The Story of a New Zealand River

I must admit I had never heard of Jane Mander prior to our moving to Kamo and then only because there is a Retirement Village named after her.

We recently went on a group boat trip on the Otamatea River in the Kaipara Harbour and a gentleman recommended The Story of a New Zealand River by Jane Mander as it is set on this river where she lived with her parents.The book was written in 1920 and was published in New York. 

We were particularly keen to do this trip as my late mother-in-law's family settled near Mangawhai  in 1860 and her grandfather grew apple trees which he sold around the Kaipara Harbour.

I have just finished the book which I borrowed from the local library and found it a fascinating story of the tough life in the bush in those days made all the more interesting by the fact that we had just been there.  The landscape has changed though as in those days they were felling the kauri trees and clearing the bush.