author, journalist
Welcome...
Over 25 years, I wrote about more than 400 boats, mostly as editor of Boating New Zealand. I loved it, and picked up 15 awards in journalism and story writing. In 2015, I left Auckland for a lifestyle block in Golden Bay. I barely knew a chook from a duck, but suddenly I was writing about chickens, sheep and muddy calamities. It spawned a magazine column and my sixth book: High Heels and Gumboots (HarperCollins, 2025). But ultimately, we love the ocean and love the land for similar reasons. If you agree, I think you'll enjoy browsing my website, from the America's Cup to raising chickens.
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UK & Europe readers: available from Lodestarbooks.com
Adrian Hayter's sailing classic of the first solo voyage from England to New Zealand.
With an introduction by Rebecca Hayter.
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A stunning, coffee table-style book of 344 pages, 244mm x 288mm,
with more than 200 photos and drawings.
Des Townson was a yacht designer and boat builder known for exquisitely graceful yachts and the remote-controlled Electron. He possessed an analytical mind, an innate feel for sailing boats and an eye for their visual balance. He believed that if he were blind-folded and put on the helm of any of his yachts, he would know which it was, by how it felt under sail.
His close friend Brian Peet chronicles his life and design work through the recollections of Des and his family, friends and colleagues, and pays tribute to his legacy, best represented by his yachts still sailing and cruising New Zealand waters.
What You Wish For
One man's guide to life, death and alternative therapies
by Paul Blacklow and Rebecca Hayter
by Paul Blacklow and Rebecca Hayter
Life was going well for Paul Blacklow. He was newly married, working with some of New Zealand's top sportsmen as a sports massage therapist and training to run a half-marathon. Then he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). Paul, the quintessential Kiwi bloke, decided to explore alternative therapies. The result is What You Wifh For, an accessible guide for people diagnosed with a terminal illness, and a moving story of determination, humour and love to inspire anyone seeking answers to some of life's big questions.
