The Penguin History of New Zealand
by Michael King
The definitive and bestselling history of Aotearoa New Zealand by one of our leading historians, continuously in print for 20 years. This bestselling book by the late Michael King is the unchallenged contemporary reference on the history of New Zealand.
The Hobbit Trilogy (films)
by J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)
The Hobbit is a series of three fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson. The films are subtitled An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014). The films take place in the fictional world of Middle-earth, sixty years before the beginning of The Lord of the Rings and follow hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf the Grey to accompany thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug.
The Luminaries
by Eleanor Catton
The Luminaries is the second novel by Eleanor Catton, published by Victoria University Press in August 2013 and Granta on 5 September 2013. On 15 October it was announced as the winner of the 2013 Man Booker Prize. It is the longest book (at 832 pages), and she the youngest author (at age 28), ever to win the award. The book was described as "a dazzling feat of a novel" by The Observer.
Here at the End of the World We Learn to Dance
by Lloyd Jones
Dancing between New Zealand and Buenos Aires and ranging over decades, tango is the leitmotif of this earlier novel by Lloyd Jones, published here for the first time, author of Mister Pip. Like Mr. Pip, this compact, seductive novel concerns the power of storytelling.
The Whale Rider (film)
by Witi Ihimaera
The Whale Rider (1987) was written in New York and Cape Cod in the space of three weeks. A magical, mythical work about a young girl whose relationship with a whale ensures the salvation of her village, it is, says Ihimaera, the work of his ‘that the Maori community accepts best’.
An Angel at My Table (film)
by Janet Frame (Jane Campion)
An Angel at My Table is a 1990 New Zealand-Australian-British film directed by Jane Campion. The film is based on Janet Frame's three autobiographies, To the Is-Land (1982), An Angel at My Table (1984), and The Envoy from Mirror City (1984).
An Angel at My Table is a dramatisation of the autobiographies of New Zealand author Janet Frame. Originally produced as a television miniseries, the film, as with Frame's autobiographies, is divided into three sections, with the lead role played by three different actresses who portray Frame at different stages of her life: Karen Fergusson (child), Alexia Keogh (adolescent) and Kerry Fox (adult).
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (films)
by J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003) - Action | Adventure | Fantasy. Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, the films follow the hobbit Frodo Baggins as he and the Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring to ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron. Director: Peter Jackson. Writers: J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Fran Walsh (screenplay). Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen.
Boy (film)
by Taika Waititi
Boy (film). Waititi wanted to shoot the film where he grew up in Waihau Bay. It was a summer film but impossible to shoot in the height of summer due to the popularity of the area as a fishing and holiday destination. The film features the maize fields and the maize is harvested from late April. Boy was shot entirely in the area of Waihau Bay, New Zealand. James Rolleston was never actually intended to play the lead role of "Boy". Rolleston originally turned up on set for a costume fitting as an extra and after short deliberation, the teen was offered the role.
The Piano (film)
by Jane Campion
121 min- Drama | Romance. A mute woman along with her young daughter, and her prized piano, are sent to 1850s New Zealand for an arranged marriage to a wealthy landowner, and she's soon lusted after by a local worker on the plantation. Director: Jane Campion. Writer: Jane Campion. Stars: Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel and Sam Neill.
The Bone People
by Keri Hulme
Set on the South Island, this powerful novel brings together three troubled individuals who represent Maori and European traditions in contemporary New Zealand.
Slipping Into Paradise, Why I Live in New Zealand
by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
In this far-ranging travelogue, Masson (who wrote a series of books on the emotional lives of animals) combines his travels and tales with history, riffs on the kiwis, nature and society.
The Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand
by Hugh Robertson, Barrie Heather, Derek Onley
The new edition of this essential reference for identifying New Zealand birds features its biggest update ever. The Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand is a trusted, invaluable reference for lovers of New Zealand birds. Comprehensive and easy to use, this new edition features- 374 species, including 35 new additions, the book's biggest revision since first publication, 85 stunning colour paintings of New Zealand birds.
The Field Guide to New Zealand Geology
by Jocelyn Thornton
This is the first field guide written for the general public and beginners in geology in New Zealand. Now fully revised and updated, it shows travellers in New Zealand something of the tremendous variety of our rocks, minerals and fossils and describes what to look for in many areas where rock formations are prominent. It covers the history of New Zealand from it's beginnings on the sea floor some 600 million years ago to its present patchwork landscape of volcano, range and plain. The land was formed from many different layers of rock- volcanic flows, forest debris, ocean mud. All these have special characteristics, which are explained and illustrated to enable readers to find the layers and understand their origins and what they can tell us about the landscape of the past. The crystals that grew in the rocks and the remains of living creatures that were preserved are also illustrated and described. Written in simplified terms, it includes an introductory chapter on general geology, a geological time chart and quick reference maps of the North Island and the South Island for travellers.
The Denniston Rose
by Jenny Pattrick
Denniston Is a real Coal mining town, now deserted, on a high barren plateau above the West Coast of the South Island. Events on the Hill in the 1880s are accurate. The people on the other hand are pure fiction.
