Hawke’s Bay For the Happy Wanderer

Notes

Brebner Print First edition.
Published: Bay View [N.Z.] :
SH Cunningham, 1983.
Available from A Cunningham, PO Box 51, Bay View, Napier, NZ.

Description

From the introduction –

During the 1970s Sheila Cunningham led or travelled on many field trips with the Napier Branch of the Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society. Her notes, sketches, and photographs made on these and other excursions were developed into a book in 1983. Such was her skill at putting together geographical and historical material that the book became a resounding success. (Ironically, she had to publish it herself after two well known publishing companies declined it!) The first 5000 copies soon sold and a further 2000 copies were printed in 1986.

Sadly, Sheila died in 1988. She had led a full and productive life, and her biography is contained in the book “Sheila – Happy Wanderer”, copies of which are held by libraries in Napier and Hastings.

‘Hawke’s Bay For the Happy Wanderer’ went out of print in 1990, and this new edition is in response to many requests. After ten years some of the walks had changed, as had the various government and local bodies who administer public land. Therefore each of the 75 walks in Sheila’s original book had to be carefully re-examined in the field. This time-consuming work was done by a helpful team of volunteers, who are thanked on page 243.

One or two walks listed in the original book have been omitted because tracks have become overgrown, or because the sale of Crown assets has placed restrictions on public access. On the other hand, 34 new walks have been added. Some of these are newly developed recreation areas, but most are well established walks around the periphery of the province now more accessible after a decade of improvements to roads and motor vehicles.

Sheila’s original aim for the book remains unchanged: “to set you wandering, to show you where you can go and what you will see there. Some history is included, and photographs to whet your appetite”.

“Times allowed are generous (please add lunchtimes where applicable), and you will soon learn the proportion your own pace demands. If you are young and vigorous, you may use only two-thirds of the recommended time with great physical benefit, but with a sly hope from me that some plant along the track, or a sudden movement in the forest may catch your eye, and set you on the road to seeing and knowing more.”

Ashley Cunningham, Bay View, 1993.

Other Details

9 pre pages, 48 pages of plates, illustrations (some colour), maps