Kiwis Might Fly: Around New Zealand on Two Big Wheels

I was given this book from a friend as a vague taster of NZ before I headed down there for a year and they seriously recommended reading it. I didnt know much about New Zealand and didnt really feel like I needed to know much about its history or landscape. But as I started reading this book I was suddenly fuelled with intregue and curiosity about the beauty of NZ and how it came to be. Based on a personal perspective of Polly Evans who decided one day that she's bored of Rainy England and feels it a good idea to ride around NZ on a 600cc on a mission to find out if the modern Kiwi bloke really is on the verge of extinction, this extremely funny book boasts educational references, drama, personal reflection and a fairly decent overview of NZ as a whole. Despite the strange theme, the book delves into personal experiences of many of the sights and attractions around NZ, clear and detailed references to the history different places and events, lots of good clean British humour and an engrosing writing style of adventure. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be inspiring and and exteremly interesting. Plus there arent many books that make me laugh out loud, and this one did, a lot! I've also used this book as a good reference to many trips out so far, handy!

fluff (3/6 people found this helpful)

Top marks for Polly Evans for getting out there - taking a chance and actually going for it in an industry that must be pretty hard, but one wonders why anyone would buy this. Reading it I actually started to resent Polly Evans for her general superior attitude to everyone and everything - put simply she is no where near as funny as she thinks she is and its made worse by the fact that there are so many other travel books out there that do what Polly was trying to achieve and a whole lot more. You don't really learn anything new or profound about New Zealand, possible because this is a book that's really about its author.

My advise would be to pick another travel book to read, there are many out there that are funnier, more informed, and a lot less in love with the author.

An entertaining ramble... (9/9 people found this helpful)

It's difficult to write travel books with a "twist" but Polly Evans has a pretty good try here in a book that has two on the go at the same time. First, a lady with no previous motorbiking experience passes her test in the UK and, only a couple of weeks later, hires a 500cc road bike to circumnavigate the whole of New Zealand. Brave or stupid, her gradual mastery of this "monster" provides an engaging backdrop to the journey and results in a series of hilarious problems. Second, she sets out not only to see the country but to discover whether the traditional Kiwi male - the pioneer who could mend a clapped out tractor with a rubber band - still exists. A quest which allows her to include some fascinating facts about New Zealand's development, takes her to places that most tourists miss, and gives her the opportunity to ruminate on the issues facing a traditionally male dominated society in the process of change.

All good stuff but the problem is that, as with many "I'm off to see the country in a few weeks" travel books, she can only scratch the surface of the place. For example, in Christchurch she takes an immediate dislike to its "faux" Englishness, with its boatered punters and its school children in 1950's uniform, without having the time or inclination to get behind why these things exist. As a result, her conclusion that the city is in some form of ridiculously nostalgic time warp completely misses the point that this need to replicate the safety & security of "home" was an integral part of the male "pioneering spirit" she is in fact seeking, and that Christchurch with its strong links to rural farming communities still embodies, more than any other of New Zealand's major cities, this particular aspect of its history and life.

Truth is that it's virtually impossible to draw objective conclusions about a country or its people without immersing yourself in it and, with only a couple of days in each place, what she in fact ends up with is a series of intriguing snapshots rather than any real answers to the question she sets herself. But, no matter, because, in the end, it's an enjoyable ramble which, on the way, provides an excellent "primer" into New Zealand's history, captures a great deal of what a tourist can expect to see when there, and includes some wonderfully entertaining incidents as you follow her round its beautiful landscapes on her huge machine.

Hilarious must read (13/15 people found this helpful)

I have to admit, I'd never heard of Polly Evans when I bought this book - I was making up a 'Three For Two' offer. But, from the moment I picked it up to the minute I reluctantly put it down, I did nothing but laugh. A fantastic account of her brave (or stupid)journey around New Zealand on a motorbike, which she only learned how to drive a few weeks before setting out.
I'm now off to read her first book, and have every confidence it'll be as fantastic as this.

Kiwis Might Fly: Around New Zealand on Two Big Wheels

Polly Evans

Reader Reviews:

Not bad! (0/0 people found this helpful)

fluff (3/6 people found this helpful)

An entertaining ramble... (9/9 people found this helpful)

Hilarious must read (13/15 people found this helpful)

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