Audiobook New Zealand - Samples

A sample of one of the books from our Children's Bedtime Story collection. 

12 Huia Birds

Written by Julian Stokoe.
Narrated by George Henare
Original Sound Design by Vic Spectrum
Sound Recordings by David Liverside
Audio Book Produced & Distributed by Audiobooks NZ
Audio Book mastering by Ora Simpson and Theo Gibson

www.audiobooksnz.com

12 Huia Birds

Children's Bedtime Stories Collection

12 Huia Bird( Audiobook Extract ) Read by George Henare

This is a small sample of our first Read Along Audiobook. This will be released in Feb 2017. Enjoy.

Narrator: Bruce Philips

The Mysterious Wuzzle Fuzzle

The Mysterious Wuzzle Fuzzle( Audiobook Extract ) Read by Bruce Philips

Written By: Arthur Meek
Narrated By: Laurel Devenie
Music By: John Gibson

Based on the diaries of Mary Ann Martin, On The Upside Down of the World is set during the colonisation of the last place on earth. It’s the story of an unlikely female pioneer who blazes a unique trail through the untamed social landscapes of New Zealand’s early history when she’s forced to foster a peculiar Māori boy.

On the Upside Down of the World

On the Upside Down of the World ( Audiobook Extract ) Read by Laurel Devenie

The Single Dad's Guide to the Galaxy

The Single Dad's Guide to the Galaxy ( Audiobook Extract ) Read by Roger McEwan

Breaking fresh ground, this new and important biography of Sir Edmund Hillary stands apart from previous accounts of this truly great New Zealander. The author, Michael Gill, was a close friend of Edmund Hillary’s for nearly 50 years, accompanying him on many expeditions, and becoming heavily involved in his Himalayan aid work. He was also granted access by Sir Edmund’s children to a large archive of private papers and photos that were deposited in the Auckland Museum after his death.

Building on this unpublished material, as well as his extensive personal experience, Michael Gill has written an insightful and illuminating biography. He describes the uncertainties of the first 33 years of Edmund Hillary’s life, as well as the background to the first ascent of Mt Everest, a feat that brought him instant worldwide fame. In addition, this biography reveals the pivotal and loving relationship he had with his wife Louise, in part through their touching letters to each other. Her importance to him during their 22 years of marriage only underlines the horror of her death, along with that of their youngest daughter, in a plane crash in 1975. Edmund Hillary eventually pulled out of his subsequent depression to continue his life’s work building schools and hospitals in the Himalayas.

Affectionate, but scrupulously fair, Michael Gill has gone further than anyone before to reveal the humanity of this remarkable man. Edmund Hillary’s life was shaped by both triumph and tragedy, and while he became famous through his mountaineering achievements, it was his humility and affection for the people of Nepal that became an equal part of his enduring legacy.

Edmund Hillary: A Biography

Edmund Hillary: A Biography by Michael Gill (Audiobook Extract)Read By Bruce Hopkins

Wild Pork and Watercress
Barry Crump was one of New Zealand’s most popular authors of all time. From A Good Keen Man in 1960 through to his death in 1996, over a million copies of the 24 books he wrote were sold. He was a superb storyteller, who captured perfectly the laconic humour and the lifestyle of the rugged Kiwi outdoors man. His ability to craft a tale that is both moving and funny is superbly illustrated by the huge international success of the movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which is based on his book Wild Pork and Watercress.
Almost all of Barry Crump’s books are now out of print. A new volume of collected stories published in 2017 remedied that. And the five classic yarns comprising that volume are available in ebook form as separate titles – A Good Keen Man, Bullock Creek, Gold and Greenstone, Puha Road, and Wild Pork and Watercress.

About Wild Pork and Watercress:
When Ricky’s beloved Aunt Bella dies and Social Welfare threatens to put him into care, the overweight Maori boy and cantankerous Uncle Hec flee into the remote and rugged Ureweras. The impassable bush serves up perilous adventures, forcing the pair of misfits to use all their skills to survive hunger, wild pigs and the weather. Worse still are the authorities, determined to bring Ricky and Uncle Hec to justice. But despite the difficulties of life on the run, a bond of trust and love blossoms between the world-weary man and his withdrawn sidekick.
This rattling good yard has been made into a major movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople, written and directed by Taika Waititi.

About the author:
Barry Crump was born in 1935 and died in 1996. In 1959 he began writing humorous sketches of life as a government deer-culler and pig hunter, publishing these in 1960 as A Good Keen Man. This became a massive bestseller in New Zealand and over the next 50 years he wrote another 23 books, which sold over a million copies.
As well as a best-selling author, Crump was an actor, TV personality, poet, radio commentator, man of leisure, traveller, goldminer, photographer and more. A successful 12-year association with Toyota brought a series of award-winning advertisements that catapulted Crump into living rooms around the country with his laconic, blokey style.
Crump was married five times and had six children, all sons. In the 1990s Crump was awarded an MBE and OBE for services to literature, something he was quietly proud of and reckoned would be hard case pinned to his Swanndri. He was listed in the Who’s Who as having no fixed abode, and regarded himself as a world citizen. He insisted that, first and foremost, he was just a Kiwi bushman.

