Title: Ruahine Gonzo
Author: Anton Thoresen
Pocket Book No 1

Five guys. A river. A spur. Lots of leatherwood. What could possibly go wrong?

A classic New Zealand tramping story about a bunch of gung ho guys on a mission to clear a track from one side of the Ruahine Ranges to the other.

Based on a true story, Ruahine Gonzo is full of humour, dead ends, and determination.

The first book of Firestarter’s Pocketbook series.

Sample Text

I arrived at Jim’s place in the dark of the next morning. For some reason I expected to be met by a crew wearing fluro vests and other protective gear. I imagined gleaming Toyota utes, walkie talkies and a health and safety briefing. Instead I found Jim and his mate Richard waiting patiently for me at the open end of an ancient Datsun station wagon. 

Richard, a retired scientist in his mid seventies, was clearly a tramper from way back. Reassuringly, rubber Bullers were fastened below a seasoned pair of legs that stretched with infeasible length into his gaping nylon short shorts.

This was reassuring because it was a sign that Richard was a survivor. Anyone who’d been tramping as long as Richard obviously had, would easily fill the void Karyn’s absence had created.  

Feeling a little more confident, I loaded my bag and handsaw into the back of the car and we headed out of town.

About the Author

Anton Thoresen lives in Palmerston North on the banks of the Manawatū River and considers himself a man of the Ruahine Ranges.

His ancestors settled in the shadow of the mountains in Norsewood in the 1870s and legend has it that there are the remains of a hut called Thoresen Hut somewhere near Ngamoko and the source of the Manawatū River.

Unlike Anton and his gonzo mates it is likely that the Thoresens knew their way around the hills.