The latest edition of the Lonely Planet Travel Guide to New Zealand, released today, gave big raps to a host of Otago towns and visitor attractions.
Although, according to the guide, Balclutha was of "little interest to travellers other than as a place to stock up on supplies", it said Dunedin was "the South Island's coolest city".
The travel guide found the city "surprisingly artsy" and listed Dunedin's "thriving" Farmers Market and the city's Emerson and Green Man breweries as "essential" stop-off points for visitors.
The Otago Central Rail Trail from Clyde to Middlmarch was praised for excellent facilities and its "gob-smacking scenery and profound remoteness".
The Otago Harbour "north shore" was "a worthy detour" from the main tourist track, the Central Otago towns of Naseby and Clyde competed with each other for "the title of NZ's cutest town", and Cromwell was "charming".
St Bathans was "atmospheric" and, as a whole, Otago was "overflowing with picturesque scenery", while the Bannockburn Valley near Cromwell was home to the country's "finest pinot noir wines".
Queenstown was a town "with the energy of a small city" possessing a "cinematic backdrop", with "excellent tourist facilities" and an array of "what can we think of next" adventure activities.
The guide also described Oamaru as "a town of penguins and glorious heritage architecture", containing the South Island's "yummiest cheese factory" (Whitestone Cheese).
It gave particularly mention to the Oamaru Victorian Precinct, author Janet Frame's house as well as the "bizarre moonscape" of Clay Cliffs, Vanished World, and Steampunk HQ as sights to see.
The Waitaki district featured on a full nine pages of the travel guide and Tourism Waitaki general manager Hugh Packer said he was thrilled with the coverage.
"Not everywhere in New Zealand gets a compliment - but we do."
The guide added that although Timaru in South Canterbury was a "handy stopping point" between Christchurch and Dunedin, it added that "many travellers prefer to kick on 85km further south to the smaller, more charming Oamaru".
Timaru was still "worthy of a spot of travellers' R&R", it said.
The guide book was compiled by five authors who spent 26 weeks touring the country, but although the guide praised Wellington as a "wonderful city" and said a visit to Christchurch was "interesting and inspiring", it said Auckland's transport system was "a mess" and Invercargill was "flat and suburban, with endlessly treeless streets".
Alexandra also got short shrift.
"Unless you've come here especially for the Easter Bunny Hunt or September's NZ Merino Shearing Championships, the best reason to visit Alexandra is the nearby mountain biking."
