Journey among the pages

By BARBARA HARRIS


The frenzied build-up to Christmas is enough to trigger the urge to get away from all the hullabaloo. Nothing grand, but in terms of sanity it's the equivalent of five-star luxury - a stash of books, the phone off the hook and escape back to bed for a damn good read.

Here's a handful of the most recent travel books that are diverse enough to keep everyone happy.

For travellers who despair that the world has been discovered and everywhere is too touristy, Molvania by Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch (Southern Publishers, $29.95), is a guidebook to gladden the heart.

Molvania, just downwind of Chernobyl, is where you'll find the true flavour of Eastern Europe - where witch-burning is still celebrated, there is an award for young despot of the year, and brides are blessed with a shower of fzipdat, the nation's glorious flower (a sharply thorned cactus).

This spoof, brought to you by the talented comedy team behind The Castle and The Dish, is a gem.

Back to reality, but a pleasant one at that, with Raw Spirit, In Search Of The Perfect Dram by Iain Banks (Random House, $37.95), who takes us on a staggering tour through his beloved Scotland, indulging in one of its finest products - the single malt.

Written at a time the novelist was destroying his passport as a protest against Britain's involvement in Iraq, Banks has no shortage of offers from friends to act as researchers for the book. The road to the perfect dram is a long one with more than 100 whisky distilleries but Banks has a lot of fun in his quest.

The quest here, though, remains The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook by Ian Brodie (HarperCollins, $24.99). And as it's the season for the invasion of friends and rellies from other parts of the world, this informative and well set-out guide to Middle-earth Aotearoa makes a perfect diversion.

Another book inspired by Wellywood is a self-published comprehensive guide to the city. The Best of Wellington by Sarah Bennett ($24.95) is a snazzy handbag-size guide, written as much for locals as tourists, which includes a well-being section that takes in organic food stores, spas, yoga and health centres, and tattoo and body-piercing shops. Bound to be a well-thumbed addition to bookshelves.

Another splendid local effort is Wildlands by James Frankham (New Holland, $34.95). Frankham spent his boyhood summers at Silver Bay, Waiheke, learning to swim, sail and row - and developed a fierce love of the sea. This story is about his time on Michael Poliza's expedition vessel, Starship, which made a 1000-day circumnavigation of the world to mark the turn of the millennium.

Frankham's journey took him to some of the most remote places on Earth. He has chosen to write about a dozen ecologically significant locations, including Fiordland. Inspiring stuff, and stunning photographs.

It's the lure of the land for Peter Moore, whose anxiety over turning 40 gets him off the couch and on to a Vespa in a determined attempt to relive the heady Roman Holiday days of Audrey Hepburn. Vroom With A View (Random House, $27.95) has Moore sputtering on his scooter from Milan to Rome, along the winning the admiration of the locals and giving us great entertainment.

And finally, to the ends of the earth. Nome, Alaska, lies beside the Bering Sea, 2 degrees south of the Arctic Circle. Those who stay in this unforgiving land after October know the port will become icebound for seven months. In 1925, the last ship had steamed away, leaving its inhabitants cut off from the world. Shortly after, there was an outbreak of diphtheria and a desperate call was made to save the town.

The Cruellest Miles by Gay and Laney Salisbury (Bloomsbury, $35) is the true story of the heroic mushers and dogs who set off in a blizzard at 60C below zero, in what became known as "the Serum Run". An extraordinary story long overdue for retelling.