The author is a new-comer to New Zealand. In the footsteps of Abel Tasman the author might have thought New Zealand to be a Dutch Colony! Life in the far North soon revealed characteristics that proved myopic aspirations were hard at work. But the author has a contagious sense of humour. And without the fine tuned skills in English expression the inimitable style of his book adds colour and fascination to the events he describes. I think the reader will be able to identify with some of the humorous situations and has probably met some of the officious personalities who take centre stage in a parochial community. To read this book written from a fresh perspective should be a therapeutic exercise to some of us too cloistered in some secluded pockets of post-imperialism and should be on the bookshelf of every immigrant wishing to understand the heart beat of their newly elected country.