Barry Crump Wild Pork and Watercress (Audiobook Extract ) Read By Martin Crump

After moving house, lonely librarian Beth meets Isaac – a handsome man with timeless manners – on her way to work. Sharing the same antiquated tram day after day, the pair become close and Beth suspects she’s falling in love.

But Isaac has a secret that threatens their budding romance. Something dark and as magical as the tram that picks her up every morning and evening. Why does he suddenly push her away? Does he really not care for her? How could she have got the signals so wrong?

Then Isaac and the tram go missing and Beth begins to discover the truth. But it might be too late…

Catching the Last Tram

Catching The Last Tram (Audiobook Extract) Read by Susan Holt

‘A long time ago,’ began Dad, ‘a bear met a little boy and, right away, it knew it loved him.’
When Dad discovers a mysterious, dusty box in Gran’s attic, and brings it home to Max, the scene is set for a poignant and intriguing family tale. What could be inside the box, and why is it so important that Max hear Dad’s story before he’s allowed to open it? As Max listens, it becomes apparent that the box contains a special treasure, one that only Max can breathe life into.

The Teddy Bear's Promise ( Audiobook Extract ) Read by Bruce Philips

One hundred letters to breasts from women affected by breast cancer

Dear Boobs

Dear Boobs (Audiobook Extract) Read by Lee Smith-Gibbons

Continuing ill-health and countless surgeries sent Auckland businessman Dave Burt spiralling down into the depths of despair and hopelessness. Something had to change. This thoughtful, insightful book is the remarkable story of how with a wonderful woman at his side – and the right support a Kiwi bloke fought back. This ten-week diary will make you laugh and cry, but above all it will provide rare insight to those struggling with depression.

Lengthening the Shadow (Audiobook Extract) Read by Dave Burt

University degrees should be for everyone. Not just for some self-appointed elite who study obscure stuff like Classics, History and Mediaeval Studies. Universities need to offer a range of subjects that will ensure anyone can get a degree in something - it's purely a matter of responding to modern market forces. This is the vision of Ralston University's new Vice-Chancellor. Unburdened by any sense of academic tradition or excellence - and coming from a background in company liquidations - he proceeds to close down the teaching of traditional academic subjects, replacing them with diploma and degree courses in line dancing, hamburgerology and applied witchcraft. More than a new broom that sweeps clean, he is hell-bent on excoriating every last shred of intellectual fibre from the bones of academic tradition. Drawn into this sudden chain of events, can the wise but world-weary Professor Trout save his own job in the Department of Medieval Studies? Or will the monstrous Professor Beefenstein squeeze him out with her teaching of Rubenesque Studies to justify female obesity? Are panelbeating and 'paedophilac studies' to become legitimised as scholarship? It seems anything is possible.

About Bob Jones
Wellington-based Sir Robert Jones has been described variously over the years as property tycoon, free-enterpriser, self-made man, political party leader, syndicated newspaper columnist, boxing fan and intelligent, sarcastic bastard. Born in Lower Hutt in 1939, he attended Naenae College. Becoming established as a national identity through his career as a property investor and founder and leader of the New Zealand Party from 1983 to 1985, he is also a leading commentator on financial matters, education, and social policy. He has donated statues to municipalities and established humanities scholarships. He counts among his other interests trout fishing, tennis, cricket, politics and gardening.

Degrees For Everyone

Degrees For Everyone By Bob Jones (Audiobook Extract) Read By Paul Barrett

E AHAKU NUI, E KĀ RAKATIRA O KĀ HAU MAHA  TĒNEI TE MIHI KI A KOUTOU KATOA.

ANEI TĒTAHI PŪRAKAU MAI I TE WAKA O TĀKITIMU. HE PŪRAKU E PĀ ANA TĒTAHI MANU WAIRUA

ME TŌNA REREKA KI AOTEAROA. KO KIMI IA KI TŌNA PORI HŌU, I TE AO PŌHATU.  

NAU MAI, TAUTĪ MAI E HOA MĀ.

