Classic Walks of New Zealand

by Craig Potton, Craig Potton Publishing, 134 pages, $39.99.

A revised and updated edition of a book first published in 1997, the new version has bird's-eye maps that present each of the nine featured tracks in three dimensions. Its greater strength, however, is the glorious photographs taken by Potton, Rob Brown and others, and in Potton's informative and evocative text.

Potton, who ought to be declared a national treasure, traverses the most famous and popular walks on conservation land, from Stewart Island's northwest circuit to the circuit of Lake Waikaremoana, taking in Nelson's gems, the Heaphy Track and Abel Tasman Coast Track.

It's a book that will revive memories of past tramps, generate the desire for new ones, and show all readers how breathtaking the New Zealand outdoors can be.

"I have become convinced that the mere act of walking in nature is wonderfully therapeutic," Potton writes. "I find the rhythms of the wild soothe many of my anxieties."

He's not the only one, and his book is a sure way to remind readers of how accessible the therapy is.

• The Nelson Mail has two copies of Classic Walks of New Zealand to give away, courtesy of Craig Potton Publishing. Write your name, address and telephone number on the back of an envelope and send to Class Walks give away, Nelson Mail, PO Box 244, Nelson.

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