Wandering with Albatrosses – Multimedia talk
Wandering with Albatrosses – Multimedia talk
Wannabe adventurers can travel to the wildest, inaccessible and windiest parts of the world from the comfort of the Takaka Memorial Library on Tuesday 21 July at 7pm. Tui de Roy and Mark Jones’ multimedia show will transport them to the world of the mighty albatross and share their personal stories behind the making of their latest book.
Albatross – Their World, Their Ways is probably the most comprehensive volume on the subject, and one of three entries shortlisted in the environment category of the 2009 Montana Book Awards.
The Golden Bay-based photographer/writer duo has spent the last 10 years researching the various albatross species on the remotest islands around the world, and for the past five years worked intensively on collating material. It took two years alone to prepare the book and included an “epic proof-reading of 500 hours between three people in a bit over one week,” said Mark.
The obvious starting place for their research was New Zealand, which is home to more than half the world’s albatross species. During seven trips, totalling over nine months, Mark and Tui followed the wingbeat of the flying marvels through the roughest seas on their 13m steel cutter Mahalia and camped in the most hostile environments. They finally produced 240 pages of personal stories, over 400 stunning photographs, detailed information on each albatross species and essays from leading researchers on the albatross.
“We wanted to tell the whole story, our story and the story of the bird, and the viewers will vicariously travel with us and we will bring them into contact with our experiences,” said Tui. “Conservation is caring and if people don’t care they won’t conserve.”
Tui said that finding a publisher was not an easy task, as few took an interest in the topic. “We worked with David Bateman in Auckland because we have worked with him before on three other books and we knew his standard of quality. He is also well-connected in the publishing world, believed in the project and that it was worthwhile.”
While the book pays tribute to a majestic bird with outstanding flying abilities, it also highlights the conservation issues surrounding its survival.
“Albatrosses are out of sight and out of mind: 50 per cent of species nest in New Zealand territory but in other countries they are never seen,” said Tui. “They are fascinating birds. They can fly around the world in forty-six days. One bird, which was tagged on the Chathams, flew twice around the world before it came back to rest within 50 kilometres of the spot where it had left off the South African coast. But they are also among the most endangered birds in the world.”
Ina Holst