The Māori language version of the story evolved from a theatrical puppet show by TORO PIKOPIKO PUPPETS, that premiered at TE ANA MĀORI ROCK-ART CENTRE in 2017 called TE REREKA – THE FLIGHT. This rock-art puppet musical was adapted as an on-line interactive e-Audiobook for the Ministry of Education in 2018, and has now been formatted as a 70 minute, 6-chapter audiobook i te reo Kāi Tahu, my tribal dialect. The story is about Pourakahua, who is transformed into a spirit bird that flies to Aotearoa, New Zealand in search of her own kind. In my interpretation, she flies up the Ōpihi river, meeting a host of colourful creatures living in caves and limestone rock shelters, pursued by a bevy of bird-hunters. TE REREKA WAIRUA O POURAKAHUA is informed and inspired by the ancient rock-art from the South Canterbury region. To access the bi-lingual pictorial manuscript of this audio-book and other promotional material go to: www.maorirockartpuppets.com


For licensing agreements to stage public performances contact:

PLAYMARKET,   PO BOX 9767, WELLINGTON 6141, NEW ZEALAND

INFO@PLAYMARKET.ORG.NZ


This audiobook was produced by Jeffrey Addison for

AOTEAROA KINESTHETIC EDUCATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED

(AKEELTD) www.akeeltd.com

TE REREKA WAIRUA O POURAKAHUA

TE REREKA WAIRUA O POURAKAHUA( Extract)Read By Pourakahua performed by Te Whaitaima Te Whare

A story about family, loyalty, kindness and bravery, set against an all-too-possible future where climate change has forever changed the way we live.

WINNER: CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers, 2018
WINNER: 2018 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature
WINNER: 2018 New Zealand Book Awards, Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction

Sometimes bees get too big to be up in the branches, sometimes they fall and break their bones. This week both happened and Foreman said, 'Tomorrow we'll find two new bees.'

Peony lives with her sister and grandfather on a fruit farm outside the city. In a world where real bees are extinct, the quickest, bravest kids climb the fruit trees and pollinate the flowers by hand. All Peony really wants is to be a bee. Life on the farm is a scrabble, but there is enough to eat and a place to sleep, and there is love. Then Peony's mother arrives to take her away from everything she has ever known, and all Peony's grit and quick thinking might not be enough to keep her safe.

How To Bee is a beautiful and fierce novel for younger readers, and the voice of Peony will stay with you long after you read the last page.
More books by this author

How To Bee

How To Bee By Bren MacDibble (Extract)Read By Romy Hooper (ANZ Ver)

The first three months of a newborn baby’s life offer new parents a unique opportunity to lay a solid and loving foundation that will last a lifetime. It is also when parents — whether first-time or not — need unfailing support to help them deal with the countless decisions they face every day.

You Simply Can’t Spoil a Newborn reveals my nurturing approach in calming the most unsettled baby and teaching them to self-settle and resettle. I also share advice on solving common feeding issues and managing time, relationships and emotional demands in the weeks following birth. 

You Simply Can’t Spoil a Newborn is written for fatigued, time-poor parents. The details are clear and succinct, using bullet points, photographs and illustrations for quick reference. It is structured by topic rather than developmental stages, acknowledging that babies grow at different rates.

Reassuring without being prescriptive, it takes into account modern lifestyles and recognises that every baby — and every parent — is different.

What Readers Have to Say


I’m a first time mum of a 3 week old and have found your book fantastic! My partner and I were so confused by all the different advice and recommendations we were receiving and your book has summed things up for us and reinforced the advice from our LMC. I’ve dipped in and out of it having purchased it before he was born. I have a happy little fella.

Claire Walker – August 2015



I’m a Midwife of 18 years, and always struggle to find books I can fully recommend. But this one is a treasure! Clear and to the point! You CANT spoil a newborn, nurture, nurture, nurture. Feed and sleep! You have broken through the clutter of all the “opinions”, and with wisdom, gentleness and flexibility, you’ve encouraged mums and Whanau to nurture their newborns! Brilliant! Thanks!

Veronica Storey – August 2015



I really enjoyed your book – it was very reassuring to know that I can never spoil my newborn and that being relaxed, flexible and show her all the love in the world is the best recipe for success. As a result, I am lucky to have a newborn who has slept through the night since she was 5 weeks old. Thank you

You Simply Can't Spoil a Newborn

You Simply Can't Spoil a Newborn (Audiobook Extract) Read Author Dorothy Waide

Crumpy's Campfire Companion is the entertaining third part of a trilogy on The Life and Times of a Good Keen Man. In this collection of yarns, the river, the road, the ridge and the rogue all come alive in Crump's unique humorous style. The yarns reveal his understanding and compassion for the characters and life he writes about.

Barry Crump has been New Zealand's bestselling author for more than 30 years. Crumpy's Campfire Companion will delight dedicated fans and new generations of readers alike.

