ABOUT THE BOOK
New Zealand is one of the most isolated countries in the world, with the South Island one of the least densely populated areas. Superb forests, pristine lakes, valleys carved by ancient glaciers, incredible limestone formations and breathtaking snowcapped mountains – the South Island is regarded as one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
‘New Zealand: Your essential guide to the South Island’ takes travellers on an incredible journey from the top of the South Island; follow the road south along the dramatic West Coast where mountains tower over the landscape, then inland to the magnificent wilderness of the far south with its many splendid lakes, and finally up the rugged east coast with its abundance of wildlife until the road again ends at the top of the South Island. Alternative and additional routes are included for those who have time to do further exploring, or if you want to come back some other time to do another road trip. One never seems to be enough. Along the way we visit off the beaten track and quirky attractions, ghost towns, mindblowing natural attractions and quaint villages in remote settings. With nearly 400 attractions, parks & gardens, historic ruins, waterfalls and lakes there will never be a dull moment!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Philip Cristian Claassen was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and studied for the National Diploma of Performing Arts in Pretoria where he majored in scriptwriting and directing.
After studies, Philip lived in the UK for four years before moving back to Cape Town where he worked in the film industry, and then moved to Johannesburg to work as full time screenwriter for Franz Marx Films. He wrote 38 episodes for the local television series ‘Egoli: Place of Gold’. In 2006 he relocated to New Zealand and his travel guide, ‘New Zealand: Your essential guide to the South Island’ was published in March 2018, which is the result of six years and 1000s of kilometres of travelling through the South Island.
Recent writing credits include a TV pilot for the Australian television series ‘Family Court: In Person’, and the critically acclaimed short film ‘Degree of Separation’ – Official Selection for 24 international Film Festivals, including opening film to the prestigious Beverly Hills Film Festival, and winner of 7 Awards, including Best Film and Best Screenplay.
Acting credits include ‘Charlie Jade’, ‘Egoli: Place of Gold’, ‘Incident Report‘, ‘Thalamos’, ‘Irena’, Terminal Kingdom’, ‘(Working) Holiday’,‘Wallking into Sunday’, and the music video ‘Teramaze: Out of Subconscious’, to name but a few.