Reviews
You wouldn’t expect a book on walking to set the cat among the pigeons, but here’s one that puts a Snail among the Penguins.
Gail ‘Snail’s’ book on Christchurch and Canterbury walkways is both a directory of tracks and an engaging journey of discovery.
A recent convert to the pastime of recreational walking, the author combines the need to know facts with her own experiences in a style that is down to earth and compelling. What else would you expect from a ‘snail’?
The introduction covers some general rules of thumb for your day out, such as how to prepare, what to take, etc. There are even some useful exercises to help you warm up and warm down.
The main body of text documents 124 walks and tracks, separated into Christchurch and Canterbury’s regional districts. Each track has a ‘How to get there’ section and a ‘Comments’ section, the latter describing matters such as the type of terrain, degree of difficulty, etc.
The walks covered range from half an hour to six hours return in duration. All have been walked by the author “at least once”.
Maps large and small are provided throughout, so there is no excuse for getting lost.
I like the layout of the book. It is well organised, with parcels of information attractively interspersed with photographs of features geographical and/or historical that the walker might encounter.
For example, readers might be interested to discover that one of the two adjoining Rakaia Gorge bridges is a ‘Truss’ bridge — one of only two of its type in the world.
I also like the fact that the book has has no political or commercial affiliations — no bias or hidden agenda. What you see is what you get.
A minor quibble might be that it is currently available only in pdf format. But the author recommends that pages be printed out and taken with you for reference. You can’t say fairer than that.
All in all, this is a very practical and user-friendly guide that will appeal to walkers of all ages and abilities. Buy it. It will broaden your horizons.
I had a look through of your book while away and it is really excellent.
Obviously a huge lot of work (and walking!). I don't know what the market
has by way of other competing publications but I thought it was highly
readable and easy to follow.
Warren Head
Publisher
