A Bird in the Bush: From Fledgling to Flight: Stories from a Farming Life in the Pakihi Valley

'I fell in love with the bush (forest), the rugged terrain, the loneliness and wildness all rolled into a parcel and wrapped with the excitement of unknown territory. I was 14 and from that day, wanted nothing more than to immerse myself in the isolation and romance of the lonely Pakihi Valley.'

There was never a dull moment in Marnie's formative years: mustering sheep and cattle over huge swathes of steep countryside; shearing and wool handling; drenching; skinning possums; chasing wild pigs; riding horses; catching poachers; surviving floods, fires and financial hardship - real-life experiences told with honesty, often interspersed with girlfriends, boyfriends, and young love.

Her memoir of 1970s rural life in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, chronicles the transformation of a socially awkward teen into a resilient, self-confident young woman.