Contents

COVER PHOTO HEADLINE : Photographer of the Year : Angry birds, aurora skies, protests and portraits ... winning images of 2024
CONTENTS : Departments : UP FRONT EDITORIAL -- IN THE FIELD -- PUBLISHER'S LETTER -- VIEWFINDER Lottie Hedley follows the Pet Bus on an emotional, multi-species road trip around New Zealand -- GeoNEWS Kea are being poisoned by lead bullets - including from DOC culls. Kakapo pull a switheroo to confuse giant eagles; native hibiscus can't catch a break; marine critters raft all the way to Antarctica; a robot kokako seeks a real-life mate -- PROFILE Ana Maine helped build a vaka, then sailed off to a slower life -- JUST SO An exploration of memory, in which dogs don't remember their walks, and Venus flytraps have the edge over humans.
REFLECTION CULTURE A posthumous collection of nature photography by Shaun Barnett, and Dave Hansford's gorgeous new book about Kahurangi National Park -- HISTORY Stewart Smith had a singular mission : dump as many exotic fish as possible into our waterways.
CONTENTS : Features :
SKYFALL A new and vicious strain of bird flu has evolved to take down marine mammals and seabirds. Now this devastating virus is in Antarctica, and with the great migrations of the breeding season underway, it's swooping - or swimming - across the Southern Ocean. Are we ready?
LOST Strange things happen to the psyche when a person walks alone for days, cold and starving.
THE TOURIST TRAP Two-thirds of tourists in the Cook Islands are New Zealanders. They're escaping for a carefree week in the sun. But for the islands, the influx is a mixed blessing.
LOGGERHEADS What will it take to persuade landowners to go into native forestry rather than pine?
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR The finest images in Aotearoa, winnowed from 6000 entries and 69 terrific finalists.