[noobie]

I'm the kind of person who wants to learn everything about a topic before experiencing it. In preparation for my trip to NZ I was hoping to pick up a book on the local wildlife. Strangely, there's isn't much available in the US. I can buy individual books on birds or trees, but there isn't an "all-in-one" guide available locally. I found just what I was looking for at a bookshop in NZ here (http://www.mwpress.co.nz/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=207), but they want $40US for a paperback book that's barely over 100 pages! I suppose I'll have to wait and pick one up when I'm there.

I've been surprised just how few books there are on NZ available in the states. New Zealand has got to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but there are only a few of pictorial books available, and one of the ones I saw was not very good. We've got lots of travel guides, but not a lot of travel essay books. I read Slipping Into Paradise, and am currently reading Kiwi Tracks. They both have their plusses and minuses. The first describes the beauty of NZ in amazing detail, but is so focused on the "evil" white settlers and the "innocent" Maori, and it seems that the primary focus of the author is how child-friendly NZ is. I'm only about halfway through the second book, and I feel I'm getting a better insight into the honesty and openness of NZers, but he deals with such a limited aspect of the community (backpackers) that I'm sure this isn't very valid either.

[willsken]

Hi noobie

I'm an avid reader also and I found there was a real shortage of book to. Thanks for the links will go and have a look now............. :exit :nice1

[StevieD]

maybe better off trawling thru the internet noobie - could do worse!

If you want pictures of the wildlife, have a look at this site - it has some stunning images.
http://www.davidwallphoto.com/searchresults.asp?t=24

Steve

[mossum]

hi

just remember books are VERY expensive in New Zealand . It may be more cost effective to buy before you fly !

vic

[MB]

:nice1 noobie - I know this isn't really the point of your original question, but once you are here you will find that NZ public libraries tend to have an outstanding range of NZ books, especially Kiwi autobiographies and biographies (many of which are written by migrants from previous generations).
Neither is this observation limited to big libraries - the quite small Te Kuiti library has many hundreds of NZ books, both fiction and non-fiction.
Another example: Takapuna library in N.Shore Auckland has a whole area devoted to their own NZ collection. It is sub-divided into many different categories.
Which leads me to my final tip: if you go NZ-book-hunting in libraries here, bear in mind that they might well be housed in their own section of the library. So ask if there seem to be suspiciously few on the 'ordinary' shelves: they might be tucked around a corner or on a different floor!

[zardell]

http://www.craigpotton.co.nz/Products/published/Books/BookTramping/thebestoftauranga

Hey Noobie.

Have a look at this link.......don't know about postage costs from NZ though.

Julie

xx

[noobie]

I had a recommendation to pick up the Aotearoa (http://www.silverfernz.com/prodView.asp?idproduct=647) book by Craig Potton. Unfortunately I was only finding it in NZ and the shipping costs were as high as the book! But I lucked out and found a copy on eBay for $.99, so it all worked out in the end. :D

[zardell]

I had a recommendation to pick up the Aotearoa (http://www.silverfernz.com/prodView.asp?idproduct=647) book by Craig Potton. Unfortunately I was only finding it in NZ and the shipping costs were as high as the book! But I lucked out and found a copy on eBay for $.99, so it all worked out in the end. :D


:nice1

Julie

x

[jazz]

Noobie,

Have a quick search on Amazon,sure to find something there.