherwise don't even bother going there. Ditto for the Art Gallery of New South Wales - compared to Boston, New York or any major European city it is laughable, except of course for the wonderful Aboriginal section there. As for the rest of it, I find it an embarrassment that the authors insist on dwelling on it.

Lastly, as for budget restaurants, there are plenty of them listed in this book. There is a book here in Sydney called 'Cheap Eats' if you really wanted a book that listed the best budget restaurants in town. Also if you really think about it, an exceptionally expensive top notch restaurant here is regarded as costing around $70-100 Australian per person, which is around $50-75 US dollars. By European and especially by UK standards - this is pretty damned cheap. Reviews I have read of the finest Sydney restaurants in the international press have all been glowing as well. The ones listed here are pretty good picks although the Sydney Morning Herald guide provides a more up to date view of Sydney cuisine. It's all also a matter of taste and opinion too.

So if you are thinking of visiting this beautiful city buy this book with confidence. Even I learned more than a thing or two from it.

Rating :

decent...

this got a lot of good reviews and I was a bit disappointed. The format is easy to read, and there IS a lot of good information in the book. This book isn't going to help you find good cheap restaurants. Most of the restaurants and bars listed are expensive. This book is far better than the Rough Guides or Lonely Planet for sure BUT I'll be ordering Frommers to take with me when I go to Australia...

Rating :

Great approach, good content

I just got back from 10 days in Sydney, and I took this book and also the Rough Guide to Sydney. This book is vastly superior to the other.

The book has a lot of good information, and I really like the format. Every page is color, and full of illustrations and excellent maps. Call me a child of the media age, but it's so much easier to flip through this book, compared to reading through long blocks of text.

The maps are really worth emphasizing. I used the maps to follow various walking trails through different parts of the city, and they were excellent in terms of mentioning things to look out for.

The only disappointment I had was that this book hardly covered North Sydney, which is where I was staying. Now, granted, there aren't really too many tourist activities in North Sydney, but it is an interesting area, and the entire north side of the harbor is worth exploring, in my opinion. The restaurants are great, the neighborhoods are beautiful. Also, there are really some incredible views of the opera house from the north shore.

Best of all, this book fits (snugly) in a back pocket. I highly recommend this book.

Rating :

Greatest travel books

This travel guide is one of the best, detailed books on Sydney. I have many Eyewitness Guides for other locations around the world. The detailed maps in the back of the book are very useful when in an unfamiliar place.

Rating :

Needs More

Just spent a week in Sydney and found the book helpful in terms of the downtown area and Sydney proper. But I really wished it had more in the Outskirts section. There isn't a ton to see in Sydney proper but lots to see on the outer edges, an hour away, etc. Perhaps they need a New South Wales guidebook since the Australia guidebook tries to put too much into it. Anyway - if you're going to spend your whole trip right in downtown, this book works fine. If you get a little antsy for a little more color, keep looking. (And, btw, I usually LOVE Eyewitness travel guides. I have at least 10 others.)

Rating :

1. ISBN13: 9781858286617
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

The Rough Guide to New Zealand is the essential guidebook to this spectacular destination, with exhaustive practical information, a full-colour introduction and hundreds of restaurant and hotel listings. Make the most of the astonishing variety of New Zealand, from the craggy coastlines and sweeping beaches, to the bubbling volcanic mud pools and fast-flowing rivers. More detailed than its competitors, this completely updated guide features colour sections highlighting Maori culture, adventure sports and the country’s unique ecology. Catering for every traveller, from wine buffs to Lord of the Rings freaks, The Rough Guide to New Zealand is heaving with historical and cultural detail and is packed with new maps and more photos – it even finds time to teach you the world-famous haka!

Customer Review :

Hope it's better than other editions

We bought the second edition of this book for a trip in 2000. The index was only 6 pages, with only the most very basic listings, requiring constant excavation of the text for information. Some information was inaccurate, such as stating the requirement of an international drivers license from the US and many other countries. Actually, a valid drivers license from almost any country is acceptable.
We're leaving for another trip there in two weeks. I'll be taking a Lonely Planet guide.

Rating :

Planning New Zealand...

As a travel destination, New Zealand is distant, exotic, and unique. New Zealand lies in the Southern Hemisphere 2000 km east of Australia and roughly 14 hours flying time from the US West Coast. Its terrain is an exciting mixture of mountains, forests, glaciers, rivers, beaches, and three modern urban areas in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Its human culture is a fascinating mixture of Polynesian Maori and British colonial influences; its animal species include specimens such as the Kiwi, New Zealand's famous flightless bird. The 2008 edition of "The Rough Guide to New Zealand is an excellent planning guide for those intending a visit.

At nearly a thousand pages, this Rough Guide nicely mixes maps, graphics, photographs, travel narrative and listings of useful websites. An introductory section offers suggestions on where and when to go (New Zealand's seasons are reversed from the US), and some outstanding sights not be missed. A second section covers the basics of geting there, getting around (New Zealand is the size of Britain), and some basics on the culture. A third section provides descriptions of the 14 major regions of the country, along with what to do and where to stay. Concluding sections offer some history and a glossary of local terms.

