Spirit of the South by Andris Apse

Spirit of the South is a recently published photo book.  It's a lavish, sumptuous look at the many glories of the South Island of New Zealand.  If you can get it from your library prepare to be blown away by the images.

There are also a number of essays in the book – including one by a former All Black Captain – but I confess I didn't read them.  The photos are the thing – simply stunning and heart lifting.  Apse is simply a very great landscape photographer.

If you would like to spoil someone for their birthday (or even yourself) you can buy this book for $90 – expensive but fabulous.