Author(s): Ian F. Grant - Editor

Rotorua Books

Wairarapa Moana: The Lake and Its People tells the story of the North Island's third largest lake complex from the mists of Maori myths to the realities of today's environmental problems. The book encompasses Maori and Pakeha history, the area's archaeology and the moulding of its landscape, the control of water in Wairarapa Moana's complex of lakes, rivers and wetlands, about the diverse and sometimes rare fauna and flora, and about the clashes between European farming and Maori cultural values. Most significantly, there is also the little known saga of the Maori gifting of Lake Wairarapa to the Crown in 1896, the subsequent trail of broken promises and deceit until, finally, the people of Wairarapa Moana triumphed with their successful development of the Pouakani lands in the Waikato. The book is in full colour, with over 250 photographs, paintings, maps and diagrams.