Maddock, Shirley.

Islands Of The Gulf.

First edition. Auckland, Collins, 1966. 15.5 x 22 cm. 286 pages with 80 black and white and 20 coloured photographs by Don Whyte. Original Hardcover with original dustjacket in protective collector’s mylar. Maps on pastedows and endpapers. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear.

Includes for example the following chapters: First Sighting – an aerial glimpse of Hauraki and accounts of early travellers – Cook, Banks and Durville, Rakino – an independent island, Cowes at Kawau – the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Weekend, Great Barrier – on the beach, The Long Sheltering Island – Waiheke, etc.

The Hauraki Gult, the gateway to Auckland, is a yachtsman’s paradise, a fisherman’s dream, a mecca for holiday-makers. The many islands which float in this great expanse of water make it one of the most beautiful coastal areas in New Zealand. In this survey of the Gulf and its land perimeter from Whangarei to Thames and Coromandel, Shirley Maddock vividly recreates its colourful yesterdays and captures its varied life today. History comes alive as old people remember former times, and houses, landmarks, bays and wrecks bear witness to a rich and exciting past. And the modern people of the Gulf live in these pages too, individual, independent, resourceful. In exploring the Gulf, the author and her photographer used all kinds of transport, from Captain Ladd’s amphibian down to their own feet. She recorded, researched, talked, and, more importantly, listened. The result is a warmly human and personal book, conveying the response of a New Zealander to one of the most enchanting sections of her land. Everything is here- from the strange juxtoaposition of ancient Maori forts and crumbling concrete emplacements from World War II to information about plants, birds, insects and prehistoric reptiles; from Waikato-War Maori prisoners to modern holiday-makers, from tragic ship-wrecks to pleasure-craft, from the wasteful days of kauri timber felling to modern farming, from struggling pioneers to city commuters.

• Keywords: Hauraki Gulf · Neuseeland · New Zealand · Travel · Travel Australia & New Zealand – Rare
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 41629AB

EUR 60,--