Te Manu Huna a Tane: The Hidden Bird of Tane by Edited by Jenny Gillam and Eugene Hansen

$45.00 NZD

Category: NZ

This special photo book documents a wananga or class for three generations of women from Ngati Torehina Ki Mataka to learn the customary practice of pelting North Island brown kiwi so their feathers can be used for weaving. This passing on of customary knowledge developed out of a partnership between c onservationists and weavers that returned accidentally killed kiwi to the hapu or family of the rohe or district in which they were found. It offers a particular perspective on the contemporary hapu-led cultural practices of Maori women and their intersection of the sacred and profound in the everyday. It also brings a greater understanding of conservation efforts and, in particular, of how the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai works closely with tangata whenua. ...Show more

Weed - A New Zealand Love Story by James Borrowdale

$35.00 NZD

Category: NZ

'I just closed my eyes and drifted away. I drifted away to the music but I don't think I'd ever experienced anything quite so soothing and magical. It was like I was in a magical space. It was beautiful.' - Jim Mahoney, reformed drug addict Pot, Mary Jane, dope, skunk, grass, hash, green, hooch, herb, g anja, reefer. New Zealand loves weed. It's the most popular illegal drug in our country and third most popular drug overall, behind alcohol and tobacco, yet it also represents a troubled relationship. In Weed, award-winning journalist James Borrowdale dives in deep to understand why, meeting a fascinating cross-section of New Zealand along the way - a nineteenth-century nun who allegedly grew pot, a bystander to the Mr Asia syndicate, a convicted heroin dealer turned criminologist, people both using and offering the drug for medicinal relief, politicians and law-makers old and new. What's revealed is an engrossing, heady and sometimes surprising account of New Zealand and weed. Fusing insightful, personal stories with analysis and historical research, Weed lays out the facts as they are - about an issue that can no longer be ignored. ...Show more

Merchant, Miner, Mandarin by Jenny Sew Hoy Agnew; Trevor Gordon Agnew

$49.99 NZD

Category: NZ

In 1869, a businessman from China's Guangdong Province first set foot on New Zealand soil at Port Chalmers. It was the beginning of an illustrious career that would change the shape of commerce and industry in Otago and Southland. 'Merchant, Miner, Mandarin' depicts the fascinating life of Choie Sew Hoy - from his early days in China before emigrating to Australia and then New Zealand, to his death in 1901 as one of Dunedin's most prominent entrepreneurs. The store Choie Sew Hoy established in Dunedin's Stafford Street was a huge success, while his revolutionary gold-dredging technology improved the fortunes of the gold-mining industry in Otago and Southland. He backed dredging, quartz crushing and hydraulic sluicing ventures in the goldfields of Ophir, Macetown, Skippers, Nokomai and the Shotover. Sharp as a razor, Sew Hoy was a visionary, able to spot opportunities no one else could, whether sending vast amounts of unwanted scrap metal from New Zealand back to China, or joining famous Taranaki businessman Chew Chong's fungus export trade. Sew Hoy was also a local character, always elegantly dressed and with legendary success in horse racing. His self-assurance and charm gained him entry to the Chamber of Commerce, the Jockey Club, the Masons and even the Caledonian Society. A benefactor to many social causes, he supported hospitals and benevolent associations to help his fellow Chinese immigrants. When the success of the Chinese in New Zealand aroused hostility, he fought the prevalent racism and unfair government legislation of the day. A man of two worlds, Choie Sew Hoy was a success in both. Richly illustrated and deeply researched, 'Merchant, Miner, Mandarin' is both the compelling biography of one of the most distinguished figures of New Zealand business and an intriguing account of late 19th-century society, industry and race relations. ...Show more

From Gondwana to the Ice Age - The Geology of New Zealand over the Last 100 Million Years by John Bradshaw; Malcolm Laird

$89.99 NZD

Category: NZ

Until about 100 million years ago, New Zealand lay on the Pacific-facing edge of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana; the formation of our sedimentary rocks provides a fascinating view of the tectonic activity and changes since that time. This volume is the culmination of a comprehensive survey of Ne w Zealand's Cretaceous-Cenozoic strata, begun in 1978, and presents an up-to-date synthesis and interpretation of regional sedimentary information from a variety of sources; the study has been expanded to include large areas of the continental shelf and beyond. Extensive references and indexing complete this essential work, a key resource for students, professional geologists and enthusiastic amateurs. Topics covered include:* sedimentary basins during the Cretaceous continental margin break-up;* the active tectonics of a 'passive margin';* Late Cenozoic sedimentary basins in a new, evolving plate boundary;* eustatic sea-level change in an active tectonic setting;* basin scale and facies change on the new and thin continent Zealandia. ...Show more

Te Wheke - Pathways Across Oceania by Ken Hall

$39.90 NZD

Category: NZ

Te wheke means octopus in te reo Maori. For many cultures the Pacific Ocean, this resourceful, adventurous creature is a symbol of early voyages from the Polynesian homelands of Hawaiki. In Aotearoa New Zealand, conventional art history tells the stories of art that ties us to Britain and Europe. This book looks in a different direction - from the Pacific outwards. Te Wheke features a selection of excellent examples of art from Aotearoa and the Pacific, each with a short text opening up conversations about the journeys, tensions and connections that shape Oceania's past, present and future This book accompanies the Te Wheke - Pathways Across Oceania exhibition at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū . ...Show more

Pull No Punches - Memoir of a Political Survivor by Judith Collins

$36.99 NZD

Category: NZ

A candid and revealing memoir from one of politics' great survivors - National MP, Judith Collins.

