After publishing Solo, about adventuring alone in Aotearoa New Zealand’s back country and mountains, in 2022, Hazel wasn’t immediately thinking about what would come next. But a conversation with fellow author Paul Hersey planted a seed when he told her that eventually, she’d realise she had all the right material for her next book and that the idea would simply crystalise.
“He’s an author whose writing I hugely admire, and it turns out he was right. One day, I realised I had all these Ruapehu-centric stories, and they all fitted together in just the right way,” Hazel says.
She set out to create a book that blends rich historical research with compelling storytelling, in the hope of reshaping how readers engage with the mountains of New Zealand.
“I’m interested in bringing history to life in new, creative ways, and inspiring people to engage with the maunga beyond a ski chairlift or referring to Ngāuruhoe as Mount Doom. In Fire & Ice, I wanted to tell not just what happened, but also how I chased after the information, both in a research sense and more tangibly, by lacing up the boots.”
In the name of research and driven by her own adventurous spirit, Hazel retraced the footsteps of those who came before to explore the deep and sometimes dark history of the area. Visiting the sites she wrote about was essential, though not always easy.
“I had a few moments of wondering if I was ever going to find these things in real life, plane wrecks and derelict huts and so on, of if I was going to have a bunch of great stories from history and a narrative of my own failure. Thankfully, that didn’t happen! Some things, such as the wreck of the Kaka and Bergersen’s Hut, I had to try several times to find,” she says.
Over 18 months, Hazel explored everything from fires, avalanches and secret hideaways to ghost stories, illicit grog-running and even the origins of Goatman, the half-human, half-goat figure said to roam the Desert Road, acting as a kaitiaki for passing travellers.
She says it took her a year to do 95 per cent of the expeditions on which the book’s chapters are based, and then another six months to sort out the final five per cent.
“I still didn’t do all the trips on my list originally – I could’ve written two books, not one!”
Despite her love for outdoor exploration, Hazel says it’s the act of writing that brings her the most joy.
“There’s a delicious feeling when the research is done, the content is all there and you’re laying down the first draft. Being a writer, which is to say sitting at a desk and writing, is the part I prefer more than being an author, doing publicity and so on.”
Her path to publication was shaped in part by studying a Master of Creative Writing at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University. Hazel says she wanted to challenge herself to see how she could improve her writing.
“I wanted to see how much I didn’t know, and turns out, it was a lot!”
With the guidance of her thesis supervisor Associate Professor Ingrid Horrocks and the support of her “smart cookie” cohort, with whom she still keeps in touch, Hazel found her eyes being opened to the concept of craft.
“I started to see creative writing as heavily constructed, in a good way, and that you can build a book in the same way you might build a house. Hard work leads to achievement and you’re not at the mercy of some sort of muse to get the job done. You just keep writing.”
Partnering with Massey University Press helped bring her vision to life.
“Publisher Nicola Legat has a strong sense of what people want to read, and I’m constantly getting rave reviews of the production values of Fire & Ice. People love the paper stock, the full colour and all the maps and photos. I’ve even had messages from enthusiastic paper-sniffers!”
The book includes more than 200 historic and present-day images, 25 maps and a cast of compelling characters, including the likes of Les and Merv Bergersen, who lived hidden and alone in huts on the southern slopes of Ruapehu to avoid conscription during World War II.
Hazel is already immersed in researching a new book, this time on early women climbers and adventurers of Aoraki Mount Cook.
“Right now, I’m drafting a bit but mostly floating around in the research and details which is a fun place to be. I have too many ideas for books and not enough time.”
Her advice to aspiring writers wanting to blend adventure and storytelling?
“You can be a climbing writer or a writing climber, some people are stronger as adventurers than they are as writers, or vice versa. The writing is the thing. Make the writing sing.”
As for Fire & Ice, Hazel says she hopes readers will be as captivated by the stories as she was while she was researching and writing them.
“I hope people get a sense of the human footprint on these mountains – it’s important for our redress process for te kāhui maunga. And most of all, I hope it inspires people to get out and engage with Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngāuruhoe in person – they are real treasures, and they need to be looked after.”
Fire & Ice: Secrets, histories, treasures and mysteries of Tongariro National Park is out now and available at all good bookstores and online at Massey University Press.
Related news
Massey University Press: Elevating research and reputation through publishing
Launched in 2015, Massey University Press is a vibrant platform for scholarly and creative voices that enrich Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural landscape.
Becoming Aotearoa: a call to context in the narrative of our country’s history
The first major national history of Aotearoa New Zealand in 20 years has been released by Professor Emeritus Michael Belgrave through Massey University Press.
Caldwell uncovered: Remembering the legacy of a New Zealand hero
Historian Dr Adam Claasen explores the extraordinary life of one of New Zealand’s great military heroes, First World War fighter ace Keith Caldwell, in his forthcoming book Grid.
