New Boots in New Zealand

by Gillian Orrell

When Gillian Orrell abandoned corporate life in London to tramp New Zealand's nine Great Walks, she had little idea of what to expect. But uncertainty and inexperience soon gave way to the challenge of the walks themselves, as she embarked on the greatest adventure of her life. 'New Boots in New Zealand' is a day - by - day account of all nine Great Walks, from the majesty of the famous Milford Track to the unexpected variety of the Heaphy and the beguiling mystery of the Whanganui River Journey. Full of humour and 'joie de vivre', it is a hugely enjoyable armchair read as well as an essential source of information for anyone intending to walk in New Zealand.

Genres: Nonfiction, Outdoors, Travel

311 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2006

Reviews

[Heidi]

At a crossroads in her life, Gillian left her job and traveled to New Zealand to hike (or "tramp," as Kiwis say) the Great Walks, 9 superb hikes maintained at a higher-than-average level by New Zealand's Department of Conservation.

It would be hard to write a book about hiking. Bill Bryson managed to do it well in A Walk in the Woods, but I don't imagine many authors could write a full-length book about backpacking and make it interesting. Gillian's got a great sense of humour, and I would gladly read any magazine articles or short works written by her. But a book about hiking is, well, just like hiking. There's lots of mud and rain and blisters, and in between those things there's some spectacular scenery, and it's exhilarating and fun. But the step-by-step journey is fairly mundane, as, unfortunately, is this book.

[Emma]

I expected to love this and find it inspiring, but unfortunately the writing wasn't that good, and it was never fully explained why a novice Brit would come to NZ do the great walks in winter. Sure, the tracks would be less crowded, but didn't she consider health and safety?? And enjoyment? As a result, there's an awful lot of mud, rain and cold in this book.

[Kalei]

Loved it. An open account of how the magical nature of New Zealand could change a person. Perfectly includes anecdotes on the flora, fauna, history, and meaning behind each location. A little suspect on the Capt Cook information at the end tho, he was not culturally sensitive to all Pacific Island cultures...

[Fiona Owen]

I read this in preparation for my own trip to New Zealand. The author inserts lots of snippets of information about the local culture, flora, fauna and history of places she stays in which adds a lot of interest. Would like to have known more about her backstory. Perhaps a bit wordy to be addictive but it was enjoyable.

[George Foord]

this a great book for anyone who has travelled to new zealand but the writing is rather boring

[Melissa]

Three and a half stars. Cool to read about our local walks. Will be cooler to actually walk them!

[Ruth Hapeta]

Having just completed NZ's 9 great walks earlier this year, I really liked Gillians book & I wished I'd read it before I did all my hikes, some great advice in there that I could have followed. She did do quite a few of the walks in autumn/winter, which is probably not the greatest idea, given NZ's seasonal storms & bad weather, but I liked her book. Good writing style, witty, honest, self-deprecating and funny.