Put Steven Spielberg, Charles Darwin and Claude Monet in a room with six bottles of vodka and a party pack of recreational drugs and, combined, they could not come close to the concept of New Zealand. If nature had a design studio full of her most surreal and stupendous ideas, it would be 'The Land of the Long White Cloud' (as New Zealand is known by the Maoris). Nowhere else on earth can the tourist experience such a vast array of wild and wonderful activities, or such diverse and spectacular scenery in so compact a country.
I'm not really a guide book type of person, but these footprint books are really great. They give you more of an insider opinion on things, and help you keep off the tourist track a bit when exploring a new place.