Rotorua Books

Waipa is celebrating 70 years of sawmilling with a new book about the history of the Rotorua site. Commissioned by current owner Red Stag Timber, written by local writers Kevin O'Connor and Kevin Lyall and published by Rotorua's Tony Hadlow of Fine Line Creative, The Cutting Edge - A History of Waipa Sawmill 1939-2010 traces the mill's transition from Government operation, through state-owned enterprise to private ownership under the Central North Island Forestry Partnership and now Red Stag.

For more than a century this splendid Rototua reserve, rich in Maori and European history, has provided a place for rest, recreation and recuperation. In this fully illustrated guidebook local historian Philip Andrews introduces reader and visitor to the history and varied features, past and present, of the Government Gardens, including the iconic Bath House building.

Out of print, advised Feb 2009. The Buried Village of Te Wairoa near Rotorua is a haunting place. Once the site of a tourist village, it was buried during the catastrophic volcanic eruption of nearby Mount Tarawera in 1886. More than 100 people died in the vicinity of the mountain. This book illustrates the nature of the great eruption which also destroyed the world-famous Pink and White Terraces and buried the countryside in volcanic ash for many miles around. It tells the story of the local people and their legends od the mountai... read more

The Rotorua experience is unique. Where else in New Zealand can you wander among bubbling mud pools, or explore some of the twenty or so lakes of this active volcanic region, and then enjoy performances of traditional Maori songs and dances. Among the many locations featured in this 32-page regional pictorial are Waiotapu, Waimangu, Lake Tarawera, Hell's Gate, Rainbow Springs, Ohinemutu, Whakarewarewa and of course Lake Rotorua itself.

George D. Valentine (1852-1890) was one of the foremost 19th-Century photographers to work in New Zealand. He was the leading photographer of the Pink and White Terraces, and also captured the aftermath of the Tarawera Eruption. His photographs have left an enduring legacy of our colonial past. Coinciding with the first major exhibition of his work is the publication of George D. Valentine: A 19th Century Photographer in New Zealand. Featuring many never-before published images it is an important contribution to New Zealand's cul... read more