A unique, intimate and beautifully produced addition to the historical record of early New Zealand, seen through the eyes of a young German immigrant. Illustrated with paintings and photographs from the 19th century, it includes the astonishing letters home of this 22-year-old adventurous German settler. The letters vividly describe the people, landscapes, and birds of early Wellington, Wairarapa, and Kapiti as he travels on foot and horse around the lower and central North Island. He has rare encounters with Maori and paints a picture of their lives on the brink of what would become the tragic New Zealand land wars.