TABLELAND

​Generations of Nelsonians have lived within dreaming distance of the Mount Arthur range, on the western border of the Nelson district. But few folks know the stories that were played out on the high tussock plateau beyond this peripheral mountainous divide, or in the adjacent Cobb Valley.

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Mythically spoken of by Maori, searched for by surveyors, discovered by immigrants, mined by misfits, farmed by forefathers, painted by pioneers, advertised for tourists, loved by trampers, sung of by bishops, made accessible by forestry rangers, celebrated by politicians, and protected by conservationists… this is the story of the ‘land uplifted high’ we have affectionately dubbed 'the Tableland.'

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Now protected as part of Kahurangi National Park, this wilderness is sandwiched between the Karamea and Takaka watersheds, and marks the divide between Golden Bay and the rugged West Coast. Kahurangi is a geological dreamscape, riddled with human history, and shelters more than half of New Zealand’s native plant species and 18 species of native bird.

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Chapters in this book reflect the diverse land usage that has made this iconic piece of real estate so fascinating. From a goldfield, to grazing lands, to hunting grounds, to a source of hydro power and asbestos, to a Forest Park for trampers, to a National Park which shelters a wide range of flora and fauna.

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This social history also brings to life the colourful characters whose names became synonymous with this region, from James McKay to John Salisbury; from Billy Lyons to Bishop Suter; from F.G. Gibbs to Henry Chaffey; from Max Polglaze to Jim Bolger. These men came here to change the wilderness, but the wilderness changed them.