"It should have been no surprise that a great-grandson of the adventuresome and enterprising Richard (Dicky) Barrett, trader, whaler, interpreter and hotel owner, would in his own field become an entrepreneurial leader in agricultural commerce and marketing. Arthur Huia Honeyfield stepped beyond Dicky Barrett in that he demostrated a unique ability to excell both in private enterprise and as a bureaucrat. He was a pioneer aviator, he wa early on the scene in exotic afforestation, he had qualifications in law and accountancy, he established the second commerical planting of avocados in New Zealand, and he was the "money man" behind the development of New Zealand's largest export port."--backcover.

"... The time period covered by this book is approximately 1870 to 1910. It contains over 125 family histories, and many previously unpublished photographs. The area covered is from Athenree to Apata" --Foreword.

'Eleven years have passed since that winter of 1986 when I put down my pen on the story of the woman who wore pearls in her hair, my grandmother the matriarch, Riripeti Mahana nee Pere, whom some called Artemis . . .' So begins The Dream Swimmer, Witi Ihimaera's gripping sequel to The Matriarch, acclaimed winner of the Wattie Award. The Dream Swimmer continues the odyssey of Tama Mahana, grandson and heir to the matriarch, as he assumes the mantle of leadership and, with it, his grandmother's battles with the Pakeha. But at every step Tama is thwarted – by deception and intrigue, and by the woman whose destiny has intersected Riripeti's and his. She is the enigmatic Tiana, his mother, the woman of no account. Ihimaera continues to dazzle as he negotiates this story of great breadth and breathtaking climaxes, combining the heart of his early work with the deft experimentalism of his more recent novels and short stories. At once an incisive character study and a deeply moving family saga, The Dream Swimmer is sure to enchant and delight. 'Part oracle, part memorialist, Ihimaera is an inspired voice, weaving many stories together. The effect if epic, operatic., - David Eggleton, Metro Also available as an eBook

This book describes one of the most extraordinary and fascinating stories in NZ history. In the early part of the last century several thousand runaway seamen and escaped convicts settled in Maori communities. Jacky Mamon, John Rutherford, Charlotte Badger and many others - this is their largely untold story. They were regarded as unsavoury renegades by the European settlers, but amongst Maori they were usually welcomed. Many Pakeha Maori took wives and were treated as Maori, others were treated as slaves. Some received the moko, the facial or body tattoo. Others became virtual white chiefs and fought in battle with their adopted tribe. A few even fought against European soldiers, advising their fellow fighters about European infantry and artillery tactics. In this, the first-ever book devoted solely to the Pakeha Maori, Trevor Bentley describes in fascinating detail how the strangers entered Maori communities, adapted to tribal life and played a significant role in the merging of the two cultures.