Exploring Aotearoa

Exploring Aotearoa: Short walks to reveal the Maori landscape

Peter Janssen, 2012, New Holland, 205pp, ISBN13 978-1-86966-343-8 RRP: $34.99

Blurb:

Take a short walk with this book and see the Maori landscape through fresh eyes. Maori culture has close ties with the landscape, in pa and early battle sites, and in myths and legends. From north to south, nearly 200 of the most accessible and memorable landmarks can be visited including volcanic summits, headlands, lakes and islands as well as pa sites urupa (graveyards), and hunting and fishing grounds. Where relevant, the text provides a brief history of battlefields where fierce fighting erupted between tribes or between Maori and Pakeha. Exploring Aotearoa has been researched, walked and written by popular outdoorsman Peter Janssen; it extends his successful short walks book series, while also tapping into the growth and interest in Maori tourism.

Every entry in the book is linked to a short walk that, in most cases, will be well within the scope of all age groups and fitness levels. Details of the grade, duration and directions for the walk complete the entry. All the walks are on well-maintained tracks with good signage and on public land. Most walks take 30 minutes to an hour and no walks are more than 3 hours.