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New Zealand's Islands, Pamela and Russell McGeorge
David Bateman
Reviewed By Lindsay Wright (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

The brief for New Zealand's Islands is broad – New Zealand is all islands, some 800 they say. But former New Zealand Gardener editor Pamela McGeorge and photographer husband Russell have gone some way to celebrating the diversity of our island landforms.

The McGeorges visited 130 islands, and must have spent hours in the air to capture the wonderful images that abound in the book. Tongaporutu's two sisters feature early on in the piece and every reader is sure to find a favourite island somewhere.

The text is part memoir/part travelogue with historical footnotes and interviews with modern-day islanders. Disappointingly though, there are no people portraits to illustrate them.

Separate insets are provided with information on travelling to and from the featured islands, and maps help to orientate the reader.

New Zealand's Islands would go well on any coffee table, but beware the coffee going cold while people flick through its pages.