Pacific Islands

Rahui – Colin Iles

Published by Reed , Wellington 1975 a first printing. Octavo, 194 pages endpaper maps, nicely illustrated. Very good near fine condition.

In 1969 Colin Iles decided to give it all up in England and move to New Zealand. To get there he bought the “Clarinda” although he had never sailed before. He took a mate of similar expertise and off they went across the Atlantic.

They took on a more cluey American in the West Indies and had a great time among the islands before heading off through the Panama. Then down through the Marquesas, Tahiti, Cook Islands and Tonga experiencing the beauty human and natural of those exotic islands.

In NZ Colin met Rahui a hula dancing nurse from the Cook Islands. They became a pair and went on a Honeymoon Cruise to Fiji, New Hebrides, Solomons, New Guinea and Cairns.

After all that they went to live in England. Rahui wanted to see Hadrian’s Wall and they settled in the Midlands where Colin managed Ruhui’s popular hula dancing act!

Life changing voyages – romance in the Pacific

$25.00

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Raroia – Happy Island of the South Seas – Bengt Danielsson (Ex Kon Tiki expedition)

Published by Rand McNally, New York a first English language edition translated by F.H. Lyon. Octavo,304 pages with endpaper maps and many illustrations from photographs taken by the author or his wife. Dust jacket a little tired, internally very clean … a very good copy of a very hard to find book.

A scarce book. The author was part of the Kon-Tiki expedition. They were shipwrecked at Raroia which is a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, to the east of Tahiti.

Danielsson and his wife returned there and spent a year and a half enjoying the relaxed lifestyle. A very funny account but there is tragedy in the death of a key character and the inevitable cyclone.

Perspective .. in 2012 the population of Raroia was 233, there is nowhere to stay so visitors are always invited to stay in the homes of maybe the friendliest people on earth!

Unusual Pacific account

PS … we have included in the images a chart of what the average Raroian gets up to during the week … compare your lifestyle .. Voyager Bill struggled to not put “went to Voyager” in every box! Book your tickets or maybe leave them alone!

$30.00

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Polar Item – Scott Centenary (1912 – 2012) – Christie’s Sale

One of the collectable Christies/ Bonham Polar Sale Catalogues.

Christies Travel, Science and Natural History Catalogue with a special emphasis on the Antarctic and the Scott Expeditions. Quarto, 60 pages illustrated to the expected impeccable standard.

Some exceptional travel items catalogued with a good Australian and Pacific content. Includes forty pages of unique Antarctic items that will make any enthusiast salivate.

Our favourites … Mawson’s specimen boxes, Shackleton’s sledge harness, letters from Apsley Cherry-Garrard to his mother (“I sleep under Bowers. It is going to be a very warm hut and we live very well here”), Ponting’s best photographs and Scott’s marching compass. Well we like it all really. We all missed the boat on this one!

Unique Polar items and other travel delicacies

$60.00

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Easter Island Monuments – Cook’s Second Voyage – Benard Paris 1785

An original copper engraving from 1785 of the monuments at Easter Island. Engraved by Benard and published in Paris as part of the French version of Cook’s Second Voyage.

“Moumens dans l’isle de Paques” a deep and dramatic depiction. Classical overtones and yet in a modern sense even “Daliesque” … we really admire the structure.

Printed area 36cm by 21cm with near invisible central fold as issued. Strong thick paper and a strong dark ink image.

Would frame nicely in Voyager uncoloured map style in cream mat with black core and charcoal frame. Here priced unframed at $190.00. Just enquire if you wish the framing option.

Striking Image for the Easter island Curios

$90.00

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The Islands of the Pacific – from Old to New – James Alexander – First Edtion 1895

James Alexander was the son of Hawaiian missionary William P Alexander. Published by the American Tract Society, New York in 1895. A substantial work, octavo 503 pages and appendices. Illustrated throughout with nice pictorial covers in good condition.

After three chapters of general introduction there are discrete chapters on The Society Islands, Austral Islands; Peal Islands; Hawaiian Islands; The Marquesas; Harvey Islands; Samoa; Micronesia; Tonga; New Zealand; Fiji; Melanesia; Pitcairn and Norfolk. An interesting chapter in retrospect on the “Future of the Pacific Ocean”.

The appendices provide good information on the Ancient Polynesians, Languages, European Appropriations and a list of active Missionaries and where they were. The seventy illustrations include simple but useful maps, and images form early photographs albeit sometimes posed.

Alexander covers some ground … and some ocean … in this well structured book.

$60.00

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Brown Men and Women or The South Sea Islands in 1895 and 1896 – Edward Reeves – First Edition 1898

Published by Swan Sonnenschein & Co, London in 1898. Large octavo, 294 pages with sixty illustrations and a large folding map (in excellent condition) . Bright gilt embossed image on front boards, original maroon cloth covered binding in very good condition.

Edward Reeves was a New Zealand missionary who spent many years on various islands in the South Pacific. He gives forthright observations on native culture and recounts his own experiences on Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tahiti, Society Islands etc.

The folding maps is of Tongatabu. The images are a bit peculiar at times, in particular the “cannibal feast in the making” … looks more like Hollywood to us. Regardless, we find the book honest and useful despite the unsatisfactory title

Reeves in the Pacific with his camera in the 1890’s

$80.00

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Rahui – Colin Iles

Raroia – Happy Island of the South Seas – Bengt Danielsson (Ex Kon Tiki expedition)

Polar Item – Scott Centenary (1912 – 2012) – Christie’s Sale

Easter Island Monuments – Cook’s Second Voyage – Benard Paris 1785

The Islands of the Pacific – from Old to New – James Alexander – First Edtion 1895

Brown Men and Women or The South Sea Islands in 1895 and 1896 – Edward Reeves – First Edition 1898

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