There are many animals of Aotearoa that travel for thousands of miles every year. Birds, turtles, eels, butterflies and more spend great stretches of time over, on and in oceans, whether travelling to breeding places, or looking for warmer climates or more food over winter.

With wingspans only ten centimetres across or up to three metres wide, winged creatures capture the winds across the water between countries to get where they need to go.

Sea creatures can travel anywhere between 850 kms (walking), to 19,000 kms – (swimming) at 35 kms pr hour. One extraordinary creature travelled 1,000 km in only a week!

Each incredible creature has its own double spread in this book of Incredible Journeys. Each double spread has information holding fascinating facts on each animal. It also shows a picture of the animal in its natural environment and a map to indicate where the creature has been known to travel.

Have you heard of the Leatherback Sea Turtle (Honu) – nearly a ton in size and up to 3 metres long?

What about the Longfin Eel (Tuna) that leaves our rivers for a 6 month swim to lay eggs in warmer waters? They can also swim up waterfalls!

Each animal is given both its English and Māori name at the top of each spread.

As an animal lover, I enjoyed these beautifully illustrated snapshots of 12 amazing animals of Aotearoa. There are animals I’d never heard of, and dozens of facts I never knew.

Available in both Hardback and Paperback, this is perfect for school studies or for anyone keen to learn more about Incredible New Zealand Wildlife.

Author / Illustrator – Ned Barraud

Age – 7+ (Non-Fiction)

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(2021, Potton & Burton, NZ, New Zealand, Aotearoa, NZ Wildlife, Animal Migrations, Fascinating animal facts, Migration Maps, Non-Fiction)