Clustered yet scattered, we New Zealanders live across the countrys physical landscapes, experiencing its varied weather and environments. We co-create its political, economic and social systems on a daily basis. Each of us has a particular view of Aotearoa, yet nobody comprehends the whole. This books sets of maps and graphics help New Zealanders make sense of their country, to grasp the scale, diversity and intricacies of Aotearoa, and to experience feelings of connection to land, to place, to this time in our history, and to one another. By making data visible, each graphic reveals insights about Aotearoa. They answer a range of questions: Who visits us? How many fish are in the sea? How equal are we? How do we hurt ourselves? Where do our cats go to at night? This compelling mixture of charts, graphs, diagrams, maps and illustrations is functional, beautiful, insightful and enlightening. It tells us where we are, here, in 2018. Essays by some of New Zealands best thinkers complete the package.
Dr Chris McDowall trained as a geographer with a focus on cartography and human geography. He has worked variously as cartographer, environmental scientist and manager at the University of Auckland, Landcare Research, the National Library of New Zealand and Figure.NZ. The common thread through his career is a desire to make the nations data easier to find and interpret.
Tim Denee is a Wellington-based designer who has worked across a range of disciplines interactive design, product design, illustration, art direction and typography. He has designed book covers, websites, apps, brands and museum experiences.