Giveaways
A Maverick Traveller is an introduction to a series of unconventional travel books by the New Zealand author Mary Jane Walker. The story begins with an account of an epic voyage on a Chinese junk, followed by Mary Jane’s early life in New Zealand and her later adventures (and misadventures) worldwide.
A Maverick Pilgrim Way is the fourth in a series of unconventional travel books by New Zealand author Mary Jane Walker. With 547 images, A Maverick Pilgrim Way describes Mary Jane’s adventures on the pilgrim trails of Europe and the Mediterranean and in the surrounding cultural landscapes.
The Scottish Isles: Shetlands, Orkneys and Hebrides (Part 1) describes my journey through the Shetlands, which are more Viking than Scottish; the Orkneys, which are the seat of an ancient stone-age civilisation; and some of the romantic islands of the Inner Hebrides as well.
A former British possession in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is divided into Greek-dominated and Turkish-dominated regions with United Nations troops in between. A surprisingly large amount of the island remains under the Union Jack as well. Cyprus is the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love. Few countries combine so much scenery with so much history, all in one compact place!
Most images of New Zealand tourism and travel come from the South Island. The North Island is neglected by comparison. And yet it's a subtropical Polynesian paradise in many places, and the island where most evidence of Māori culture is to be found as well. In this book, Mary Jane describes the North Island ('The Fish of Māui') in the form of eight road trips. Each chapter links to blog posts.
Updated in October 2022, 'The Sensational South Island' is the companion volume to 'The Neglected North Island: New Zealand's other half', judged 'Best Antipodean Cultural Travel Book 2021' by Lux Life magazine, lux-review.com. Both books expand on and update A Maverick New Zealand Way, which was a finalist in Travel at the International Book Awards, 2018.
A Nomad in Nepal describes three Himalayan treks in detail: the trek to Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna/Manaslu Circuit, and the Three Passes route. Mary Jane also spends time with the Kalash people and in the Hindu Kush mountains of Chitral, Pakistan. She stayed on a houseboat in Srinagar, travelled around Kashmir, and visited Dharamshala, Sikkim, and the steaming tiger-swamps of Chitwan
An account of a road trip around Iceland, a precariously habitable land in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, torn apart by volcanic forces and home to the Icelanders, descendents of Viking and Celtic colonists. Most people who arrive in Iceland do not venture far from the capital, Reykjavík, but I travel right around the island (though there is still more to be seen, next time!)
In this new and lavishly illustrated book, Mary Jane picks up where her first book on the Scottish Isles left off. Mary Jane explores the Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides, lands of fantastic beaches even though they are so far north. The book links to blog posts that will progressively appear on this website, starting with 'The Romantic Isle of Skye'.
What's it like being a landlord? Are they of any use to society? There aren't many autobiographies by landlords, but this is one. Landlords are Sh*t is a tragicomic, timely, and relevant introduction to the broken and dysfunctional rental housing sector of Aotearoa.
This book is a brief account of my tour around the less well-known side of the Sāmoan Islands, which I visited in 2023. I like to travel by myself and get a grassroots experience! American Sāmoa is far less crowded with tourists than many other places, and yet it is a beautiful set of tropical islands in the fabled South Pacific. It is also very accessible for Americans.
Despite living in New Zealand all her life and travelling to a hundred different countries, Mary Jane Walker had never been to Sāmoa, even though it is only a few hours from New Zealand by jet. Finally, in 2023, she caught up with these beautiful islands and wonders why she didn’t do so earlier!
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