19 used & new from £0.01
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
A Land of Two Halves: Looking for a Lift in Both New Zealands
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

A Land of Two Halves: Looking for a Lift in Both New Zealands (Paperback)

by Joe Bennett (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


4 new from £2.51 15 used from £0.01
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Paperback (New edition) £7.99 £4.97 60 used & new from £0.01

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   Dalby Platform Lifts opens new browser window
www.dalbyplatformlifts.co.uk  -  U.K manufacturer of quality lifts. Quick & easy install at low prices.
   Expert advice on LIFT opens new browser window
www.apmhealthcare.co.uk  -  Your partner in healthcare Call for a confidential discussion
   Lift Consultants opens new browser window
www.abbacas.com  -  Lift & Escalator Consultants Level Access for All
  
 

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Kiwi Tracks: New Zealand Journey

Kiwi Tracks: New Zealand Journey

by Andrew Stevenson
4.5 out of 5 stars (13)  £5.15
Mustn't Grumble

Mustn't Grumble

by Joe Bennett
2.8 out of 5 stars (14)  £4.91
The Xenophobe's Guide to the Kiwis (Xenophobe's Guides)

The Xenophobe's Guide to the Kiwis (Xenophobe's Guides)

by Christine Cole Catley
£3.99
Explore New Zealand: Over 60 Scenic Driving Tours (NE)

Explore New Zealand: Over 60 Scenic Driving Tours (NE)

by John Cobb
4.6 out of 5 stars (5)  £10.49
1001 Best Things to See and Do in New Zealand

1001 Best Things to See and Do in New Zealand

by Peter Janssen
3.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £10.96
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 314 pages
  • Publisher: Scribner (6 Sep 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0743257138
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743257138
  • Product Dimensions: 21.4 x 13.4 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 244,201 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #84 in  Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Australia & New Zealand > New Zealand

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Miles Kington, INDEPENDENT

'I enjoyed it hugely - it's an observant, funny, cool, wise and witty book from cover to cover'

DAILY MAIL

'A brilliant wit. His viewpoint is refreshingly simple, deadly accurate and absurdly funny'
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
(3)
(3)
(3)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Land of Two Halves: Looking for a Lift in Both New Zealands
73% buy the item featured on this page:
A Land of Two Halves: Looking for a Lift in Both New Zealands 3.4 out of 5 stars (14)
New Zealand (Lonely Planet Country Guide)
10% buy
New Zealand (Lonely Planet Country Guide) 4.1 out of 5 stars (12)
£7.98
Kiwi Tracks: New Zealand Journey
6% buy
Kiwi Tracks: New Zealand Journey 4.5 out of 5 stars (13)
£5.15
Rough Guide Map New Zealand
6% buy
Rough Guide Map New Zealand 4.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£3.97
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Good vintage - light on the palate with a lingering and very pleasing aftertaste, 20 July 2006
By Willem Vink "daan42" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Land of Two Halves: An Accidental Tour of New Zealand (Paperback)
I first read this book a year ago, almost by chance; we were planning a 6-month stay in New Zealand, and the community library didn't have much else. Remember being amused by it, enjoying it a lot. Yes it is patchy and inconsistent, as another reviewer comments; what that reviewer fails to mention is that the book was written as a series of newspaper columns. It wasn't intended to be coherent; it didn't annoy me.

This is one of those books that make a bigger impact after reading than during. Whilst in New Zealand, it lingered in my memory. I felt I had a greater affinity with the place because of it. I've now bought it and am rereading it, with more pleasure than the first time. Because of the recognition.

I suppose Bennett is a cynic; he is also perceptive, and funny. To me, this is the best kind of travel writing: he's got an unerring eye for the countryside, puts real characters on the page, and enlivens it with interesting trivia and anecdotes.

One other thing: the first time I read the book, I didn't really appreciate what a fine writer he is, too. The prose is consistenly a pleasure to read. Which compares most favourably with the substandard dross that goes into 80% of travel writing!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable way to find infomation on New Zealand, 16 Nov 2004
Having chosen to try and emigrate to New Zealand I bought several 'guide-to-New Zealand' type books. All we're useful, pretty well written and as dry as desert that has just spent two hours in a sauna.

