Andrew Crowe: Pathway of the Birds

Nature writer Andrew Crowe tells Lynn Freeman about the story of Polynesian voyaging and migration; of finding and re-finding small remote islands and atolls scattered throughout the Pacific, following bird migration routes in double-hulled canoes over vast distances, carrying materials to survive and settle on arrival. His book, Pathway of the Birds: The Voyaging Achievements of Maori and Their Polynesian Ancestors was inspired by commonalities of language across the Pacific to describe nature: birds, plants, fish, stars. It took 15 years of thorough research and the acquisition of new skills in an attempt to solve an on-going mystery. Pathway of the Birds has won a whole clutch of awards, including last year's New Zealand Heritage Book Award.