For Mako, a twelve-year-old boy growing up in Kaikoura, New Zealand, life changes for the better after he throws a stone accidently through a church window. This incident begins his friendship with Hariata, an elderly spiritual Maori woman who opens Makos eyes to the spiritual aspect of his local environment among naturethe forest, the Kowhai river, the birds, and the ocean. Set in the summer of 1988, the adventure of growth for Mako and reconciliatory healing for Hariata unfold under the watchful eye of the sacred mountain. There is no beginning or end to nature, just as there is no beginning or end to life. The collage of beautiful colors in the paua shell comes from these elements, the heart and soul of our mountain. Again, do not be fooled by what you first see. These shells are the gems of the ocean. They are the rainbows of the sea, Mako. They are the mana from the sacred mountain that watches over all of us. This adventure was written twenty months before the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the Kaikoura township and surrounding region on the 14 November 2016. Everyone in the area has been affected by it. My heartfelt thoughts go out to them all. Their struggle since to resurrect their lives has brought them closer together. As you read this story, send your positive thoughts to Kaikoura and the community. We wish them well for the future.
