Book giveaway: The Tunnel in our Backyard (2016)

There have been many book launches during Oratia’s 10 years of publishing but to date only one has taken place underground. 

On a crisp night in June 2016, suitably attired guests joined author Malcolm Paterson and illustrator Hana Maihi to launch The Tunnel in our Backyardin a subterranean lava tunnel in the Auckland suburb of Mount Eden. 

Malcolm (second from left) and Hana (centre) with supporters at the launch

The book was the second in the Sharing our Stories series, which Malcolm and a group of emerging Auckland leaders initiated with the 2010 picture book The Castle in our Backyard to connect young readers with the heritage around them. 

The Tunnel in our Backyard follows two young cousins, Jennifer and Tui, as they discover the history around them with their whānau, and trace the footsteps of Māori and European ancestors (including the lava tunnels around Mount Albert). 

Malcolm, who belongs to Ngāti Whātua of Auckland and the Kaipara, authored a third in the series with The Taniwha in our Backyard (2018), which is based in the Kaipara region. 

He will be appearing at the Going West Writers Festival on Sunday 8 September. 

Visit our Fb Page to be in to win a copy of  The Tunnel in our Backyard. Prize available to New Zealand residents only. 

Competition closes on Tuesday 22 July, and winner announced on Wednesday 23 July.

Walking through The Tunnel in our Backyard

Today we were lucky to join the crowds for a public walkthrough of the new Waterview Tunnel, opening soon in the Auckland suburbs of Waterview and Mount Albert. 

This amazing piece of engineering completes the Western Ring Route Motorway through Auckland's west in a 5-kilometre-long stretch of road, half of it underground. 

The tunnel was part of the inspiration for Malcolm Paterson's The Tunnel in our Backyard, and it is mentioned at the start of the book. 

The kids in the book mention the giant digging machine, nicknamed Alice, that created the tunnel - before going on to explore the natural lava tunnels under Mt Albert and its vicinity.

The Tunnel in our Backyard was launched a year ago in a lava tunnel in Mount Eden.  

Keeping this connection in mind, it seemed appropriate to take the book on the stroll into the Waterview Tunnel. The road connection is due to open very soon.

Entering the new man-made tunnel at Waterview - in a part of Auckland full of natural lava tunnels

For more about the book, click here

A busy road ahead for the Waterview Tunnel

From the subterranean launch of The Tunnel in our Backyard

An unforgettable launch last evening of The Tunnel in our Backyard in a volcanic cave between Three Kings and Mt Eden. Congratulations to author Malcolm Paterson and illustrator Hana Maihi for their achievement, and sincere thanks to the Albert-Eden Local Board for supporting the event. 

Photos by Justis Kamu, courtesy of The Well-Connected Alliance 

New children's book lights up Auckland heritage for Matariki

Out in good bookstores tomorrow, The Tunnel in our Backyard is a fun picture book that brings history and the environment to life for primary-school age kids .

The second in the Sharing our Stories series is published to coincide with a celebration of Matariki, the Māori New Year.

Ngāti Whātua author Malcolm Paterson and illustrator Hana Maihi tell the continuing adventures of cousins Jennifer and Tui as they discover that right around them in Auckland are stories and landscapes just as exciting as what's on Playstation or TV.

The 'tunnel' in the book's title refers both to the giant road tunnel under construction in Waterview, and the volcanic tunnel the kids discover running under Mount Albert/Owairaka.

The 32-page book is in English with plentiful Te Reo vocab (explained in footnotes), and includes a map and links to help readers and schools connect with their local heritage. 

Click here for more about The Tunnel in our Backyard.