A sizeable crowd filled the foyer of the Fiordland Lodge last Friday to celebrate the launching of Peta Carey’s new book titled Tamatea Dusky – the remarkable story of Fiordland’s Dusky Sound.

Peta Carey, is well known in Fiordland as the producer of Ata Whenua – Shadowland, which screens every day at the Fiordland Cinema in Te Anau. Tamatea Dusky is her third book, following the publication in 2017 of A Place for the Heart – the life and work of Dave Comer, photographer and film location scout, and in 2018 Beneath the Takitimus – a hundred years on Redcliff Station.

Tamatea Dusky is a beautifully designed hefty volume of 260 pages illustrated with outstanding photographs. Meticulously researched, the book covers the history of Dusky Sound both Maori and European with a particular focus on the role this place has held over the last 120 years as a cradle of nature conservation, where ground-breaking work in predator control and endangered species preservation has taken place in recent times.

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The book launch was a gathering of Peta’s friends and acquaintances, most of whom contributed in some way to the creation of her latest work by sharing stories, photographs and local knowledge as well as by providing access and transport to Dusky Sound and showing her around this remote, yet magnificent part of New Zealand’s wilderness.

Invercargill kaumātua, Michael Skerrett opened the gathering with a Maori welcome and blessing of the book.

The publisher, Robert Burton then spoke of Peta’s uncompromising high standards and the challenges of publishing a book in lockdown.

When it was Peta’s turn to speak, she humbly acknowledged all involved, saying that she merely collated the information supplied. She thanked the Department of Conservation, venison recovery people, crayfishing industry, Marine Guardians and Pure Salt charters. Among the individuals named were Lindsay Wilson, Ian Thorne, Peter McMurtrie, Robynne Peacock, Murray Willans and Dave Crouchley for their local conservation knowledge, Graham Dainty, Crystal Brindle, Andrew Digby and Paul Peychers for contributing their photographs, as well as Ken Bradley and John Hill for their Fiordland historic expertise.

“I stand on the shoulders of many historians,” she said and thanking all those who supported her throughout the process of book production, from research to publication, she added:

“Tamatea Dusky is your story, I just helped to put it together”.

• Tamatea Dusky – the remarkable story of Fiordland’s Dusky Sound, published by Potton & Burton Publishers is available at Paper Plus and other stores throughout New Zealand for $69.99.