South Island
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The scientist
It was nearly twenty years ago when retired zoologist John Darby, having spent hours at his computer summarising his data on Antarctic and yellow-eyed penguins one day, wandered the short distance from his home to the Wānaka lakefront. There were the usual waterbirds ̶ mallards, black-billed gulls, scaups, shags ̶ but then he saw…
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Wānaka Tree axed!
April 1, 2022: An act of environmental terrorism has left the town of Wānaka and the world stunned. ‘That Wānaka Tree’, as it has been dubbed by millions on social media, is perhaps the most famous and photographed tree in the world. Or at least it was. The iconic tree was cut down and removed by an unknown assailant on the night of March…
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Fiordland Moose discovered!!
April 1, 2023: Zack Black, 1964’s Photographer in the Field, has incontrovertible proof that the Fiordland moose exists! After living deep in the Fiordland bush for five months, Zack has finally photographed the elusive moose. Zack believes it’s a small herd, perhaps 10 or fewer animals, who have been hidden by a unique geographical feature. The moose in the photo was…
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Book review: Sled Dog Racing in New Zealand – A Photographic Odyssey
By Teresa Angell We wrote about dog racing in Issue 2 of 1964 (March 2020) and featured photos by Teresa Angell, so we were pretty excited to see that she has published a full-length book on the subject. Sled dogs are just the best. Woof! Teresa explores our national sled dog scene from the sport’s…
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Music Review: Silhouette – Alba Rose
Silhouette is the debut EP from Alba Rose, AKA Rosie Spearing. Originally from Wānaka and now based in Wellington, Rosie is known as the lead singer of the indie-pop band Corduroy. She also collaborated with composer and producer Bravo Bonez on the trip-hop project ARLS. Alba Rose is her first solo project, and it continues…
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Book review: CUMULUS: an anthology of skies
Edited by Kirstie McKinnon (Caselberg Press, 2023) Hello you beautiful thing. We’ve been looking forward to the release of this book, a hybrid of sky-themed photographs by Dunedin-based photographer Carlos Biggemann and work by some of Otago’s most exciting poets, including Megan Kitching, Claire Lacey, Rushi Vyas and Iona Winter. The project was Carlos’ idea.…
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Book review: Takahē – Bird of Dreams
By Alison Balance (Potton & Burton, 2023) I don’t want to stir up any more Bird of the Century controversy, but takahē are the best. For one, they are crazy-pretty. The takahē’s plumage, with its layers of blue, turquoise and shimmering green, is everything you need to know about how nature makes perfect beauty. Also,…
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Poetry review: When I Reach for Your Pulse
By Rushi Vyas (Otago University Press, 2023) When I Reach for Your Pulse is an uncomfortable read, but this is not about our discomfort. This is about Rushi’s sustained generosity in sharing his grief, his anger, his complex responses to living with the life and death of “the man who earned the money mom used…
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Poetry Review: Tung
By Robyn Maree Pickens (Otago University Press, 2023) The immediacy of the body in nature is the root system from which Robyn Maree Pickens’ debut collection of poetry, Tung, springs. The book’s first acknowledgment goes to a tiny cottage and surrounding nature in Ōtepoti’s greenbelt, where Pickens lived while writing this excellent and engaging collection.…