A useful guide for my brief "make it up as you go along" visit to NZ, but with hindsight I wouldn't have used the book.
What I'd do now is get a good map of NZ, and sit down with some Kiwis and ask them where I should visit. Then travel and pick up all the information you need from the local tourist information buildings. If you're travelling by car, then you can probably pick up a free motel guide to give you an idea where the motels are in an area. Everything else, you can find on the web (e.g., starting with soc.culture.new-zealand FAQ).
The other odd thing about this Lonely Planet is that it exaggerates: the Wellington cable car is neither a "must-do" nor is it "exhilarating"; the boat cruises on Milford Sound are not must do either, but kayaking probably is. Strange.
My rating: Good