'New Zealand Odyssey', published in 1989 by Heinemann, was authored by me, Don Donovan (who did the text and illustrations) and Euan Sarginson, who did the photography and design. In this series of blog posts, I will publish some of my drawings.
A typical bush hut such as you would find anywhere in the back blocks of New Zealand. It's constructed of vertical boards and battens with a wooden floor, a corrugated iron roof (what else?) and a triumph of rusty steel sheeting for a chimney. In 1988, this example, at St. Arnaud, south of Nelson, was close to a main road but I doubt if there was anything grander than a pony track when it was built.
With that size chimney it would have had such a fireplace that on a cold night, when the logs were roaring, people inside would have had trouble avoiding roasting themselves! I wonder how many sausages and gallons of beer have been consumed here over its lifetime? And I wonder whether it's still there?
© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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