Book Description

When Gillian Orrell abandoned corporate life in London to walk or 'tramp' New Zealand's nine Great Walks, she had little idea of what to expect. But uncertainty and inexperience soon gave way to the challenges of the tracks themselves as she embarked on the greatest adventure of her life. Fighting snowstorms, blisters and the attentions of unwanted tramping companions, she tramped over mountains, into craters, through rivers, along beaches, past glaciers, around lakes, between active volcanoes and through some of the oldest forests in the world. Never sure whether she would be able to complete all of the tracks, Gillian determined to enjoy whatever fate had in store. As she tramped she uncovered local legends, searched for endangered species, got caught in a flood, hunted goats, marvelled at the earth's antics, met the real trampers, considered the place of human beings in this land and decided to change her life. New Boots in New Zealand is a day-by-day account of all nine Great Walks, from the majesty of the famous Milford Track to the unexpected variety of the Heaphy and the beguiling mystery of the Whanganui River Journey. Full of humour and joie de vivre, it is a hugely enjoyable armchair read as well as an essential source of information for anyone intending to walk in New Zealand.