From its first field report in a Central Otago apricot orchard in 1966, and primarily broadcast as a 14-minute news show for farmers, Country Calendar is now New Zealand's longest-running television series, with more than half a million people tuning in every week. This year saw Country Calendar turn 50, and this book celebrates the milestone by revisiting 15 families who have appeared on the show during the last decade or so - and, in some cases, whose properties have featured more than once during the 50 years. The featured stories all reflect the flavour and character that has made Country Calendar so beloved by its rural and urban audience. It's a diverse collection, reflecting the varied and changing face of rural New Zealand, but each chapter is peopled with hardworking, passionate folk who love what they do, love their properties and love sharing their stories.
Author Biography
Matt Philp's feature-writing career began as a staff writer at the Listener, followed by several years as a senior writer for Metro, the Press and North & South. Now a freelancer, he writes on a diverse range of subjects for a wide set of publications. Matt has also authored books, including introductory essays on our national parks for Wild About New Zealand (with Gus Roxburgh) and Heart of the Mackenzie: The Glenmore Station Story. The Glenmore book, in particular, deepened his interest in the lives of New Zealand's farming families, which came in handy on the Country Calendar book project. Rob Suisted is one of New Zealand's most respected photographers, supplying a diverse range of quality images through his image library Nature's Pic. His love of the outdoors and wildlife has led him from a career in conservation management into professional photography. Rob often speaks publicly on the subjects of photography, conservation and the environment, and has published 16 books, including (with Harry Broad) Molesworth: Stories from New Zealand's largest high-country station, a Booksellers' Choice finalist at the 2014 NZ Post Book Awards.
