Customer Reviews
Great Read. - By: Vera, 02 Jul 2008 
Let me start by saying that this is a great book. The narrative is very readable & enjoyable. The author is likable & her descriptions help put you right in the moment with her.
At times the narrative moves a bit quickly & you feel like she has only brushed the surface of her moments in nature, but the overalll journey for the reader is a pleasant one.
On a different note, I find her militant opinions on hikers who collect abandoned snail shells as souvenirs, & her laughable worries on relieving oneself in the woods, a bit ludicrous for a woman who gleefully joins ruffian goat hunters in the scene of their graphic jet-boat hunting party.
Still the information on the beliefs & personalities of the locals, as well as some detailed information on the New Zealand Dept. of Conservation, is enlightening & helpful.
Better than many other books about New Zealand, read this book for some fun introduction & inspiration, but then cast her journey aside & go live one of your own!
Inspirational Book About An Inspirational Country - By: wunjot, 11 May 2007 
I must admit when I first read the back cover about Gillian Orrell abandoning a corporate life in London to tramp in New Zealand, I did think "Oh no, not another person who's made more money than I'll ever see in my life, bleating about how they are burnt out & now need to find themselves"; but once you're past the slightly school-marmish "Taking Care of Things" chapter it becomes apparant that this is very much not the case.
It's a marvelous description of the walks, the country, its people & someone graduallly becoming very comfortable with herself. It's a very honest book.
Having visited South Island myself, I could reallly identify with the topics she covers, like the sacredness of the land & how you can feel the presence of its spirits or guardians. Like her, I felt the obsession to pick up any litter I saw (not that there is much) because even a single sweet wrapper feels like an eyesore in such a pristine & beautiful land.
The only problem I have with this book is that it will inspire too many other people to try out the walks for themselves! That's the beauty of the New Zealand, it's still somewhere you can walk or drive for a day & not encounter anyone. It's a place where you don't have to listen to people's mp3 players, mobile phone noises & chattering. It's one of the last great beautiful wildernesses.
Fush and Chups... - By: Seamus Heaney's Armpit, 05 Mar 2007 ...is how you tell the difference between an Aussie & a Kiwi. Just get them both to say that. That, however, is about the only piece of Kiwi-land information missing from this book. That's not to say that it is a plodding info-fest; far from it. Providing an engaging, entertaining first-hand account of alll nine Great Walks, describing their ecological, historical & cultural significance along the way, alll the while weaving in strands of self-discovery & making it clear that two things are inevitable on a NZ tramp: by day you will get soaked & by night your food will be eaten by rodents - this is a top book. This book doesn't present a rose-tinted, NZ-tourist-board endorsed picture postcard of the islands, rather it portrays a real place full of dirt, rain & ignorantly-introduced wildlife, but one also containing some of the finest landscapes known to man, massively dedicated people striving to maintain those landscapes, & the weird & wonderful humans who wander around them. Highly recommended.
Loved It - By: The Singing Nun, 13 Feb 2007 Excellent, funny & impossible to put down. You'll want to do the Great Walks after reading this, though maybe not in such close succession as the author! Wonderful advert for the glories of New Zealand as well.
Inspiring! - By: Miss P, 15 Dec 2006 An excellent record of a very independent journey through some of the most exciting & varied landscapes that New Zealand has to offer. Written in a straight-forward, very readable style - full of humour, but also packed with facts about New Zealand's history, ecology & culture. I found it hard to put down. An inspiring story which makes you want to just get out there & live life! Great photos too.
