Rodney on TVNZ
Watch Rodney Russ on TVNZ promoting his new book 'Galapagos of the Antarctic'.
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Galapagos of the Antarcitc.
Wild islands south of New Zealand describes the seven oceanic islands groups to the south of New Zealand. Starting at the Chatham Islands, and moving east to west through the Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Campbell Island, Auckland Island, The Snares and Macquarie Island, this book takes the reader on a journey through a unique part of the world, a wonderland of wildlife galore, unique geology and rich human history.
These islands have long been renowned for the biodiversity of their wildlife, from the fantastic megaherbs that only grow there, to the millions of penguins and petrels that come ashore each year to breed. The astounding natural biodiversity of these places makes them extremely important as wildlife refuges and the animals and plants of each island group are described in detail. But it is not only the wildlife that is of interest in the wild islands south of New Zealand. From relatively young volcanic islands to ancient remnants of the basement rock that made
up Gondwana, the geology of these islands is fascinating and the origin, geography
and geology are explained for each island group.
Each island group also has a story to tell in terms of the human history. Most were first discovered in the early 1800s and exploited for their natural resources. Today, there is still some form of human presence on most of the groups, but they are treasured more for their intrinsic value as wild and beautiful places, and considerable effort is being spent on restoring them to a pristine state. The reader is taken on a journey through this transition, with all elements of the history of each island group covered in detail and complemented by striking historical images.
With decades of experience between them working and living on these islands, Rodney Russ and Aleks Terauds are well placed to take the reader on this journey. Motivated by their love of these wild
and remote places, and a strong desire to promote their conservation, this book is unique in its breadth and detail. Beautifully illustrated by the photographs of Nathan Russ, Aaron Russ and Aleks Terauds, with stunning artwork by Fiona Stewart, this book, published by Heritage Expeditions and due for release in November 2009, captures the essence of these wild and beautiful places. For those that have visited these places it will provide a poignant reminder of what they have seen, and for those that have not been yet, a whole new world to explore.
