For lovers of the great outdoors and those captivated by the silent allure of Canterbury’s alpine horizon, Andy Buchanan’s Alpine Panorama: A view to a climb is a celebration of nature’s majesty and a tribute to the enduring connection between man and mountain. The distant alpine skyline served as a magnetic force during Buchanan’s childhood, pulling him towards the untamed beauty of the region. Family holidays were spent tramping and skiing amidst the rugged peaks, creating enduring memories that fuelled a passion for the great outdoors. In the Buchanan family home from the Summit Road atop the Port Hills, a cherished outline sketch adorned the wall – a visual guide to 133 peaks visible from this lofty perch. Inspired by this panoramic masterpiece, Andy Buchanan hatched a retirement plan: to conquer each and every one of those peaks. What ensued was a journey of rediscovery and renewed enthusiasm, as he scaled familiar summits and ventured into uncharted territories. This beautifully illustrated narrative is more than a recounting of mountaineering triumphs; it is a testament to a lifetime’s fascination with nature’s grandeur. Through vivid words and breath-taking full-colour images, Buchanan frames the peaks within a contemporary context, weaving in Māori lore, geographic insights, historical details, and engaging anecdotes. Each page resonates with the author’s deep reverence for the alpine landscape, inviting readers to join him on a visual and literary odyssey through the soaring beauty that is the glorious backdrop beloved by all Cantabrians.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 184

Dimensions: 230 x 280 mm

Publication Date: 25-03-2024

For decades, whenever a heritage building in Christchurch has been under threat, especially in the aftermath of the 2010–11 earthquakes, one woman has consistently defended this city’s architecture and history against shortsightedness and the threat of bulldozers – Dame Anna Crighton. Fearless and articulate, she has fought tirelessly and passionately, not only for the heritage of her hometown, but for the built past of Aotearoa New Zealand. But behind this well-known persona, the city councillor and heritage advocate, lies an extraordinary and unexpected life story, now told publicly for the first time. In Still Standing, Anna recounts, with her usual unflinching honesty, a childhood bereft of parental affection, a wild adolescence that included a stay at the Mount Magdala Convent ‘to straighten her out’, unsuitable relationships clung to in a desperate search for love, an unplanned pregnancy that led to adoption, and a violent marriage. Not many people would survive all this, let alone rise above it, to bring up a beloved son, to restore a magnificent Victorian home, to begin university study as an adult and end up with a PhD, to travel the world and, in 2020, to be appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to heritage preservation and governance. Still Standing will delight anyone interested in history, architecture and the arts, but, even more than that, it is a riveting story of a life lived with courage, and of triumph over adversity. About the author History, classics, art and architectural history have been at the heart of Anna Crighton’s careers in the public and private sector. Before graduating in these subjects later in life at Canterbury and Otago universities, she was registrar of Christchurch’s Robert McDougall Art Gallery for 20 years. She then embarked on a career in local politics as a Christchurch city councillor for 12 years and a member of the Canterbury District Health Board for a further 12. Over three decades, she was a trustee and director of many trusts and companies. Anna has lived in Wellington, Sydney and England but has always returned to the city of her birth. In 2020 she was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to heritage preservation and governance.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 152 x 228 mm

Publication Date: 01-01-2024

In 2023, to mark its 150th anniversary year, the University of Canterbury showcased 150 of its outstanding graduates. Bruce Ullrich was named as one amongst its Legends of Sport" and was described as a "fierce champion of New Zealand's interest in business and sport". My Arena is Bruce's autobiography. It navigates a life story spanning over eight decades, vividly describing Bruce's 'fierce champion' moments. Bruce Ullrich is best known for his roles in sports leadership. He was vice-chairman of the organising committee of the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, and he went on to be chef de mission for three of New Zealand's Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games teams. He was an enthusiastic advocate for hosting the Winter Olympics in New Zealand. But there is a business story as well. Bruce was admitted to partnership in an accounting firm on the day he qualified as an accountant. He later moved to governance roles and consultancy, using his expertise to foster trade and investment relationships between New Zealand and other countries - especially China. Bruce was awarded an Order of the British Empire for services to New Zealand. Throughout his life journey Bruce has remained a loyal old boy of his beloved Christchurch Boys' High School, a faithful Cantabrian, and highly patriotic New Zealander.

