Millions of years ago ancient New Zealand was part of a huge land mass called Gondwanaland. As this supercontinent gradually broke up, the small fragment that became New Zealand was launched into the southern oceans with many early forms of the plants and animals that today give the country much of its distinctive character. The great beech forests of the South Island and the kauri forests of the North, the remarkable tuatara and the familiar weta - all have survived over the millennia on these isolated islands. Like so many other New Zealand species, they retain today close links with the plants and animals that once inhabited Gondwanaland. The islands of New Zealand are a unique biological storehouse, making an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the world's natrual history.

This is the dramatic story outlined in THE ANCIENT ISLANDS. Photographer Brian Enting and scientist Les Molloy explore New Zealand's various natrual environments - island sanctuaries, the long coastline, the ever-changing forests, our little known wetlands, the tussock country, the beautiful mountain slopes and the volcanic lands. In word and photograph they capture the essential quality of each environment - and of the natrual world so precious to New Zealanders and visitors alike.

The book offers a sensitive account of a country with a remarkable heritage. All those who love the natrual landscape of New Zealand will find it richly evocative and informative.

- from the insdie cover.

Published by the Port Nicholson Press Ltd., 1982.
Good secondhand condition, though there are numerous small rips and scratches on the dust-jacket.