NZ Books

A Murphy family history written by Peter Murphy of Panikau Station (Tolaga Bay,East Coast).

One day, when he was contributing to the Tax and Welfare Working Group, economist Gareth Morgan made an off-the-cuff remark that the solution to all of New Zealand's tax and welfare woes lay in abolishing the present welfare system and radically overhauling the tax system. He called this idea 'the big kahuna'. In this book, Gareth and economist and former finance writer for Consumer NZ, Susan Guthrie take the base assumption that we don't, as a society, accept that huge differences in income are acceptable and that we therefore cho... read more

Ten years' worth of aerial photography have given photographer David Wall a unique viewpoint on New Zealand, and this compact hardback provides the perfect souvenir of the North Island, featuring a selection of his best shots from Cape Reinga to Wellington. The South Island is presented in a companion volume; both have captions by Auckland writer Alison Dench.

Running from Nelson Lakes in the north to the ranges of Fiordland in the south, New Zealand‚s Southern Alps are the chain of mountains that form the spine of the South Island, and provide the backdrop to so much of its remarkable scenery. The Southern Alps is a tribute to these mountains from Craig Potton, New Zealand‚s pre-eminent landscape photographer. Collected over many years, these aerial photographs capture the magnificence of th... read more

The Coromandel - think sparkling waters, white sandy beaches, tree-lined coastal roads, and impressive native forest-clad valleys filled with treasures and relics from the past. Coromandel.This books covers the historical facts of the region: that Coromandel was settled in by local Maori in the 15th Century;Samuel Marsden founded the 1st European settlement at Puriri in 1820; in 1867 William Hunt discovered gold and Thames's population grew to 18,000, becoming the largest town in NZ. The Gold Rush, through to the Kauri tree industr... read more

As New Zealanders, we have a natural affinity with water. We regard fishing as a natural right; we view swimming as a life-skill; until recently we would drink unhesitatingly from any back-country stream. Some of our most special memories are of rivers and lakes; hours spent swimming, building dams, catching cockabullies, floating downstream on faded lilos.. The waterways of this country are a gift beyond value. Through entertaining and informative essays and over 200 photographs, this book celebrates them in all their forms: clea... read more

NZ Frenzy is a guide to all the places that you'll want to see on the North Island--the FREE and uncommercialised spots. While this guidebook features plenty of walks and tramps, both short and long, it also goes where most guidebooks don't. NZ Frenzy has heaps of free natural hot pools, hidden waterfalls, invitingly warm swimming holes, and odd natural wonders such as caves and rock formations and giant dunes etc etc. If you love the North Island, then you'll definitely love this guidebook, and if you are just beginning to ... read more

When New Zealanders think about their favourite places, the odds are that most would nominate a beach. Beaches seem to encapsulate our golden moments, especially our rites of passage, and are often the setting for some of our happiest memories. In this dazzling sequel to his bestselling 1998 book Untamed Coast, Bob Harvey focuses on Karekare Beach, made famous by Jane Campion's acclaimed 1993 film The Piano and the Crowded House album of the same year, Together Alone. Rolling Thunder is an evocatively-written tribute to thi... read more

For his new book, Waitakere mayor Bob Harvey has profiled about 60 of the district's most interesting characters. Backed up by a selection of excellent photographs by Antoine Gasperini, Bob has chosen people from all walks of life.

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DoP - October 2008, Auckland 180x128mm / 176pp Full colour throughout. No description yet available.

New Zealand in Watercolour showcases a selection of beautiful paintings by 30 of the country's leading watercolour artists. Four or five paintings from each contributor are displayed, accompanied by captions from the artists themselves that explain their technical and emotional approach to the subject, along with a brief artist profile and photo. The subtlety and range of this popular medium are exquisitely reproduced, creating a special collection of artistic perspectives on the New Zealand landscape, people and daily life that wi... read more

Did you know that the kea are called the 'clowns of the mountains'? In this book you can explore their cheeky behaviour, see where they live, study their babies, find out what they eat and see just how close they get to humans!

Children's Picture Book Non-Fiction

It is now nearly 20 years since Warren Jacobs, one of the nation's most widely published scenic photographers, published New Zealand Panorama, a collection of images that in just 32 pages neatly encapsulates the country's landscape and natural history, its people and their vibrant culture. The original Panorama has been retired after a highly successful sales history, and this new book adopts both its title and scope. The content of the new book is a collection of Wellington photographer Rob Suisted's finest pictures, captioned and... read more

The atlas features more than 1,200 places to visit in New Zealand where you can pitch a tent of pull up your motorhome. to make it easy to find the sites you are interested in, all of the sites are shown on the road atlas which is now included in the back section of the book. Simply view the maps for the areas that you wish to travel, find the relevant numbers for the areas that interest you, and then locate the number in the listing of mororhome parks, campsites and rest areas for all the information about the site you have chosen... read more

The spectacular beauty of New Zealand's volcanic and geothermal regions captured by Trevern Dawes.

First published as I have named it the Bay of Islands (a quote taken from the journal of James Cook written in 1769) in 1987, this landmark book is an authoritative chronicle of early European discovery and settlement of the area. As the focal point for much of the early trading and commercial industries of the Pacific, the Bay of Islands was the scene of the first tentative contact between Maori and Pakeha, and where the first missionaries began their work. It was also here that the bitter hostilities that raged into open conflict... read more

A look at some of New Zealand's historic houses - in words and in pictures. An eclectic mix, these houses, generally from the 19th century, and ranging from one-roomed cobs to country mansions, have been chosen because of their significance: they are 'a first', have been built by an architect of significance, have been lived in by notable New Zealanders. Most are open to visitors and they all have charm. A novelist, the author is interested in the houses' stories and has personally visited them all. The 60 houses are organised regi... read more

The Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011 was one of the worst natural disasters in New Zealand's history. The quake devastated New Zealand's second biggest city and caused significant damage to infrastructure both within Christchurch itself and its immediate surrounds. After declining several quake books - none of which felt right - Hachette NZ was approached by the Canterbury District Police to produce a high-quality book of colour photography taken by Police forensic photographers, documenting the response to the earthquak... read more

Every day around the world millions of people enter virtual worlds through video games. These games are now the fastest-growing form of entertainment – and being played by people of all ages. International communities are coming together to play, have fun and share ideas – without ever meeting. How To Play A Video Game unlocks this amazing world, giving an insight into what makes video games so fascinating and entertaining to the people who play them. The author, a game player who has turned his passion into an acade... read more