New Zealand Guidebook Recommendations

I thought the Frommer’s guide was the most useful of the guidebooks I looked at although I really did not use the guidebook much. I also bought the Rough Guide. The Lonely Planet guide was useless to me. Their new format is terrible. I’d check to see what your local library has before you buy a book.

We've always favored the DK Eyewitness travel guide, although I thought the Lonely Planet guide was quite good too.
As is often the case wth these sorts of inquiries I'd suggest stopping by a Barnes and Noble sometime to peruse their offerings and decide on which format most appeals most to you before committing to a purchase.
Might also add that you can usually find used copies of any of the guides on Amazon for just a few dollars. They're typically quite adequate for sorting out the various attractions, which aren't going to change much from year to year - and for a deeper dive into topics like accommodations, etc. there's always internet searches to supplement what you'll find in a guide.

We like Lonely Planet for areas that RS doesn’t cover.

For those of you suggesting Lonely Planet, have you actually seen any of their recent books in the new format? They made major changes around 2023 and the new books don’t look anything like the original guides.

Lonely Planet used to be my go-to but the new format has stripped out all the practical information and looks like a series of ”articles” written by social media influencers.

Sometimes libraries carry old versions of travel books, or a used bookstore might.

As noted new guidebooks can be dreadful.

Actually, I just purchased the Lonely Planet guide for Tasmania in preparation for an upcoming trip and am finding it a storehouse of excellent information. I particularly like the format and presentation ... but maybe that's just me. I will say that even after several previous trips to Tasmania I'm finding lots of new things to consider during our stay next month, so it's been especially informative to me in that regard.
For Andrea: If you have the flexibility to add that 4th week (or longer) to your itinerary I'd highly recommend it. The country is gorgeous and both islands are terrific - although our personal favorite is the South Island for the spectacular scenery. We've had two extended stays in the country of 90 days apiece and never ran out of things to see and do. You'll love it.

Well seriously the New Zealand Travel Tips Facebook group is pretty amazing. The creator has some written guides that are inexpensive and useful.

I agree with Texas T.M. NZTT are a great resource and you will find up to the minute info.
You will need every minute of 4 weeks to do any justice to both islands. The "standard" South Island Alpine circuit plus Fiordland out and back is often done in 2 weeks but that is very rushed. We did it in 3 and had to still pick and choose.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I already belong to that facebook group and it is helpful. We can definitely spend 4 weeks and I may be able to stretch it to 5 weeks. We would have to leave a bit earlier in October because I want to be home for Thanksgiving. If we could swing it I would love to go to Tasmania for a week or less as well. I went with a friend this year and my husband would love it.