Observations of a Rural Nurse by Sara McIntyre (Photographer)

$55.00 NZD

Category: NZ | Reading Level: near fine

Sara McIntyre, the daughter of the artist Peter McIntyre, was nine years old when her family first came to Kākahi, in the King Country, in 1960. The family has been linked to Kākahi ever since. On the family car trips of her childhood, McIntyre got used to her fathers frequent stops for subject matter f or painting. Fifty years on, when she moved to Kākahi to work as a district nurse, she began to do the same on her rounds, as a photographer. This book brings together her remarkable photographic exploration her observations of Kākahi and the sparsely populated surrounding King Country towns of Manunui, Ohura, Ongarue, Piriaka, Owhango and Taumarunui. ...Show more

New Zealand Mysteries by Scott Bainbridge

$39.99 NZD

Category: NZ

New Zealand’s history is peppered with mysterious tales of otherworldly beings, strange sightings, inexplicable disappearances and unusual crimes. While some of these stories have been handed down through generations, many of them hail from more recent times. The one thing they all have in common is that they have all endured despite repeated attempts to solve or explain them. In this book, Scott Bainbridge turns his investigative skills towards some of the best-known of these mysteries, like the ghosts of Wellington’s St James Theatre, the sightings of large cats throughout Canterbury and the appearance of otherworldly lights over Kaikoura. He also looks into some less known but equally intriguing puzzles, including the disappearance of a British naval officer during the Cold War, the origins of unusual crop circles near Ngatea and the vanishing of everyone on board the MV Joyita. Bainbridge does not set out to solve these mysteries, but instead considers the evidence, while leaving readers to form their own opinions. ...Show more

Know Your Place by Golriz Ghahraman

$39.99 NZD

Category: NZ | Reading Level: near fine

The story of a child refugee who faced her fears, found her home and accidentally made history When she was just nine, Golriz Ghahraman and her parents were forced to flee their home in Iran. After a terrifying and uncertain journey, they landed in Auckland where they were able to seek asylum and - ult imately - create a new life. In this open and intimate account, Ghahraman talks about making a home in Aotearoa New Zealand, her work as a human rights lawyer, her United Nations missions, and how she became the first refugee to be elected to the New Zealand Parliament. Passionate and unflinching, Know Your Place is a story about breaking barriers, and the daily challenges of prejudice that shape the lives of women and minorities. At its heart, it's about overcoming fear, about family, and about finding a place to belong. ...Show more

This Is Us - New Zealanders in our own words by Pete Carter

$39.99 NZD

Category: NZ

This is Us is a collection of over 200 brief interviews with New Zealanders, spanning the length and breadth of the country; from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island. It was written in response to the Christchurch terrorist attack but is not about it; it is instead a representation of the New Zealand people i n their own words. A celebration of the diverse, open, and inclusive communities that exist across New Zealand, This is Us inspires hope by showing the kindness and spirit of everyday people. Each interview provides a snapshot of the subject's life, accompanied by a photographic portrait. The joy interviewees felt in telling their stories shines from the page. Each of the interviewees has a unique story to tell, and to have them collected in one place creates an engaging and insightful reading experience that will delight anyone interested in finding out more about Kiwi society and culture. Carter spoke with characters from a variety of professions, age groups and cultural backgrounds. From a New Zealander with a long line of Kiwi ancestors, to a person with a Maori name but Italian and Brazilian parents, this collection reflects the ethnic diversity and cultural riches of New Zealand. This is Us is a tribute to the Kiwi spirit. ...Show more

Spot X Hunting New Zealand by M. Draper; M. Airey

$44.99 NZD

Category: Hunting/Fishing

Not In Narrow Seas - The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand by Brian Easton

$60.00 NZD

Category: NZ

Not in Narrow Seas is a major contribution to the history of Aotearoa New Zealand. It covers everything from the traditional gift-based Māori economy to the Ardern government's attempt to deal with the economic challenges of global warming, and is the first economic history to underline the central role of the environment, beginning with the geological formation of these islands. Economist Brian Easton throws new light on some cherished national myths. He argues that Britain's entry into the EEC was not the major turning point that many assume; of much more lasting importance was the permanent collapse of wool prices in 1966. He asks how far it is true that New Zealand is an egalitarian country where `Jack's as good as his master'. He offers the most extensive investigation yet of the Rogernomics revolution of the 1980s and early 1990s, and shows that governments of left and right are still grappling with its legacy. Easton deals with the major economic trends since the war - the movement of Māori into the cities, of women into paid work, and of Pasifika people to Aotearoa. He analyses the rise of the modern MMāori economy and the increased political power of business, and includes vivid pen portraits of the important yet largely unremembered people who shaped our economy. This is also a profoundly political history, which focuses not only on governments but the share of votes won by the parties: it is our first MMP history. Dr Easton, a well-known commentator and author of numerous books, here offers his greatest work, the fruit of a lifetime of reflection and research. ...Show more