Willie Apiata VC: The Reluctant Hero by Paul Little

$38.00 NZD

Category: New Zealand

'At 0900 on Sunday 01 July my CO handed me three letters to read. The first was from the Governor General, the second from the Prime Minister and the third was from the Minister of Defence. These letters informed me that I had been awarded the Victoria Cross for New Zealand (V.C.).' Cpl Bill (Willie) Ap iata, V.C. Corporal Willie Apiata became the first New Zealander since the Second World War to be awarded the Commonwealth's highest military award for his actions with the NZ SAS in Afghanistan. From his early life in small town East Coast New Zealand to his actions in the deserts of Afghanistan, this is his story in his words. This book will not only establish the place of Corporal Apiata in New Zealand's history but will give an insight into the nature of a man who is truly a reluctant hero. While to most of us his actions seemed extraordinary and heroic, Corporal Apiata felt he was an ordinary Kiwi just 'doing his job'. ...Show more

Ajax the Kea Dog: A Working Dog's Life in the High Country by Corey Mosen

$39.99 NZD

Category: New Zealand

The highly illustrated, heartwarming story of conservation heroes, dog Ajax and his handler Corey, who traverse remote parts of the South Island tracking kea nests. Together, Corey and Ajax travel through the steep high country throughout the South Island searching out kea nests. Their part in the kea conservation effort is essential and both Ajax and Corey can rightly be called conservation heroes. This heart-warming story describes how Ajax was trained to be one of the very few kea detection dogs in the world and tells of his various escapades in the unpredictable wilds of the steep back-country, including flying in helicopters; working in blizzards, heavy rain, and dense fog; escaping from angry wasps; and sleeping out in the bitter cold. The strong connection between Ajax and Corey has proved vital to their survival and the important work that they do. Ajax is slowing down now and soon his high-country days will be over. ...Show more

Little Loves: New Zealand Children and Their Favourite Animals by Rachael Hale McKenna

$49.99 NZD

Category: New Zealand

Every child loves their pet, and this beautiful book portrays the special connections between children and their chosen animals...Rachael Hale McKenna.s stunning photographs catch the joy and delight that exist between children and animals. Taken on location right throughout New Zealand, these gorgeous images show off the amazing New Zealand landscape, whether it be coast, country or city...There are many cute and funny stories about the children's relationships with their favourite animals. Some are also deeply moving. There are children living on remote farms, in small towns, by the beach, in big cities and yet they all have in common their love for their special pets. And the animals love them right back, some of them providing incredible support to children who are chronically ill or disabled...As well as kittens and puppies there are all sorts of pets such as horses, rabbits, lambs, calves, goats, pigs, chickens and even eels!.. ...Show more

The Natural History of Canterbury by Michael Winterbourn

$34.99 NZD

$195.00 (82% off)

Category: New Zealand | Reading Level: Near Fine

The expansive third edition of The Natural History of Canterbury provides a comprehensive, up-to-date account of knowledge of Canterbury's flora, fauna and environment. Written with a broad audience in mind, it will be an invaluable resource for natural scientists, students, environmental managers, and interested lay readers from Canterbury and throughout New Zealand. Chapters cover geology, geomorphology and geography of the region, its climate and soils, and the history of Maori colonisation and life. Vegetation, past and present, is dealt with in detail, as a fossil and present-day faunas, including birds, amphibians, reptiles and marine mammals. Extensive use of colour photographs enable the reader to visualise many of the remarkable plants, animals and landscapes found in the region. First published 1927; this 3rd edition first published May 2008, Christchurch. 260x190mm / 924pp ...Show more

Classic New Zealand Road Rides: 100 Recreational Road Rides in New Zealand by Jonathan Kennett

$39.90 NZD

Category: New Zealand

The first edition of Classic New Zealand Road Rides is an invaluable guide to the sport and recreation of road riding. It includes information how to get started, such as buying a bike, setting it up, and going on your first ride. For more ambitious riders, there are sections on training and racing, inc luding nutrition and safety. New Zealand has seen a strong growth in road cycling since 2004 when Sarah Ulmer won Olympic Gold. Clubs and road races are booming and cycling is now referred to as 'the new golf'. The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge has over 11,000 riders and is the largest road ride event in the Southern Hemisphere. ...Show more

Pack and Rifle by Philip Holden

$37.00 NZD

Category: New Zealand

PACK AND RIFLE is the book that has inspired generations of hunters to experience all that wild New Zealand has to offer. First published in 1971, the book was immediately recognised as a classic of its genre. It recounts Philip Holden's adventures as a deer culler and contains a wealth of knowledge and hunting lore ready now to be taken up by a new generation of hunting and outdoorenthusiasts. Some of the people named in the book have moved on and the dates are old, but some things never change. The hills today are just as they were when Philip first explored them and the adventure and thrill of the hunt still resonates from the page.The book can be enjoyed by the young and upcoming hunter as well as those who will read the stories with a fond smile of nostalgia - those who have been there on younger legs and who once lived the adventures of hunting in New Zealand's mighty back country. ...Show more

