New boots in New Zealand - Gillian Orrell

After nearly a decade of city living, thirty-something Gillian Orrell left a high-flying city career, travelled to New Zealand and took up the local past-time with the peculiar name. 'Tramping', she discovered, is a lot like hiking, but with some distinctive local twists. But uncertainty and inexperience soon gave way to the challenge of the walks themselves as she embarked on the greatest adventure of her life. Fighting snowstorms, blisters and the attentions of unwanted tramping companions, she walked in awe through the natural splendour of New Zealand's great outdoors, trekking over mountains, through rivers, along beaches, past glaciers, into craters, around lakes, beside active volcanoes and through some of the oldest forests in the world. Along the way, she searched for endangered species, uncovered local legends, got caught in a flood, hunted goats, marvelled at the earth's antics, met the real trampers and learned what a JAFA is. The experience caused Gillian to reconsider her place in this world, reconstruct her life and re-examine her principles. "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 and inspirational armchair read as well as an essential source of information for anyone intending to walk in New Zealand.