Book Reviews

Their deep love for the natural world of our precious country –  especially the sea and the many pathways to it, and the remote and lesser known locations  –  is infectious. Mary’s poems are evocative and Steven’s photos striking, and in their pairing each is enhanced for the reader.

There is plenty of action on these pages – from the restless, rushing river through the Waitawheta Gorge and the wild waters of Rainbow Falls, to the stormy weather of the Tasman Sea and the dangerous waters of Wharariki Beach. But what I enjoyed most was the pervasive feeling of calm, serenity, and quiet renewal throughout the book. These qualities were especially evident in the poems celebrating the return of native fauna and flora when destructive felling of native forest has stopped.

I also loved the wisdom in the book. Just one example is The Warrior Waterfall, which speaks of torrential rain which caused even boulders to shift and change the course of a river. Mary writes: “The persistence of this waterfall, which powers down the river towards the sea, is nature’s reminder that falling fast does not always hurt us. Like this warrior waterfall, with courage and persistence, we too can recover and reroute along a different path.” 

In A Poetic Journey through Aotearoa Mary and Steven have shared their love, respect, and gratitude for this land. They have done so with elegant poetry and beautiful photos. I am inspired to get out there and experience some of what they have shared!

Hilary Jones (Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand)

The photographs invite you to share once-in-a-lifetime moments through new lenses, from close and distant, both above and below the water. It was so hard to choose, but I especially loved the photos of moody Ladies Bay, the steely blue of the dolphin and sea, the shell glowing in its bank and the ice cream sky at Castle Rock.

Mary Somervell's writing is tender, playful, celebratory, and full of spirit and imagery. Her layered observations and connections give relatable and deeper meaning to the places and peoples, to moments, journeys and our lives.

Also hard to choose, but here are some of my favourite lines from selected poems:         

Stand in the mist

and feel all trouble melt. 

[...]

We see [the tui’s] blue-green satin drag, 

and watch him, fancy acrobat, swing on a limb

[...]

[The heron] teaches us to Taihoa. Let your life

 catch up with you. Peace rises like fish.

[...]

In this world we are 

bound by gravity to live

under the same stars.

[...]

When your pulse matches the slow rhythm

of the rain, the rough becomes the smooth.

[...]

This beautiful book is an experience, and the perfect memento for travellers to New Zealand and the Pacific. It’s also the best inspiration to visit and make memories of your own, or a wonderful stand-in for those who armchair travel.

Give it as a treasured gift or take a mini break with the authors in Aotearoa’s most restful and rejuvenating spots, and feel connected to nature and life. I’m so glad I saw my corner of the Pacific through their eyes.

Sylvia Bauer – Editor and director: Clear Edit NZ

The images of beaches, mountains, sunrises, sunsets, marine life and feathered friends, have captivated my heart to experience this island's beauty.  Add to that the insightful and sometimes haunting poetry with every photo, and I’m hooked.  

Such an exquisite and unique way to share the unmatched beauty of New Zealand, for those of us that may or may not make a trip there.  

I especially loved how the poems for each photo reflected some of the history, human moments and of nature being it’s perfect self.

Thank you for this exceptional work of art!

Wendy Sidwell (Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada)

Optimism and gratitude shines through these poems. Even if our shaky isles offer challenging and rugged landscapes, they are a living embodiment of resilience, and give us what we need to heal.

Debra Bradley (New Zealand)

Mary's deeply personal and lyrical poems evoke wonder and awe. Steven's photographs beckon, exuding a vibrancy and sense of the natural landscape.  Nature is presented as a place of respite, somewhere to learn life lessons, and offer veneration. But as Mary shares through her poems, nature (as are we) is fragile, easily over-extracted, and can be destroyed by hubris and indifference (e.g., climate change). But Mary's pieces also attest to a sense of hope. Steven's stunning photos (the colors of which seem surreal) offer a view of these islands that is vibrant, rich, colorful, whimsical, yet also poignant. A sole interloper walking on a beach, a lone seal clammering up a rocky outcrop, the incandescence of an apricot nudibranch, and the "which way did he go" pied shags (Cormorants) perched on a water encased rock. 

Mary's poems evoke deep pondering as she struggles with the intrusion of life (e.g., social media, chronic never-ending news cycles of doom and gloom; grappling with tough unexpected turns in the road), juxtaposed to the wonder of nature. She promotes a new approach; something aligned more with a full body immersion of senses, something visceral. Not just engaging the mind, thought or reason, but also imagining through Steven's images: smell (the sea air), taste (the clean water of a waterfall), touch (the spiky apricot nudibranch), sound (waves crashing on a beach). This book speaks to something bigger than us, grander, other worldly, and remarkably soothing, calming, and steadying: The Awe and Wonder of Nature.

Thank you, Mary and Steven, for sharing this rich, robust, and sensory experience, sharing your passion and love of a place, a time, a sense of being and belonging, showing us a path forward when overcoming adversity by recognizing the beauty around us. This book, with three sections featuring different spans of New Zealand's coastal and tidal area, are places I've longed to visit (but haven't yet). But now must go!

- Gwynn Benner (California, U.S.A.)

The photographs are excellent. Many are stunning shots with colour, balance and creativity. Some show movement, often through water, others show mood and the wonders of New Zealand animal and bird life. A few are a little too busy.

The prose and poems always link with the photograph providing a continuity in whatever theme is foremost. I like the way that the words place the imagery within a cultural context, or a place, or at a time for you both. Perhaps the latter connection is the one I find does not work so well.

The combinations that I like the most are where a particular close up image (bird, fish, shells) is described as that one feature. I find the bigger views, the more generalised photos lead to a more generalised description that I do not like so much. The words then seem to try to cover too big a story.

My favourites are: Hiding Hihi (page 14), Perfect Imperfection (page 24), Tauhou Latecomer (page 64) and Clarity (page 82). 

I think this book will be of interest to those who like reading poems, those who like to dip into a book, those who love the environment of New Zealand and maybe those who are new to New Zealand but want to learn more.

- Vicky Jackson (New Zealand)

They take me beyond the beauty of the image providing insights that provoke deeper understanding and inspire me to discover more. A favourite combination of image and poem – so hard to choose! The initial inclination is to go with the places that I know and have personally experienced but…the Tauhou Latecomer stands out – Steve has captured his character amid the beauty of the camellias and Mary’s words bring him to life describing him and his history perfectly.

- Barbara Taylor (New Zealand)