Possum Traps and Plot Twists
Possum hunting is the unlikely catalyst for a historical novel written by Hikuai man, Jonathan Peet. But this ex-farmer, musician and history lover says when hunting possums years ago he discovered evidence of old mining sites in the bush, sparking his love of history and the writing of his first book, Wairata.
Jonathan – known as Jono – has enjoyed loading his car up with his books over the past few months and travelling around markets and fairs to promote them.
And the keen interest and sales have encouraged him to continue writing, with the draft of his second book just complete. The latest plot came after Jono read about World War 1 hero William Barnard Rhodes-Moorhouse, a pilot with Māori ancestry who posthumously received the Victoria Cross. Jono has a way of linking this man’s remarkable story to the hero of his first novel. And his writing softens the brutality of war with a love story.
His first novel features the life of young immigrant, David Campbell, who is orphaned in a storm on New Zealand’s ‘wild and wet west coast’. It starts in 1890 with a shipwreck and Jono’s descriptions of that dramatic storm might make readers feel queasy! The book is beautifully written in an easy reading yet imaginative style.
Farming family
Jono grew up in a Katikati farming family and trained as a chef until he found working as a possum hunter more profitable than a weekly wage.
“It was in the 1970s and at that time there was a demand for possum fur in Russia and China. I averaged $5 a skin and could make around a thousand dollars a week.
My wife Kathy worked alongside me preparing the skins.”
The couple switched to dairy farming about 1984, starting as sharemilkers in Katikati.
Jono smiles when he recalls making notes for his book while he was working in the shed.
“I’d have a blackboard propped up and would write things down when they came into my head. I reckon most of the plot for Wairata was written while I was milking cows!”
Later they bought a farm in Waihi, where they raised their three children, Leon, Courtney and Sarah. The family moved around the North Island over the years, including a spell at Whitianga. At one stage Jono dabbled in real estate.
Five years ago the couple bought a bush block in Hikuai, where they now run a Bed and Breakfast.
Hated school
Jono admits he hated school and left as soon as he could. “I squeezed through with a few passes in School Certificate. But I did have a love of reading and Lord of the Rings was one book that lit up my imagination. I’ve always loved history and started to think about writing my own novel when possum hunting in Waihi. When I discovered evidence of old campsites and mineshafts, I thought about those people and their lives. I love old photos and ponder on the lives of those people who, like us, had dreams and hopes and fell in love and raised families. I also enjoy listening to older people reminiscing about their lives.”
Jono also finds time to play his guitar and you may find him with a bunch of other enthusiasts creating music at Tairua Music Club fortnightly on Tuesday nights at Tairua Bowling Club.
He loves David Gilmour’s guitar on Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb and is also a fan of Neil Young. He also enjoys renovating houses with Kathy.
It is nearly 30 years since the first seed of a story formed and then developed into Wairata.
So what did he learn from that first novel that helped him write the sequel?
“Well,” he muses. “l learnt that I need to write a lot faster because 30 years is a long time! My latest book has taken about a year to write and after editing it should be out by Christmas.”
Words by Pamela Ferla
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