Author(s): Neville Peat & Brian Patrick

NZ Natural History | Secondhand

The story of the ever-changing landscape of the area bounded by the Waitaki River in the south and the Rangitata in the north, stretching from the Alps to the east coast. This is the first book to describe in detail the natural history of this large region.

A main focus is the braided rivers, which in world terms are rare and remarkable. They occur only in New Zealand, northern India, Tibet, Siberia and Argentina. Two things make these rivers remarkable: their ever-changing nature, and their nurturing of a diverse and unique community of plants, birds, fish, lizards and invertebrate life.

Locally, of course, the braided rivers have long been appreciated, by anglers especially. Wild Rivers celebrates the biodiversity of the region in clear and readable text, with over 200 colour photographs, most never before published.

VG.