As the introduction notes, New Zealand is far away enough and different enough to justify some planning and an extended stay. This Rough Guide should meet most requirements for travel planning, whether the visitor wants vigorous outdoor activities like hiking and rafting, quieter pursuits such as museums and wineries, or unique attractions such as visiting the film locations for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. "The Rough Guide to New Zealand" is very highly recommended to the traveler who wants to plan ahead and make the most of a visit to a unique destination.

Rating :

Drivel

The author(s) is lazy and sloppy. It is obvious she has padded the book with meaningless drivel just to make the product meet a certain thickness. For example in her entry on a particular town in the south island she states that most tourists pass through it but that the town is worthy of consideration for a stay. She then indicates good reasons not to stay! Regarding a suggested walk in the north island she states it is an easy walk and then goes on to state describe how difficult it is. She tries to be chatty and witty but fails miserably.

Rating :

this book falls apart

I received a brand new book and it immediately fell apart so I returned it. Content seemed fine, but pages falling out makes for a very inconvenient travel guide.

Rating :

Got Rough Guide, Nz Frenzy and KiwiMaps

We just got back from a month's tour of NZ--both islands, and we had an awesome time! The Rough Guide filled us in on all the info about villages and history and all the things to do like tours and museums and jet boats and bungee-jumping, etc. etc. But where Rough Guide lacked was helping us get to places that were a little less touristy. It seemed that everywhere Rough Guide said to go, there were lots of other tourists there also, all clutching either a Rough guide or a Lonely Planet. On the South Island it seemed that Rough Guide pointed us towards one touristy place after another. Then we bought a "Kiwimaps" map booklet that are sold at every gas station and that helped us find some spots that weren't touted in Rough (or Lonely), and these spots were nice--hardly any tourists around, just peace and nature.
Then, when we went to the North we found another guidebook called NZ Frenzy that REALLY helped us get around and find some excellent out-of-the-way nature places. The Rough Guide still helped with all the towns and which places had campgrounds and little snippets about places to eat, but it was really the map book and the NZ frenzy book that lead us to super-cool NZ spots that weren't crowded with tourists.
Now, looking back, it turns out that we enjoyed the North Island more because we got off the tourist path better. That's why we're only giving the Rough Guide 3 stars. It should have more info like the Nz Frenzy has about neat out-of-the-way spots, instead of all the tourist stuff that Lonely planet has. Nz Frenzy helped us find excellent waterfalls with swimming holes and NO TOURISTS. Rough Guide didn't even mention the hot spring waterfall at Kerosene Creek, and it should, like Nz Frenzy does--that's the info I want from Rough Guide--details! So, Rough Guide only gets 3 stars because it could be better--it needs more less-touristy stuff.
If you're renting a car or van, then DEFINITELY get a KiwiMaps book, and if you're going to the North Island DEFINITELY get NZ Frenzy.


Rating :

More reviews...

1. ISBN13: 9781741049206
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

What Will Your Sydney Encounter Be?

Revelling in the surfing, sushi, bodies and beer of oceanside Bondi
Joining the dots between Sydney's great independent galleries
Finding that perfect outfit for the Mardi Gras; or just that perfect outfit
Swooning beneath the heaven-sent, sunset curves of the Sydney Opera House, before swanning off to a show
Getting your caffeine rush in Newtown
Charting Sydney Harbor on two feet, past sandstone cliffs, beautiful bushland and million-dollar mansions

Discover Twice the City in Half The Time

Full-color pull-out map and quality neighborhood maps
Our Sydney expert has sussed out the sights, relished the restaurants and walked the wild side for our green walking tours
Highlights help you make the most of your short stay
Cut straight to a superb coffee, great pubs and the best surf breaks: Sydney locals share their city

Customer Review :

Must Have For Any Traveler

This book is absolutely perfect for traveling in or around Sydney. Its small size belies its extensive information pertaining to nine major neighborhoods in metropolitan Sydney (City Centre; the Rocks & Circular Quay; Chinatown & Darling Harbour; Inner West; Surry Hills; Kings Cross; Darlinghurst & Around; Paddington & Woollahra; Bondi Bronti & Cooge and Manly). Each of these neighborhoods comes with a readable inset map and descriptions of sights to see as well as places to shop eat and have fun around the given area.

If all of this wasn't enough, the rest of the book contains a brief rundown of Sydney's history and culture as well as things to avoid while in the city.

I will be spending 10 months in Sydney starting in March 2008 and I can tell you that this book will never be far from my person.

Content: 5/5
Presentation/Functionality: 5/5
Durability: 3/5
Overall: 5/5

Rating :

Fantastic, Concise and Interesting Guide to Syndey

I've found this book to be a wealth of good ideas for activities while in Sydney. The reviews are concise and interesting and the information is timely. Great book. Mini-maps are very helpful as well.

Overall I would highly recommend.

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Really helpful

This book really helped us choose restaurants and activities. We got a feel for neighborhoods which I really appreciated.

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