Graham Hutchins: 6 books

Country folk have their own way of doing things and their own sense of humour too. They are naturally wary of men in suits and university types, and such people have to be put to the test before they can be accepted. They are not too keen on new-fangled ways of doing things either: a meal of mountain...

LAST TRAIN TO PARADISE is a celebratory account of a time when train travel was more than just the accepted means of travelling around New Zealand. It was also an era when rail journeys provided excitement, companionship and romance. Royal trains, troop trains, rugby specials, tourist trains ... all come to life in Graham Hutchins evocative descriptions of rail travel in the golden age.

The 30 stories in this book describe some of the most extraordinary events in New Zealand history. Who knew that a fire killed 39 people at Seacliff Mental Hospital in 1942? That 10 people died in a lahar on White Island in 1914? That a yacht race between Lyttelton and Wellington in 1951 resulted in...

For a memorable week in June 1964, the Beatles toured New Zealand, giving concerts in the four main centres and changing life as we knew it for ever. For teenagers of the time, it was the most exciting week of their lives. Teachers were ignored and parents defied as thousands of young people devised...

Rugby is the heart and soul of New Zealand, filling the lives of most boys and some girls from the first time they see an oval ball. Its Just a Game is a celebration of rugby as it is played by kids, students, club members and professionals. The 50 or so stories in this book, ending with a dramatic...

Graham Hutchins describes, with some nostalgia, a variety of rail trips through New Zealand, on regular passenger trains, railcars, freight trains and work trains. Many services have now been axed, but he vividly recalls their delights, from the scenery outside to the often primitive conditions inside,...