Bind: paperback

Dimensions: 180 x 254 mm

Publication Date: 01-11-2023

Poet, fiction writer, critic, essayist, teacher and academic, C.K. Stead has made his mark on all these disciplines. While he has already written or edited over fifty books, there is no sitting on his laurels for this nonagenarian. Instead, he wore them as New Zealand Poet Laureate from 2015–2017 and has continued to celebrate poetry and poets through blogs, reviews and essays. He has also returned to his exploration of the life and work of Katherine Mansfield, and to writing and revisiting short fiction as well as an ‘approximation’ of a play first written in French by Racine. Combining this eclectic material into one fascinating collection, this prize-winning wordsmith continues to provoke, delight and stimulate.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 304

Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm

Publication Date: 25-03-2024

Criminal psychologist Nellie Prayle loves solving murders. The more complicated, the better. But when a professor of astronomy is found dead at Tekapo’s Mt John Observatory during its internationally-attended 50th anniversary conference celebrations and Detective Jack Simmons calls on Nellie to help with the police investigation, she soon realises that this is not your typical murder – and nor are these your usual suspects. As Nellie and Jack venture into the Dark Sky Reserve in Aotearoa New Zealand’s beautiful Mackenzie Country, they uncover a universe of rivalries, infidelities and emotional turmoil that pushes people to the edge. International intrigue and a tangle of motives unfold against a glittering backdrop of bright stars in this gripping tale of crime and passion, and as Nellie knows only too well, nothing in the world of academia is straightforward...

Bind: paperback

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm

Publication Date: 22-03-2024

1943 Bletchley Park, England Mae Webster, immersed in the clandestine world of codebreaking at Bletchley Park, is recruited to help unveil a spy who's on the brink of exposing Britain's most guarded secret: the cracking of the Enigma code. As war rages around her; Mae's life takes an unexpected turn when she falls in love with the enigmatic New Zealand war photographer Jack Knight. Their relationship develops at pace, but tragedy strikes when one of Jack's photographs risks unmasking an elusive double agent. 1989 Belin, Germany Rachel Talbot, a globetrotting photojournalist, ventures into the heart of a fractured Berlin in search of the Stasi officer whom her beloved grandmother Mae blames for betraying their family. Rachel finds herself entangled in the East German uprising and is irresistibly drawn to a charismatic activist. As the Cold War threatens to boil over, Rachel races to expose a traitor before it's too late.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 372

Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm

Publication Date: 23-02-2024

It's the hottest weekend of Summer 2000. Dan Calder's at home with his girlfriend and she is packing up to leave when a call-out from Headquarters comes as a blessed relief. A run-of-the-mill job like a hundred the team's done before. Once he and hos surveillance colleagues are all in position. all they can do is wait for the target to move. Fortunately for Dan, this job calls for the Obs Van which is his happy place. Its mechanical idiosyncrasies make them kindred spirits in many ways. Plus double time for just sitting and watching the target's front door. 'Money for jam'. As his best friend Nick would say. To take his mind off the end of his latest domestic disaster, what could be better than whiling away the solitary hours by listening to all of his favourite songs, freshly installed on his brand-new iPod. But Dan's life is about to be turned upside down and ripped apart to the soundtrack of his pas and present-day life. The result could destroy him completely - or it could just be the making of him.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 355

Dimensions: 152 x 228 mm

Publication Date: 01-12-2023

Dunedin, 1890: Suddenly orphaned at the tender age of twenty, Greer Gillies is reduced to working as a humble servant at Larnach Castle, a far cry from the dreams she held before. As she struggles with the stark reality of grief, she finds her journey has only just begun as the decade proves transformative for women’s progress. As she grapples with affairs of the heart, betrayal, the threat of lost love and social upheavals, Greer’s resilience shines through. She becomes a symbol of courage, daring to pursue her dreams, follow her heart and find her place in a world that promises a better future. Spanning the last decade of the 19th century, this page-turning saga explores the healing power of friendship while celebrating the pivotal role women played in one of New Zealand’s most turbulent eras.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 288

Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm

Publication Date: 11-03-2024

Bank robbers - classroom bullies - highwaymen - a rampaging bull. The challenges young Henry Appleton faces, as he struggles to stand up for what he believes in, make this a classic 'cowboy' yarn. And it takes place not in the American West but in the rough-and-tumble world of Aotearoa New Zealand in the 1860s. Although Henry dreams of having his own rifle and becoming a gunslinger like Wild Bill Hickok, he is in most ways just an ordinary kid who's not looking for trouble. Trouble finds him. When he helps to capture bank robber Dead Eye Dick, the town is quick to call him a 'boy hero. But his biggest challenge is yet to come - when he finds himself face-to-face with the murderous Richard Burgess gang. Will Henry have the courage to 'do the right thing'? Henry Appleton, Boy Hero is written by John Evan Harris in the voice of the self-proclaimed American dime novelist Johnny Slick - who himself was saved by Henry's quick thinking and bravery. The book is a prequel to Henry's encounters with the Burgess gang, told in The Physicians Gun.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 207

Dimensions: 135 x 204 mm

Publication Date: 01-12-2023

100 Piece puzzle 34cm x 48cm (put together) Approx ages 5+ Matte Laminated surface A portion of each purchase is donated to Save the Kiwi Puzzle and box made from recycled board

Bind: stationery

Dimensions: 276 x 180 mm

Publication Date: 01-11-2023