Stories without End: Essays 1975-2010 by Judith Binney

$49.99 NZD

Category: New Zealand

Judith Binney's work spans nearly forty years of historical endeavour that began with the award-winning biography of the missionary Thomas Kendall, The Legacy of Guilt (1968). Her magisterial publication of 2009, Encircled Lands, is the culmination of many years' work on the history of the Urewera - a g reat scholarly enterprise that began with a visit to Maungapohatu in the late 1970s. The questions that presented themselves, in that place about that history, led to what Judith Binney has called 'the unanticipated trilogy': Mihaia (the biography of Rua Kenana); Nga Morehu (oral histories of women connected to the Ringatu church); and prizewinning biography of Te Kooti, Redemption Songs. Around this central core of remarkable books stands a ring of essays, exploring sidepaths, offering other stories, presenting glimpses tangential to her historical narratives. The people of these 'stories without end' are those we meet in the books: Rua and Te Kooti, their wives and their descendants; the leaders of the Urewera; the schoolteachers from Maungapohatu; those early missionaries; the government men. Oral history brings its particular resonance to some essays; a discourse on symbols and maps lends insight to another; taking this very specific history, located in the Urewera, to readers outside New Zealand gives a new slant. The stories in this collection are just that: narratives that flow one into another, filling out histories, bringing people out of the shadows, bringing scholarship to life. They are 'stories without end', from a writer who is also one of New Zealand's greatest scholars. ...Show more

Fight for the Forests: The Pivotal Campaigns That Saved New Zealand's Native Forests by Paul Bensemann

$69.99 NZD

Category: New Zealand | Reading Level: near fine

The remarkable and inspring story of how New Zealand's native forests were saved between 1960 and 2000. The greatest success stories of the modern environmental movement in New Zealand were the public campaigns to save our native forests, beginning in the 1960s with the battle to stop Lake Manapouri be ing drowned. By 2000, all the significant lowland forest in South Westland had become part of a World Heritage Area, the beech forests of the West Coast had largely been protected, Paparoa National Park had been established, the magnificent podocarp forests of Pureora and Whirinaki in the central North Island had been saved from the chainsaw, and many other smaller areas of forest had been included into the conservation estate. Fight for the Forest tells this remarkable story, how a group of young activists became aware of government plans to mill vast areas of West Coast beech forest, and began campaigning to halt this. From small beginnings, a much larger movement grew, mainly centred around the work of the Native Forests Action Council, whose young, committed and extremely capable conservationists tapped into huge public support and changed the course of environmental history in this country. Mainly based on interviews with key players, author Paul Bensemann has recorded a largely untold but significant and inspiring history, one that reminds us that change for good is always possible. ...Show more

Maori Myths and Legendary Tales by A. W. Reed

$27.99 NZD

Category: New Zealand | Reading Level: good

This book was first published in 1946 as Myths and Legends of Maoriland, and subsequently reprinted four times before the second edition was published in 1958, followed by the third edition in 1961. It went on to become one of New Zealand's most recognised books of the genre, winning an Esther Glen meda l for the best children's book in 1947, and enjoyed considerable popularity in London, New York and Australia. This new edition retains the work of illustrator Dennis Turner and is presented with a stunning new cover based on the 'Rangi and Papa' mural, by highly acclaimed artist Cliff Whiting, which now hangs in the Beehive in Wellington. ...Show more

Sizing Up the City: Urban Form and Transport in New Zealand by Philippa Howden-Chapman, Keriata Stuart & Ralph Chapman (eds)

$39.99 NZD

Category: New Zealand | Reading Level: near fine

Making New Zealand's transport sustainable will be one of the challenges of the coming decades. This book collects papers presented at national symposia on sustainable transport and urban form, and other recent writings on sustainability and our built environment. Contributors explain how public and pri vate transport contribute to our culture, how they interact with urban centres, and how they affect our lives, health and social wellbeing. Research shows the challenges we face in making our transport networks resilient and sustainable, and the contributors to this book suggest how we might start that task. ...Show more

Art Galleries to Visit in New Zealand : Outstanding Art Collections Open to the Public (new edition) by Denis Robinson

$29.99 NZD

Category: New Zealand

New Zealand has a wealth of creative talent on display through numerous art galleries in towns and cities up and down the country. Some owner/artist galleries specialise in the work of one artist, while others prefer to represent the work of several artists or specialise in various media, including pain ting, photography, sculpture, ceramics and glass. With listings for over 100 entries, this guide presents a delightful range of interesting galleries to visit, from those tucked away in unusual locations to those that house important historical or contemporary collections. Each entry in the book includes address and contact details, opening times, artists represented, refreshments and attractions nearby. With additional excerpts about art and artists provided in boxed text alongside many entries, this is a book to consult when travelling to a new destination or simply to plan the next trip away. ...Show more

The Seven Stars of Matariki by Toni Rolleston-Cummins

$18.00 NZD

Category: New Zealand

This is a contemporary myth of love, magic, and adventure that tells the story of how Matariki/the Pleiades star cluster came into being. Recommended for ages 5-9.