Marnie Anstis is excited to announce the release of her third book, a memoir detailing her adventurous years in the Pakihi Valley.

Anstis, a local of Ōpōtiki, will be launching her book on November 14 at Ōpōtiki Paper Plus, inviting the public to join her celebration.

In this memoir, Anstis reflects on a decade spent in the valley from 1966 to 1975, where her family farmed sheep and cattle. “The story is about my life in the Pakihi Valley from when I left school until I got married,” she said.

Born in the shadow of Taranaki in the early 1950s, Anstis moved to a small farm near Morrinsville at five. Leaving school at 15, she dedicated the next eight years to working on her family’s isolated farm in the Pakihi Valley, a decision that would shape her identity.

“It wasn’t until my 40s that I truly realised how much that time in the valley influenced the person I became,” she said.

“My mum used to often say, ‘gosh a book should be written about our time up here’,” she said.

Fifty years later, Anstis has drawn from the detailed diaries she kept during her time in the wild valley to craft her memoir, which is self-published under the Boots Books label. She recalls her teenage years, feeling socially awkward and out of her comfort zone, but finding her true self amid the isolation and adventure, risk and solitude of farming life.

“It was a very cheap farm, bought sight unseen. But when we visited it, and I fell in love with the place and just had to leave school and no one knew why I wanted to leave school because I should have gone on to university ... I found myself. I left civilisation behind, happy in my own company.”

The author was in her element exploring this new farming environment: “The dense dark bush, the waterfalls, the rushing streams, the wide-open view from hilltops – but most of all I treasured the isolation.”

Anstis embraced the physical demands of farm life, recalling days spent mustering sheep and cattle, often in her bikini and barefoot.

“Fleeco-ing, pressing wool, scrub-cutting, fencing: all hands-on, practical hard work involving blood, sweat and blisters. I spent hours droving stock on horseback and swore (not only at dogs) never to milk cows or go market-gardening.”

Her memoir is rich with tales of pig-hunting, encounters with horses, boyfriends, and challenges like floods and fires. “As soon as we bought the property, wool prices slumped, and New Zealand faced a decade-long recession, coinciding with our ownership of the Pakihi farm,” she reflects.

Anstis provides a historical glimpse into an era of Eastern Bay farming.

“I talk about what our lifestyle was like as farmers up the Pakihi Valley and that era has gone from the valley ... everything has changed. There was no electricity up there then.”

Anstis later married local dairy farmer Peter, diversifying into horticulture while raising four sons.

“Swapping procreation for pro-creativity, I developed an extensive garden and began to write,” she says.

Anstis is the author of two other books, the award-winning book Taketakerau: The Millennium Tree – about the life and times of Ōpōtiki’s ancient puriri burial tree Taketakerau, set to a background of local and world events over the last 2000 years.

She is also the author of Gingercat, illustrated by her son, painter Mark Anstis.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Marnie share her captivating stories at her book launch in Ōpōtiki this November.

Book launch

Come along to Marnie Anstis’ launch of her new book, A Bird in the Bush, at 5.30pm Thursday November 14 at Ōpōtiki Paper Plus (back entrance) Enjoy a drink and nibbles as Marnie Anstis reads excerpts from her adventures and experiences of her years up the Pakihi Valley 1966-1975 A Bird in the Bush will be for sale $45. Marnie will be happy to answer questions and sign books For catering, please RSVP by Tuesday 12th November to: Ōpōtiki PaperPlus [email protected] or 07 315 626.