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In 1906, at just 16 years of age, Angelina Moleta left the tiny volcanic island of Stromboli off Sicily to travel to an even remoter island on the other side of the world. From the age of eight she had been betrothed to her cousin, Vincenzo Moleta, who was now twice her age and taking her to a new life on D'Urville Island in New Zealand. Facing the fierce tides and weather of this wild island on the edge of Cook Strait, and having to cope with loneliness, the incessant toil of a pioneer farm, and the bitterness of a developing family feud, Angelina found solace in an unlikely friendship with a high-born Maori woman, Wetekia Ruruku Elkington, who lived nearby. Together they shared their own struggles, their different cultures and their lack of English language; a process that awakened Angelina to her own inner strengths. Angelina and Vincenzo finally left D'Urville Island in 1946, and both died within a few months of each other in Wellington in 1954. This is a remarkable story that movingly captures the struggles and triumphs of pioneering immigrant life in New Zealand.

Building on the success of Kahurangi Calling and Kahurangi Stories, Gerard Hindmarsh's latest offering Kahurangi Out West is the final in this trilogy of stories from the backcountry of Northwest Nelson. All books purchased here are signed by the author. You can add a personalised message during checkout. If you don't have a paypal account please get in touch through the contacts page to arrange purchase and delivery.

A compelling blend of natural and social history about an area of astonishing ecological complexity and its wonderfully rich and colourful human history. Gerard Hindmarsh tells the stories of the fascinating characters who have travelled and lived here, including early explorers, gold miners, flying crayfishers, early forest rangers, trampers and other adventurers. His stories are skilfully told and woven into the natural history of this captivating region, including geological, botanical and ecological treasures.

Swamp Fever is the fascinating tale of one man’s life as an alternative lifestyler in Golden Bay, northwest of Nelson. As a nineteen-year-old, Gerard Hindmarsh quit his public servant job as a cartographic cadet for the Department of Lands and Survey and bought a block of scrub-covered, swampy land at Tukurua near Collingwood. Gerard was part of the homesteading movement of the 1970s, embracing the hippy ideals of getting back to the land to live a more self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle.

The year is 1890, and stream tin has been sensationally discovered in southern Stewart Island of New Zealand. Elizabeth - young, gentile, sheltered, and fresh off the boat from Scotland - has arrived in remote and rugged Port Pegasus to meet George, her betrothed, who is running the only miner’s hotel there.