Fodor's Essential New Zealand

Book excerpt: Written by locals, Fodor's travel guides have been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for 80 years. New Zealand's sweeping vistas have captured the imagination of travelers around the world. Visitors flock here to sample world-class wines, snap up young designers' wares, and tour "Middle-earth." Fodor's Essential New Zealand, in full color, helps visitors make the most of their time, whether they choose to stay on the North or South Island or island-hop through the country. This travel guide includes: · Dozens of full-color maps · Hundreds of hotel and restaurant recommendations, with Fodor's Choice designating our top picks · Multiple itineraries to explore the top attractions and what’s off the beaten path · Major sights such as Abel Tasman National Park, Aoraki/Mt. Cook, Bay of Islands, The Coromandel, Hawke's Bay, Otago Peninsula, Queenstown and Waitomo Caves · Coverage of Auckland; Northland and the Bay of Islands; The Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty; East Coast and the Volcanic Zone; North Island's West Coast; Wellington and the Wairarapa; Upper South Island and the West Coast; Christchurch and Canterbury; The Southern Alps and Fiordland; Otago, Invercargill, and Stewart Island