Being a kiwi is a pretty great thing.
I count myself fortunate that I live in a country were the water is clean, the air fresh and I'm surrounded by beauty everywhere I look.
I do not have to dodge bullets as I walk the streets or wear a veil from head to foot.
I have the freedom to live where I want, how I want and do (within reason) pretty much what I want; all without the fear that I am going to be thrown into jail or worse, executed.
It's true we have our problems as a country but on the whole we are far luckier than a great many others. So in celebration of all things kiwi, the little things that make who we are, the quirky, the weird and the wonderful here are just a few books that capture that kiwi essence.
New Zealand weather : captured through the camera lenses of New Zealanders / [Jim Hickey].
"A compilation of New Zealand's distinctive and sometimes wild and
dramatic seasonal weather images, with comments and descriptions from
the country's longest-serving television weatherman, Jim Hickey."
The weather seems to hold a fascination for kiwi's, perhaps because it has such a significant impact on our environment and how we live our life's. My Dad certainly never missed the weather report at the end of the news and seemed to be fascinated by all things weather related. This would of been the perfect book for him.
The heart of our game : players and personalities in New Zealand rugby / Steve Hale.
"From former and
current players to lifelong, one-eyed rugby fans and coaches, The Heart
of our Game tells, in modern Kiwi-speak, just what the game of rugby
means to us today."
Rugby and New Zealand seem to go hand-in-hand, so much part of our identity that it is. Even I have taken a half-hearted interest in time to time. This is one for fans everywhere.
Great kiwi firsts / Astral Sligo.
"Our fern may be
silver but we Kiwis love to take that gold medal spot. First to give
women the vote, first to climb Mount Everest, first to split the atom.
Great Kiwi firsts combines the great, the good and the just plain crazy
in a compendium of Kiwi ingenuity and inspiration with just a touch of
oddball."
A touch of oddball sounds just like my kind of thing so this book is going on my TBR (To Be Read) pile.
Home & away : award-winning travel stories by New Zealand writers / selected and edited by Graeme Lay.
"Travel is in
the Kiwi bloodstream: whether bound for Kaiwaka or Kowloon, we have an
insatiable appetite for living out of a suitcase and, in select cases,
writing about it. The stories in this anthology
span not only every continent but also the homeland, proving you don't
have to go far to discover distance."
Kiwi's are some of the great travelers of the world and this book celebrates just a few of those amazing journeys.
Urban chicks : celebrating backyard chooks in the city / Trevor Newman and Renée Lang.
"This publication
features a selection of Aucklanders - some well-known, others less so -
who have chosen to keep chickens in the suburbs."
I had a chicken when I was little. She was a black hen and her name was Christine. She also scared the living daylights out of me, though in hindsight she was probably just as afraid of me as I was of her. Why I named her Christine I have no idea
The power of us : New Zealander's who dare to dream
"This book is a celebration of 50 New Zealanders who are extraordinary in their own fields, both locally and internationally."
New Zealanders have done amazing things. Perhaps this sense of adventure and the desire to push ourselves come's from the pioneer spirit of our ancestor's or perhaps it's our isolation from the rest of the world that makes us strive to do the impossible. Either way, we continue to show the world what you can truly achieve with just a little bit of determination and daredevil spirit.
A fabled land : the story of Canterbury's famous Mesopotamia Station / Bruce Ansley.
"The historic
Mesopotamia Station is located in mid-Canterbury at the headwaters of
the magnificent Rangitata gorge. Author Bruce Ansley has brilliantly
captured the spirit of this great sheep station: from the early pioneers
who first braved its harsh winters and searing summers to the ingenuity
and drive of the present-day owners, the Prouting family."
Back to the land : a year of country gardening / Lynda Hallinan
"Gardening guru Lynda Hallinan shares with characteristic wit and
good humour a full year of her gardening eploits."
Just as the weather and rugby are a big feature of what makes us kiwi's, so is our love of the land. Whether it's a spiritual thing or something more basic as the enjoyment of just getting our hands dirty, the land holds something for all of us.
On song : stories behind New Zealand pop classics / Simon Sweetman.
"On Song is a journey through New Zealand's diverse pop
landscape. Featuring conversations with the many writers and performers of beloved Kiwi classics that illuminates the fascinating stories behind the
pop songs we all know and love."
Counting the beat, Victoria, Rust In My Car - these are the songs of my teenage years. Foot-tapping, head popping songs that I listened to on my cassette deck (yes before CD's had even been heard of), while driving around with friends on warm summer days, heading to who knows where. Just thinking about them makes me want to go on a road trip...
Secrets & treasures : our stories told through the objects at Archives New Zealand / Ray Waru.
"The bizarre
jostles with the extremely significant in the almost 100 kilometres of
holdings in Archives New Zealand. The thousands of boxes contain all sorts of treasures and
secrets, including such intriguing items as: a rare letter written by
Captain Cook; records of secret weapons; exotic gifts to our Prime
Ministers; grisly
exhibits from murder trials; sightings of UFOs. This book delves into
the archives to tell a very human story of New Zealand."
High Country legacy : four generations of Aspinalls at Mt Aspiring Station / Alex Hedley.
"Mt Aspiring
Station is set in the craggy backblocks of Otago, between Lake Wanaka
and the Southern Alps. The Aspinall family have farmed in this tough and
unforgiving environment — on slopes so steep that horses cannot climb —
since 1920."
I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to live in a place like Mt Aspiring Station. Isolated and remote, it must also be incredibly beautiful and awe inspiring.
Food heroes / Simon Farrell-Green ; photography by Duncan Innes.
"A celebration of a
remarkable group of producers and growers who are returning to artisan
methods to create some of New Zealand's best food and finest quality
ingredients. In doing so they are changing the way we shop and eat.
Embracing a time when the grower grew food, took it to market, then sold
it, the 20-plus [people] profiled in this book are dedicated to
providing the best-possible food products for New Zealanders to eat and
cook with."
The Kiwi ute driver's guide to life / Steve Holmes.
"Kiwis and utes
go together like fish and chips. But what is it about the ute that has
caught the attention of so many car enthusiasts Down Under? Join Steve
Holmes as he profiles over 50 Kiwis and their utes, presented in
full colour."
I don't drive but looking at some of these ute's almost makes me wish that I did. I can see it now, me driving behind the wheel of a brightly coloured, old fashioned ute, the windows down so I can feel the breeze whizzing pass and the stereo turned up loud playing a selection of classic kiwi rock hits.
Road trip anyone?
