[.ca] Frommer's New Zealand (ISBN 0470178353)

Frommer's New Zealand:
This guide is an excellent introduction to New Zealand for the first-time traveler. The organization is helpful and the area details are of great value in planning self-guided itineraries. We were able to focus our two weeks in the country on areas of particular interest because of this guidance.

Frommer's New Zealand:
As a first time vistor to New Zealand, I found this book to be extremely helpful. It provided an informative overview of the country, and the various recommendations for accommodations and travel services were, for me, very reliable. I used it constantly both before and during the trip.

New Zealand is a wonderful country for tourists:
I found the criticisms on Frommer's NZ mostly incorrect. At least, I did not have the same experience as the two critics. I consider this book reliable. Actually, certain information in the book closely assembles those on the leaflets found at the tourist information centers. Tourists can find many helpful facilities in NZ and anyone can have a pleasant trip in NZ without a guide book. However, the valuable parts of this book came from the writer. Adrienne is a New Zealander. I trusted the ratings, followed the recommendations, suggested itineraries ... and had a wonderful experience in NZ.

Highly avoidable:
It is a completely unreliable book. Two of the most highly rated places (* places) turned out to be total fiascos. They rated a place- a luxury upscale B & B 'The Dairy' in Queenstown as highly recommended. It was expensive by NZ standards and turned out to be worse than any cheap motel I have stayed in USA. The restaurant recommendations were similarly unreliable. In fact the only two really unpleasant experiences we had in the whole trip were based on the sole recommendations of this guide.

Don't Depend On This Information Alone!:
This book touts itself as being the most comprehensive up-to-date with exact information and prices. Not so! It may have been published this year but we found many of the places reviewed had closed, moved or were renamed & under new management. Several other places of interest to travelers were totally ignored: for example, the coverage of the botanical gardens in Christchurch fails to give any information at all about the Carter Observatory located there. And don't think that all those "free" museums are really without cost! Several had suggested "donations" posted at their turnstile entrances that would take a lot more chutzpah than I possess to bypass without paying. Frommer's idea of moderately priced facilities would give most travelers a heart attack and the restaurants reviewed are hit or miss. For example the highly praised Saugero Mexican Restaurant in Queenstown puts broccoli and carrots in their chicken burritos which is only to be discovered after a shocking first bite; neither the menu nor the guidebook gives warning to these unusual ingrediants. Do yourself a favor and consult several guidebooks to give yourself more options and always trust the locals over anything your travel books may say.