202 Great Walks

Book excerpt: There is an extraordinary range of landscape and walking challenges in 202 Great Walks. You can saunter by a steaming Rotorua lake, through limestone archways in the King Country, or along an historic Maori trail to the top of the Kaimai Ranges. There is an island sanctuary at Stewart Island, or goldminers' tunnels in the Coromandel. For something a little different, try the winding stroll that explores Wellington's downtown, or in the deep south a beach walk explores a lonely Catlins coast, troubled by the ruins of a gold dredge and the strange wobble of quicksand. There are all types of walks for all types of people: from those that suit families, to those that are real leg-stretchers, walking times range from 1–2 hours to 5–6 hours, but all longer walks have a shorter 1–2 hour turn-around option. Every walk has notes on track conditions, walking time and distance, and access and facilities, along with a topographical map. First published in 2003 and now into its third edition, 202 Great Walks really is the most affordable, reliable and comprehensive guide to New Zealand's outdoors.