No comments about Natural New Zealand.

3 comments about Great Escapes : A Guide To Motorcycle Touring in New Zealand.

1. Peter Mitchell, in his GREAT ESCAPES, motorcycle touring guide to New Zealand has raised the bar in the domain of motorcycle tour guides. I should know.

   It was 1995, I got sucked into a bet and the next thing I knew I was riding a Buell S-2 Thunderbolt or a leisurely tour of 37 of the United States. Sure, I saw a lot. But, I also learned alot and if I had a book like Peter Mitchell's GREAT ESCAPES, the fantasy trip of a lifetime would have been much more graceful.

   The first thing that strikes one about GREAT ESCAPES is that Peter KNOWS of what he speaks. This is revealed, not in words, but in the physical construction of the book. We'll get to content in a moment, but those of you who ride (and who among us has not dreamt of riding New Zealand) will appreciate the 6"wx8"t size of the book, coupled with the spiral binding. Ever tried to fit a "normal" book in the top of a tank bag? Mitchell makes it easy, in fact convenient.

   In the book, New Zealand is divided into the North Island and the South Island. Mitchell does a neat transition between the two by, you guessed it, by turning page 90 into a primer on "Crossing Cook Straight". Frankly, this book threatens to make even the most unseasoned motorcycle tourer look like a pro.

   The rides (23 North Island / 22 South Island) are described in precisely the kind of detail I want and need. Where to start, distance, time, when and where to plan fuel stops, suggested diversions, safety considerations weather, hotels, and the one item that makes motorcycling so special to me. . . FOOD. This is not book, this is a valuable tool that I hope Mitchell comes to the US (like so many of my riding makes from his Homeland) and replicates the book.

   To insure you've little else to pack when headed to New Zealand, GREAT ESCAPES is packed full of information on "What makes a motorcyclist", basic riding skills , accommodations (lodging for you Yanks)and enough weather information to qualify you for a job at the Channel 4 Meteorologist here in New York City.

   The book has imbued me with a list of 3 things I must do:

   1) Learn more about the fabulous country of New Zealand 2) Ride more 3) Consider a tip to New Zealand to explain to Peter Mitchell what we call "stock effluent" in the United States.

   Bottom line: Don't even think about leaving the USA without reading GREAT ESCAPES cover to cover.

   Courtney L. Canfield New York City

   I've got hundreds of motorcycle books, this one goes on top.




2. Three trips to New Zealand on a motorcycle. First two without "Great Escapes" and 15,000km, saw a lot. Using an American authors book was just barely ok. The third trip this last time for 10 weeks, did 12000km. Using the "Great Escapes" book I experienced New Zealand up close and personal. It's a GREAT book and an absolute must in order to get "inside" what I consider one of the great countries of the world!!



3. A plug for the "local talent" !! I just took a couple of weeks off to travel from Auckland down to and around the South Island, using Peter Mitchell's book "Great Escapes" as part of my routing.
   
   I had put together a general itinerary and then incorporated excerts from about a dozen of his rides into my travels so that, instead of just going directly from Point "A" to Point "B", I would purposely detour to take advantage of recommended roads from the book and, when time permitted, would take off altogether on some of his suggested "diversions". Worked out terrifically !! The descriptions and directions are "spot on" (particularly his description of the Takaka Hill as "tortuous"), and the information and suggestions provided were fabulous for an impressionable immigrant such as myself.
   
   If you're heading off into an area that you're not that familiar with, and want to really enjoy the ride like the locals might, pick up a copy of this super little book and stick it in the tankbag. If you don't get your money back in grins, then shame on you!
   
   Victor Solomon
   K75RT with substantially less tire tread than before it left!

No comments about New Zealands Top Trout Fishing Waters.

No comments about Going Back: Australian Veterans Return to Viet Nam.

3 comments about The Sailing Adventures of LA Boatique: From Lake Erie to New Zealand.

1. I enjoyed reading about the adventures at the exotic tropical islands far off the beaten path.



2. As a mother of two with a fixer-upper house, my husband and I stay on dry land and do not take risky vacations. Ms. Wagner's book is great in that she shares the stage for being on an exotic get-a-way far from the comforts of home. Sometimes while doing dishes I look out the window and see the ocean - but fortunately for me - I have yet to get sea sick!



3. La Boatique is a wonderful intimate view of the dream of many weekend sailors -- to make an ocean voyage, visiting all the islands of the Pacific. She tells which anchorages are best, how they fished for dinner during a 23 day passage between islands in the Pacific. They have medical emergencies, boat problems, etc., but as part of the sailing community, they are in touch with other "yachties" making similar passages, and they all help each other. Great story!

No comments about Berlitz New Zealand Pocket Guide (Berlitz Pocket Guides).

No comments about Two Voyages to the South Seas: Australia, New Zealand, Oceania 1862-1829 : Straits of Magellan, Chile, Oceania, New Guinea, Australia, South East As.

No comments about New Zealand Spiral Guide (Aaa Spiral Guides).

No comments about Best: A New Zealand Compendium.

5 comments about Ten Degrees of Reckoning.

1. According to Virginia Woolf, "A masterpiece is something said once and for all, stated, finished, so that it's there complete in the mind, if only at the back." Initially I was hesitant to read this book thinking I might not be able to enjoy it (based on the subject matter). However, the book proved to be nothing of the sort. Let it be known that Dr. Hester has crafted a masterpiece here, expertly weaving the details of Judy Sleavin's story into a captivating, awe-inspiring and significant read that offers as much in content as it does a message about life.



2. Ten Degrees of Reckoning by Hester Rumberg is a haunting yet heartwarming book that is difficult to put down while you are reading it and even more difficult to forget once you have finished the last page. The injustice of the events pervades your very being and yet Judy Sleavin's persistence in living demonstrates the power that love can have one one's life. A must read.
   Sondra Pearlman



3. Riveting--couldn't put it down. Heartfelt and respectfully written. How can you not live each day on this planet as if it were your last after reading Judy's story?



4. A wonderful look at someone surviving and overcoming an overwhelming tragedy. Thank you Hester for telling the Sleavin story so well.



5. It's hard to find the "right" words to describe this book and how it made me feel. The story was absolutely gripping and I could not put it down the night I started it so I stayed up all night to finish it. I truly find Judy an amazing person and an excellent role model for how resilient we are and how we go on living our lives. She and her family will never be forgotten in the lives of those who read this book. The writing by Hester is superb, no one could have done better. This would make an excellent book for any bookclub.