People of the Land & Sea Life on The Chatham Islands

A photographic coffee table book about Rekohu, Chatham Islands, New Zealand—the raw beauty of the land, sea, people and way of life.

This archipelago lies 800kms east of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean and is the worlds most eastern inhabited land mass. It is the first place to see the sun and has a population of 600 strong. With a dark and colorful history, it is a story that wants to be told to the world.

Rekohu is the Moriori name for the Chatham Islands and it means ‘To gaze at the sun through misty skies’. These islands are shrouded in mist and mystery and Robbie plans to unearth this via his incredible photography and local knowledge.

Accompanying the captivating imagery will be intriguing stories and information that Robbie has extracted over his years of living on the island. The book will highlight a number of historical events but the pillars of the content will focus around the hunter gatherer lifestyle, Moriori culture and the colourful characters that live there.

Robbie Lanauze was born on Pitt Island which is off the coast of the Chatham Islands, a group of islands to the east of New Zealand. He is a descendant of the indigenous Moriori, raiding Maori tribes from Taranaki and the first European settlers, whalers and sealers. He is also a talented landscape photographer with a wife and 3 kids living between Ibiza, Spain and the Chatham Islands.