This book is different, it doesn't advertise itself as a guide book and it doesn't read like a guide book, it is an excellent and funny account of a hitch-hike around New Zealand. However as you read Joe Bennett's account of his trip you learn a lot about the country and it's people,albeit from one ex-Brit's perspective, and have a laugh on the way. Some guide books have brought a wry smile but none have had me laughing out loud like this book has!

If you're considering traveling to New Zealand or migrating there then I recommend this book to you, it's an interesting way of finding out about the country. Buy it with a 'proper' guide book and you'll be doing well in your pre-travel research.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars New Zealand - A "must buy" book for visitors, 2 Mar 2005
If you are to holiday in New Zealand or, like me, are thinking of a more permanent visit, this is a book that reveals so much more than the usual guide because it has been written by an "insider".

The author arrived in New Zealand with a view to staying for a couple of years at the most and has now been there for over ten. In this book, he sets out to discover what it is that has kept him there.

I particularly liked the humour which the author has brought to the subject but the reader also gets a feel for some of the politics and history of this fascinating Country.

The previous reviewer makes a great mistake when he suggests that this "sideways look" denegrates the people he meets on his travels. Far from it, his observations tell you a great deal about the outlook and attitude of those he travels with ( he hitch-hikes around the Islands). Indeed, this book was recommended to me by a native New Zealander who felt that it provided so much more information than the "normal" guide.

This is a real travelogue. You couldn't make up many of the people he meets and each provider of lifts has their own tale to tell.

By the end of the book, I felt that I knew a lot more about N.Z. and had shared his adventure. I have recommended it to friends who have no intention of travelling but have thoroughly enjoyed the read for it's humour alone.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good read
Pretty good read. The writer is a Jack Dee sort, has its funny quotes and makes me miss the place. Money well spent i think
Published 13 days ago by Nathan Hulme

3.0 out of 5 stars Insite on New Zealand life style
This is a witty book with great satire written in the Jeremy Clarkson style.. honest reviews of life and hotels, buildings etc. Worth reading before visiting New Zealand .. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr. R. Weaver

4.0 out of 5 stars Top of the South?
Enjoyed the reading part, and finished the book quicker than expected -didn't want to put it down.
From my limited experiences of New Zealand, I found that the author had... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. T. S. W. Hazan

1.0 out of 5 stars Well there was one funny bit......
I think its the Daily Mail who describe this book as 'hilarious' - but its far from that I can assure you. Read more
Published 14 months ago by A. Evans

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun! Laughed my way through it.
This is a great book. My kiwi wife has always told me going to Invercargill is no good idea. Now I understand why. Joe Bennet writes short sentences, underscoring the puns. Read more
Published 17 months ago by mabolek

2.0 out of 5 stars A badly written let down that does a beautiful country no justice.
As I'm leaving for an extended working/travelling break in NZ I'm trying to poke my nose into as many books written about the country as possible. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Ms. K. R. Beswick

1.0 out of 5 stars What a shame.........
Having visited NZ briefly and just about to take an extended trip, I dived into the book to pick up tips of 'off the beaten track delights'. Oh dear this book is dreadfull!! Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2007 by NZ lover

4.0 out of 5 stars A hilarious and enlightening trip around New Zealand
Joe did, at 46, what others of his age would think the impossible; to tour the inaccessible vastness of New Zealand in the old traditional way - by hitching. Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2007 by Julian Fletcher

4.0 out of 5 stars Amusing travelogue
This is something of a caricature of NZ and I enjoyed reading it. If you don't mind the expletives it's a funny book which had me laughing out loud. Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2006 by Christopher Rosenberg

3.0 out of 5 stars A very odd journey...
This book certainly looks good... the idea of hitch-hiking as a way of exploring a country and its society is clever - you meet a lot of different people and get to see parts that... Read more
Published on 19 Aug 2005 by nicjaytee

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 

   

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject








i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.