Author(s): Bruce W. Hayward

Earth Sciences | Aotearoa New Zealand Non-Fiction | Travel | Photography

From Whakaari / White Island and Huka Falls to the Moeraki Boulders and Milford Sound, Aotearoa New Zealand overflows with extraordinary landforms and other natural features.
This is not a random quirk of nature, but a result of the unique and complex geological history of this part of planet Earth. In this beautiful book, geologist Bruce W. Hayward guides readers through 100 natural wonders of Aotearoa - introducing the geology and history with words, explanatory diagrams and remarkable aerial photography by Alastair Jamieson and Lloyd Homer.
Through these 100 special places - and many more that almost made the cut - we begin to understand the shape of Aotearoa and the 500-million-year history of our small, mostly submerged continent of Zealandia. For every car and coffee table, Mountains, Volcanoes, Coasts and Caves is the essential guide to the deep story of this country - how it was formed and how it has changed over millennia.

Review: 'There are many scenic coffee table books of New Zealand landscapes but none which explain the geological origins of the scenery. This book does just that. It is written by New Zealand's principal expert in the field and is therefore authoritative and informative. The writing style is clear, the images and diagrams are well chosen and it is visually hugely impressive. Within the author's 100 selected features there is a satisfying balance between familiar favourites and new surprises. I highly recommend this superb book.' (Dr Nick Mortimer, GNS Principal Scientist and co-author of Zealandia)

Author Biography: Bruce W. Hayward is a retired geologist and marine ecologist based in Auckland. He is a former member of the New Zealand Conservation Authority, former president of the Geological Society of NZ and Honorary Life Member of the NZ Marine Sciences Society and the Geoscience Society of NZ. He is the founder and convenor of the NZ Geopreservation Inventory which documents and seeks greater protection for NZ's geoheritage features like those highlighted in this book (naturemaps.nz/maps/#/context/Geopreservation-Context/). His wide interests in natural and human history have resulted in twenty-two previous books on topics as diverse as archaeology, the kauri timber and gum industries, New Zealand fossils, volcanoes, building stones and geoconservation, and the popular Out of the Ocean, into the Fire on the geology of northern New Zealand. He is author of AUP titles Volcanoes of Auckland: A Field Guide (2019) and Volcanoes of Auckland: The Essential Guide (2011).