The Real Thing

Crump's Campfire Companion

Crumpy's Campfire Companion By Barry Crump Read By Martin Crump (Audiobook Extract)

When extreme endurance athlete, Lisa Tamati, was confronted with the hardest challenge of her life, she fought with everything she had. Her beloved mother, Isobel, had suffered a huge aneurysm and stroke and was left with massive brain damage; she was like a baby in a woman’s body. The prognosis was dire. There was very little hope that she would ever have any quality of life again. But Lisa is a fighter and stubborn. She absolutely refused to accept the words of the medical fraternity and instead decided that she was going to get her mother back or die trying. This book tells of the horrors, despair, hope, love, and incredible experiences and insights of that journey. It shares the difficulties of going against a medical system that has major problems and limitations. Amongst the darkest times were moments of great laughter and joy. Relentless will not only take the reader on a journey from despair to hope and joy, but it also provides information on the treatments used, expert advice and key principles to overcoming obstacles and winning in all of life’s challenges. It will inspire and guide anyone who wants to achieve their goals in life, overcome massive obstacles or limiting beliefs. It’s for those who are facing terrible odds, for those who can’t see light at the end of the tunnel. It’s about courage, self-belief, and mental toughness. And it’s also about vulnerability... it’s real, raw, and genuine. This is not just a story about the love and dedication between a mother and a daughter. It is about beating the odds, never giving up hope, doing whatever it takes, and what it means to go ‘all in’. Isobel’s miraculous recovery is a true tale of what can be accomplished when love is the motivating factor and when being relentless is the only option.

Relentless

Relentless By Lisa Tamati Read By Lisa Tamati (Audiobook Extract)

What would life in a democracy like New Zealand have been if it had been occupied by Nazi Germany? Would New Zealanders have resisted or collaborated? This well-researched gripping novel paints a realistic picture of what could have happened. Hamish Beavis, a Nazi collaborator and Stuart Johnson, a resistance member are both in love with beautiful Carol Peterson, who carries a dark secret. Carol's crucial choice and its repercussions are set against a background of violence and betrayal in post-war New Zealand under Nazi rule.

Uncommon Enemy

UNCOMMON ENEMY (Audiobook Extract) By John Reynolds Read By John Reynolds

Like many 13-year-old girls, Sofia’s main worries are how to get some groovy go-go boots, and how not to die of embarrassment giving a speech at school! But when her older brother Lenny starts talking about marches and protests and overstayers, and how Pacific Islanders are being bullied by the police for their passports and papers, a shadow is cast over Sofia’s sunny teenage days. Through her heartfelt diary entries, we see her growing awareness of the bias in the media, the prejudice against Polynesian citizens and the bullying in the playground. We also see her determination to get an after-school job, and save up for things she really wants. Once she learns she can put things on lay-by, she starts paying off the cost for her much-wanted go-go boots. Along the way, Sofia makes a wider circle of friends including Charlotte, who started out as her enemy. On a holiday to Auckland to meet their grandparents, Sofia is witness to the terror of being dawn-raided and gains an insight into the courageous and tireless work of the Polynesian Panthers first hand, as they encourage immigrant families across New Zealand to stand up for their rights. The dawn raid experience gives her material for her speech and she delivers it with aplomb, winning second place. In her family’s eyes she is a winner!

Dawn Raid

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Dawn Raid (Audiobook Extract) By Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith Read By Irasa Siave

Discover which are our most threatened animals in New Zealand.

From the beautiful forest ringlet butterfly to the down-right ugly southern elephant seal, the cheeky kakapo to the great white sharks, every one of the unique species in our waters and on our land is threatened by predators, land changes, pollution, and other human-induced disturbances.

As well as finding out how unique these animals are, you'll read what is harming them, and most importantly, what we can do to help them.

On The Brink

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On The Brink (Audiobook Extract) By Maria Gill Read By Maria Gill

Barry Crump was one of New Zealand’s most popular authors of all time. From A Good Keen Man in 1960 through to his death in 1996, over a million copies of the 24 books he wrote were sold. He was a superb storyteller, who captured perfectly the laconic humour and the lifestyle of the rugged Kiwi outdoors man. His ability to craft a tale that is both moving and funny is superbly illustrated by the huge international success of the movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which is based on his book Wild Pork and Watercress.

Almost all of Barry Crump’s books are now out of print. A new volume of collected stories published in 2017 remedied that. And the five classic yarns comprising that volume are available in ebook form as separate titles – A Good Keen Man, Bullock Creek, Gold and Greenstone, Puha Road, and Wild Pork and Watercress.

A Good Keen Man

A Good Keen Man By Barry Crump (Audiobook Extract)Read By Martin Crump

Audiobooks NZ is based in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. We specialise in producing quality audiobooks worldwide for your listening pleasure. We take great pride in matching the right voice to your book. We manage the complete production process, selecting professional audio engineers and narrators with many years experience working in the film, television and radio industries. By choosing Audiobooks NZ  you are choosing to translate your book from words on a page to an immersive audio experience.

Audiobook New Zealand - Samples

Audiobooks New Zealand