1. Rivers : what are they and why do we care about their history?2. Maori and awa3. The colonial appraisal of rivers4. Rivers as drains5. Stocking rivers 'destitute of fish : the role of acclimatisation societies6. 'White coal' : generating power from rivers7. Madmen in cockle-shells : recreational canoeing and boating8. Constraining rivers : flood control9. Protecting and embracing rivers10. Powering the pastoral machine : the impact of farming on rivers11. Asserting mana over rivers.

The sixth title in the award-winning `explore & discover¿ series, Up the River: Explore & discover New Zealand¿s rivers, lakes and wetlands gives children an opportunity to look under the surface and see what special creatures live, around New Zealand¿s freshwater habitats ¿ our creeks, rivers, lakes and wetlands. Included in this title are animals ranging from the familiar p ̄u'keko to the rarely seen bittern, from the iconic eel to tiny whitebait, and some of the many barely known aquatic insects. Swimmable and drinkable fresh water are hot topics, and Up the River shows that many native animals depend on healthy waterways for a habitat, and their presence is often used as a sign of the water¿s health. Beautifully illustrated and impeccably researched, this is a wonderful and intriguing way for children to learn about New Zealand¿s freshwater environments. Previous `explore & discover¿ titles have: won the Elsie Locke Medal for non-fiction (2013), received Storylines awards (2014, 2015) and been finalists in the NZ Children¿s Book Awards (2013, 2015).

It strikes me with great clarity that if you look at the problems in isolation they each seem intractable; but when you grasp that there could be one single solution, then suddenly there is a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. The state of New Zealand’s freshwater has become a pressing public issue in recent years. From across the political spectrum, concern is growing about the pollution of New Zealand’s rivers and streams. We all know they need fixing. But how do we do it? In Mountains to Sea, leading ecologist Mike Joy teams up with thinkers from all walks of life to consider how we can solve New Zealand’s freshwater crisis. The book covers a wide range of topics, including food production, public health, economics and Māori narratives of water. Mountains to Sea offers new perspectives on this urgent problem. Contributors Mike Joy; Tina Ngata; Nick Kim; Vanessa Hammond; Alison Dewes; Paul Tapsell, Peter Fraser; Kyleisha Foote; Catherine Knight; Steve Carden; Phil McKenzie; Chris Perley.

The parlous state of our freshwater ecosystems is just one signal that we face a more widespread, and unprecedented, environmental crisis. New Zealand’s dairy industry is big business. But what are the hidden – and not so hidden – costs of intensive farming? Evidence presented here by ecologist Mike Joy demonstrates that intensive dairy farming has degraded our freshwater rivers, streams and lakes to an alarming degree. This situation, he argues, has arisen primarily through governmental policy that prioritises short-term economic growth over long-term environmental sustainability. This BWB Text is a call to arms, urging New Zealand to change course or risk the wellbeing of future generations.

Where to go to find the best trout in New Zealand? For local and visiting anglers alike, the wide range of waters available can make the choice a difficult one. But New Zealand's Top Trout Fishing Waters has the answers. This new edition introduces the best of New Zealand's trout waters. It is packed full of up-to-date information about access, season, and bag limits. To make it easier for anglers to plan their itinerary, the authors have grouped fishing spots by region so that a range of rivers and lakes can be reached from a central location. The book also includes information about professional fishing guides and tackle shops, and local attractions for non-fishing days. Book jacket.

A gripping, gritty and award-winning coming-of-age novel for young adult readers. When Te Arepa Santos is dragged into the river by a giant eel, something happens that will change the course of his whole life. The boy who struggles to the bank is not the same one who plunged in, moments earlier. He has brushed against the spirit world, and there is a price to be paid; an utu (revenge) to be exacted. Years later, far from the protection of whanau (family) and ancestral land, he finds new enemies. This time, with no one to save him, there is a decision to be made: he can wait on the bank, or leap forward into the river. At the 2013 NZ Post Childrens Book Awards Into the River was judged the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year. It also won the Young Adult Fiction category of the awards. An engaging coming-of-age novel, it follows its main protagonist from his childhood in small-town rural New Zealand to an elite Auckland boarding school, where he must forge his own way – including battling with his cultural identity. This prequel to Ted Dawe's award-winning novel Thunder Road is gritty, provocative, at times shocking, but always real and true. The awards' chief judge Bernard Beckett described a character "caught between two worlds ... the explicit content was presented as the danger of people being left adrift by society. And within that context, hard-hitting material is crucial; it is what makes the book authentic, real and important." The Deputy Chief Censor of Fim and Literature ruled that the book is not offensive: 'The book deals with some stronger content. There are sexual relationships between teenagers, encounters with possible child sexual exploitation, the use of illegal drugs and other criminal activities, violent assault, and a moderate level of highly offensive language. These are well contextualised within an exciting fast moving narrative that has as its protagonist, a young teenage Maori boy from a rural community who is finding his way through the strange uncomfortable environment of a boys’ boarding school and unfamiliar social mores. The story captures the raw and real extremes of adolescence in teenage boys along with their yearnings and obsessions. The book is notable for being one of the first in the New Zealand which specifically targets teenage boys and younger men — a genre that does not have great representation. The genre character is therefore significant. The content immerses the reader in action, wit, and intrigue, as well as a level of social realism, all likely to engage teen and young adult readers and with particular appeal for older boys and young men.'