Raoul and the Kermadecs - New Zealand's Northernmost Islands - A History

'In the midst of a prodigious ocean', as one European explorer described them, the Kermadec Islands lie 1000 kilometres north of New Zealand and form our northern bastion. They are the result of the collision between two of the earth's major tectonic plates, being the tips of volcanoes thrust up from the ocean floor by these massive geological forces. This is the story of the islands: their unique flora and fauna; the attempts at settlement (both Polynesian and European); their uses both in war and peace; and the restoration of their ecosystems which is proceeding today. It is a dramatic story of storms, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and other events that have beset efforts to make use of the islands, but through all of these the human spirit has shone through....