Author(s): Mark Pickering (photography Nic Bishop & Mark Pickering)

New Zealand | Sport

New Zealand is blessed with wild places, many right under our noses. Most are only a short distance from the more conventional tourist centres and include rain forests, estuaries, granite gorges, beaches and windswept coasts, tussock plains, mangrove swamps and hot springs. This new, updated edition of Wild Walks, combines walks from both the North and South Island. Each walk describes a landscape feature, wildlife habitat or plant which makes it unique. Wild Walks is the perfect book for the tourist or those on holiday with a few hours to spare, and for those who like to put on their walking shoes and take a short stroll into the unspoilt magic of wilderness. Native wildlife abounds in these ancient and untouched spots: little blue penguins, sealions, dolphins, kakas, keas, kiwis, kereru, albatrosses ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂæ the list goes on. Many are unique to the habitat in which you will see them. The walks described range from 15 minutes to about 4 hours (return) and are suitable for people of all ages. Location maps and concise directions make them easy to find and follow. Keep Wild Walks in the glove department of your car: it will become your passport to New Zealand's special wild places. First published April 2006.