Valerie H. Mete

Growing Up a Chatham Islander - on the Edge of 44 Degrees South Valerie H. Mete

The Chatham Islands are New Zealand's most easterly region, consisting of an isolated archipelago of eleven islands (only two of which are inhabited) lying about 800 km east of Christchurch on NZ's south island. Many visitors experience a trip to the Chathams as a 'step back in time' and this is exactly what Val Mete has written about in her first book of memoirs from her childhood. Of Moriori descent, Mete's stories warmly depict the adventures of extended family life and wisdom of her elders, as well as the appreciation for the landscape and ever-present South Pacific with its crayfish, abalone, kina, and blue cod. The abundant historical photos in Mete's book show the island lifestyle in the 1930s - 1980s. From horse-drawn mail carts and fishing nets, to the days of the early horse races and crayfish industry, the reader gets a clear taste of the abundant 'kaimoala' (seafood) and other resources on the islands that the locals gathered, shared, and now value as they reflect back to a time when they were young and things were quite different.