Historic footsteps

Press, 6 December 1985, Page 11

Historic footsteps

By

TESSA DEAN

The New Zealand author, Philip Temple, has pushed back some unknown frontiers with his new ' book which throws historical light on seven major early explorations throughot the country. In his introduction to “New Zealand Explorers — Great Journeys of Discovery," Temple explains how each original expedition he .chose to re-create was made by a man who demonstrated “the instincts of a true explorer.” “Whatever goal they sought they ■ were impelled by the desire to ; solve mysteries, to push out the boundaries of human knowledge, and most were stirred by a simple , instinct for adventure,” Temple • writes. “There is the missionary seeking to convert Maori heathens — William Colenso in the Ruahine (1845-47), and the scientist researching natural phenomena and resources — Ernst Dieffenbach on Mount Egmont in 1839.” Temple also writes about the surveyor, Thomas Brunner, in Westland (1846-48), the farmer discovering new grazing lands, Nathanael Chalmers, in Central Otago (1853), and the prospector “hellbent for gold,” — A. J. “George” Barrington, in West Otago (1864). The other early explorers covered are the bushman-explorer, Charlie Douglas, in the Waiatoto

(1891), and the mountaineering enthusiast, William Spotswood Green, on Mount Cook in 1882. For four years Temple studied the early accounts and maps of these explorers before retracing each expedition with his pen and camera. The idea of retracing the expeditions come to him after watching a British television series on explorers. “In the process of following the footsteps of the explorers as closely as possible I have unravelled some historic mysteries about them,” he says. “For example, after climbing Mount Albert in the Victoria Range near Reefton, I was able to confirm that this was definitely the peak that Brunner referred to in his 1848 diary. “While I was hunting through the archives and published accounts for information I was also able to come up with some new material on the explorers, such as personal letters. The information and recreated expeditions I photographed have enabled me to not only recount the details of where the explorers went. “They have also allowed me to evoke the kinds of environment that confronted the explorers and

their feelings as the first Europeans to cope with the rugged conditions.”

Because many of the expeditions took place in country that is relatively unchanged, Temple is hopeful that future generations of New Zealanders will also be able to relate to this book when they discover the areas for themselves.

“Of course man’s tinkering with the environment presented some problems in tracing the explorers’ footsteps and trying to find representative country to photograph. I tried to stay as close to the explorers’ paths as possible. “The layout of photographs and captions throughout the book allows the reader to get an initial pictorial grasp of the expeditions before browsing through the detail of the text.”

Temple’s historical studies and literature have made him the most knowledge New Zealander in the general field of exploration. In the 1960 s he became an expert in mountaineering history and his career grew from there. His prolific writing includes five photographic books, four books on mountaineering, five novels, two children’s books, and 12 guidebooks on walking tracks.

“For the last 13 years my writing and photography have supported me while I launched into new projects based at my home in Little Akaloa. In order to achieve this kind of income I have had to be a versatile writer for the small New Zealand market. “Only about eight New Zealand writers are able to support themselves entirely on the income from their writing.”' One of temple’s novels, “Beak of the Moon,” is to be published in German next year. “This novel is centred around a kea and the natural environments of which the Germans still have a strong appreciation. My mountaineering novel, “The Mantis,” is set in the Himalayas so should also appeal to German readers.” Temple’s versatility includes the drafting of scripts for a four-part dramatised documentary series on four of the explorers in his book to be screened on television next year. In conjunction with his explorers book he has also launched a new children’s book called “Moa — the story of a Fabulous Bird.” Temple is hopeful that sales of the new books will enable him to devote most of his writing time to fiction over the next two years. “I still have a lot to explore about the human condition.”