Straying from the Flock

An illuminating road trip through the history, life, andattractions of one of the most beautiful countries in the southernhemisphereThe beauty and grandeur of New Zealand has captured the imaginationof movie-goers over the past couple of years, and the country is adream destination for many around the world. Straying from theFlock is an intimate and personal account of one passionatetraveler's visit to this incredible country, its mountains andbeaches, fjords, rainforests, vineyards, and hidden eateries. Eachof the fifty chapters describes one day in his travels-fishing,flying, cattle herding, befriending locals at every turn. Filledwith colorful stories and memorable personalities, the book notonly describes the trip of a lifetime, but captures a life-alteringexperience for its writer. From mountains and rainforests to citiesand beaches, Straying from the Flock is both a moving memoir andpersonal travel guide to this amazing country.

Your Ticket to New Zealand xiSection 1 The Far End of the Earth 11 Travel without Reservations 52 Across the Ocean from the South Pole 6Section 2 The South Island 133 The Wrong Side of the Road 154 Penguins, Pints and Pioneers 195 A Hot Tub for Sea Lions 236 Stern Scotch Presbyterians 267 Ski Trails above the Clouds 308 Extreme Sports 339 Skid and Tow 3710 Paddling under the Glaciers 4011 Crampons and Crevasses 4312 Across the Southern Alps 4813 Heli-skiing? Heli-no! 5414 Mountain Rescue 6115 The Country of Second Sons 6516 A Flying Shepherd 7017 Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience 7718 Bad Girls' Guide to Wine 8019 Meeting Captain Cook 8320 Above Murderers' Bay 9021 The Emperor of New Zealand 9522 The Cat across Cook Strait 9923 Once-in-2,000-Years Earthquake 10424 Sherry with a Painter 110Section 3 Australia 11525 Swim in an Anti-Shark Cage 11726 Parfume Downwind 12227 An Esky Party 12328 The Stolen Generation 12529 Directions for a Hanging 12730 I'll be Buggered 12931 The Best Brains of All Fish 130Section 4 The North Island 13532 Prawn Sambal from KL 13733 81 Sheep an Hour 13934 Biblical High Tech 14335 The Maori and the Mongrel Mob 14836 A Knife for a Captain Cooker 15437 The Rules for Whale Encounters 16138 Fight or Be Cooked 16839 Between the Dolphins and the Gannets 17540 Thrown Out for Misconduct 18241 A Blue Electric Charge 18742 A Farmer and a Scholar 19443 Where the Queen of England Goes to Fish 20044 The Polynesian Spa 20645 How to Catch a Barracuda 21046 Stud Lambs Get Crotchety 21547 The City of Sails 22448 A Stack of Sheepskins 22649 A Tunnel through a Fishtank 230Section 5 Cook Islands / Goodbye New Zealand 23550 Writing in Rarotonga 23951 Goodbye New Zealand 248Section 6 The Practical Traveler 251Favorite Places 255Favorite Guides 259Background Reading 261Practical Books and Web Sites 263Bring with You 265Flying in the Front of the Plane 267Overcoming Jet Lag 271Recipes 273Acknowledgments 275