Hiking in the South Island - New Zealand's South Island - page 51

formation centres. As well as current track condition and weather info, DOC supplies de-
tailed topics on the flora, fauna, geology and history of NZ's national parks, plus leaflets
(mostly $2 or less) detailing hundreds of NZ walking tracks.
» Lonely Planet's Hiking & Tramping in New Zealand describes around 50 walks of various lengths and degrees of dif-
ficulty.
» 101 Great Tramps, by Mark Pickering and Rodney Smith, has suggestions for two- to six-day tramps around the
country. The companion guide, 202 Great Walks: The Best Day Walks in New Zealand, by Mark Pickering, is handy for
shorter, family-friendly excursions.
» Accessible Walks, by Anna and Andrew Jameson, is an excellent guide for elderly, disabled and family trampers, with
detailed access information on more than 100 South Island walks.
» New Zealand Tramper's Handbook, by Sarah Bennett and Lee Slater, is all about being safe and happy on the track,
perfect for new trampers.
» Shelter from the Storm, by Shaun Barnett, Rob Brown and Geoff Spearpoint, is a meticulously researched history of
NZ's backcountry huts (you'll no doubt stay in a few if you're planning on doing any serious hiking).
» Bird's Eye Tramping Guides from Craig Potton Publishing have fab topographical maps, and there are countless
topics covering tramps and short urban walks around NZ − scan the bookshops.