From green forests to blackened basalt and snowy mountains to golden beaches, adventure awaits around every bend on these dramatic islands. Experience Middle Earth with Moon New Zealand. Inside you'll find:
Strategic itineraries including a week on both the North and South Islands, designed for hikers, cyclists, adrenaline junkies, history and culture buffs, and Lord of the Rings fans
The top spots for outdoor adventures, like surfing, mountain biking, and trekking the Great Walks, as well as tips on how to do a New Zealand road trip. Go bungy jumping, paragliding, or jet skiing in Queensland, soak in refreshing thermal pools, or embark on a multi-day trek to rugged coasts, glacial valleys, volcanoes, and fjords
Can't-miss sights and unique experiences: Cruise the hypnotic black waters of the Milford Sound, spot wild dolphins, kiwis, and blue penguins, and explore the sprawling Waitomo Caves lit by twinkling glowworms. Sample local sauvignon blancs in Marlborough and craft beers in Wellington, or sip cider in the Shire. Learn about Polynesian culture and history, marvel at Maori carvings, and savour a traditional hangi
How to experience New Zealand like an insider, support local and sustainable businesses, avoid crowds, and respectfully engage with the indigenous culture, with expert insight from Aukland local Jamie Desplaces
Full-colour photos and detailed maps throughout, plus a full-color detachable map
Reliable background information on the landscape, climate, wildlife, and history, as well as common customs and etiquette
Helpful resources on COVID-19 and traveling to New Zealand
Travel tips: When to go, how to get around, and where to stay, plus advice for seniors, families with children, visitors with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ travellers
With Moon's expert advice and local insight, you can experience the best of New Zealand.
Author Biography:
Having spent four years between Asia and Australia and with no inclination to return back home to the UK, Jamie Desplaces opted to give New Zealand a try. Six years later, he's still there.
Just a few weeks after arriving, he secured an assignment to write about the country's fracking industry, a two-month investigation that was hailed by environmental and political organizations, and won a feature of the year award. Jamie quickly discovered the sacred connection between Kiwis and their land, a connection that he now feels. Having explored all corners of New Zealand, the great outdoors has become his obsession. Few weekends pass without camping in the Coromandel, wandering the Waitakere Ranges, or biking the lush green lands of the Waikato.
It's also somewhat poetic that Jamie, having attended the same school as J.R.R. Tolkien, whose tomes of Middle-Earth tales inspired the movies that have so promoted the majesty of New Zealand, now also has the opportunity to share its legend with others.
Jamie's work has been published in Beats, Escape, Massive, and on USAToday.com. He has published a novel and is head writer at Verve magazine in Auckland, where he lives with his partner, Heather.
