KEY POINTS:
September is New Zealand Book Month and, fittingly, a slew of recent releases celebrate our country.
Most impressive, and certainly the most intensively researched, is Alan Clarke's The Great Sacred Forest of Tane (Reed, $95). Subtitled A Natural Pre-History Of Aotearoa, its content is gleaned from 30 years of research by the now-retired geographer and teacher.
An invaluable resource for anyone interested in New Zealand history, it begins with the evolution of the forest, tracking through the early East Polynesians' occupation, their social structures and lifestyles. Despite a vast amount of detailed Maori history it is no dull, dry tome. Fascinating minutiae unfold, such as how Maori used three methods to climb trees to collect fruit, and the wide use of plants and leaves for medicines. The book concludes with a look at the revival of interest in traditional Maori medicine.
Younger readers might find Clarke slightly hefty. But the more digestible Curious Kiwi Creatures by Chrissie Ward (New Holland, $16.99) will entertain youngsters with a wealth of fascinating facts about this country's unique mammals, birds and insects.
It's adult-friendly too with interesting vignettes about everything from bat-tailed godwits to katipo spiders. Many of the species are extinct and others are barely studied. We know little about many of our 39 gecko species but we do learn that the reason our cicadas aren't found elsewhere is that they're really rubbish at flying.
If place names tickle your fancy Nicola McCoy's Return To Whykickamoocow (Random House, $19.99) is a cheery read. McCoy plumbs the stories behind many of New Zealand's place names. The curiously named Eketahuna means `to run aground on a sandbank' and was likely the point where Maori waka could travel no further up the river.
McCoy explains why the Desert Road got its name when you're more likely to encounter snowdrifts than sandstorms there, and reveals some of the early settlers who gave their names to towns.
Finally, Outrageous Fortune fans might like to check out another side of West Auckland in Chris Hoult's photographic extravaganza, Out West (Reed, $34.99).
The freelance photojournalist - whose heart belongs in the Waitakeres - captures some of the wild west's most scenic coastal spots, interesting architecture and design and zany art.
He also points his lens at the district's disparate communities - framing the Avondale market, farmers' prized calves at the Kumeu Show and school kapa haka groups. Quite frankly, that infamous matriarch Cheryl West would be amazed
- Detours, HoS
