UNSPOILED WILD AREAS

Press, 26 February 1977, Page 15

UNSPOILED WILD AREAS

Unspoiled New Zealand: South Island By L. W. McCaskill. A. H. and A W. Reed. 112 pp. $8.50. (Reviewed by H. M. Studholme)

Pre-eminently the right choice of author for this description of South Island national parks was Lance McCaskill. He is an authority of world repute on New Zealand native flora and has a long record of vigorous advocacy for the parks, and of work for their development and administration.

To teaching, to which he devoted his whole working life, he brought to an unusual degree a capacity to impart his own infectious enthusiasm for natural things, and a gift for clear exposition. The great company of his former students, and lesser mortals, who have been with him in the field will recognise this book as vintage McCaskill with the essential facts spiced with wide-ranging anecdote and comment to make a lively and informative guide.

In us coffee table format, the book is attractive, but it is to be hoped that the letterpress will be reprinted m a form to fit a pocket <>t a »ai glove box. if this has not already been d n< The author's introduction. .< succinct discussion of what these wild areas have to offer and of the dangers they face, should be made required reading for anybody, tramper. tourist or shooter, before being granted access to anv national park. The publishers on the dust jacket emphasise the illustrations. They are all in full page, in full colour, magnificent pictures aptly selected, but some of them are overlaid by a green cast which would give an inaccurate impression of the appearance of Nev Zealand bush and mountain to anyone unfamiliar with them and unable to make allowances. This, and some obvious errors in the letterpress perhaps indicate hurried technical preparation of a book which, nevertheless, is a valuable work f reference as well as a singular pleasure to read.