New Zealand is a traveller's paradise. Boasting beautiful natural areas, diverse landscapes, and a raft of activities and attractions it is no surprise it is regularly voted as one of the globe's top travel destinations. However, with a plethora of websites, brochures and information centres, it's easy to become overloaded with the sheer quantity of information available on what to do. How then, outside of the marketing hype, does someone get the 'real oil' on the best things to do in each key New Zealand location?

Travelling New Zealand solves this problem. Professional guide Simon Henshaw has spent the past 10 years travelling the country, recommending to visitors the best things to do, both on and off the beaten track. He's pulled together his inside knowledge, providing the reader with a concentrated list of 'what's hot'¢â¡Á in New Zealand's most rewarding destinations, including everything from walks, scenic spots and lookouts, to activities and attractions.

Travelling New Zealand doesn't try to provide a comprehensive list of everything to do in an area, instead selecting only the finest offerings so the traveller can spend more time enjoying themselves, and less time sorting through the brochures.

Every area is displayed using the latest generation of 3D mapping from GeographX. Through plotting the attractions on panoramic, aerial maps, a 'bird's eye' view is provided for each location and landscape. With many of New Zealand's most visited areas, such as Aoraki/Mt Cook, Central Plateau, and Mt Taranaki based around stunning landforms, Travelling New Zealand provides a unique perspective on an area, as well as an inexpensive and stunning memento for any traveller.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Simon Henshaw, like many New Zealanders, first started travelling the country with his family as a car-sick small boy around winding South Island roads on quintessential Kiwi camping holidays. After completing a business degree at Victoria University, and subsequent OE, has spent the past 15 years in the tourism industry and working in Wellington, Queenstown, and Nelson. After four years as a full-time driver/guide and then operations manager for a boutique inbound tour company, he started his own company, providing both self-drive and private-guided trips for couples and small groups. He regularly tours the country from top to toe and luckily for his guests, has outgrown his car-sickness.

Roger Smith has long been fascinated by New Zealand landforms. He has had ample opportunity to enjoy these as a geologist, pilot, rural banker, farmer, amateur botanist, and keen participant in a variety of outdoor wilderness activities. He has also worked as a resource analyst in the Tourism industry. In 1998 he established GeographX, the Wellington-based digital mapping company responsible for the images in this book. Other books GeographX has contributed maps to include the The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand, Landforms: the shaping of New Zealand, and the best-selling Bird's Eye Guide: Tramping in New Zealand and the recently released Bird's Eye Guide Bird's Eye Guide: Day Walks in New Zealand, both by Shaun Barnett.