John Palmer A nearly-reformed boulderer with proven skill in discovering and promoting new crags, John Palmer has produced some of the best new boulder problems and rock climbs in the North Island in the last decade. He is an ardent advocate for North Island rock and refuses to accept the proposition that rock climbing potential in the North Island has been exhausted or, if not, lacks scale, variety and/or quality. And he has endeavoured to put his money where his mouth is, donating all of his time (and no small amount of petrol, bolts, glue and ropes) spent bringing you this book, so that the proceeds from it can be used to fund the ongoing upkeep and development of rock climbing in the North Island. CO Authors: Tom Hoyle Tom is one of New Zealand’s best rock climbing photographers and writers. Originally a North Islander, Tom dallied with climbing life in Christchurch for many years before seeing the light. Since relocating to Wellington he has driven many miles and dedicated many hours to garnering a broad appreciation for the North Island’s rock climbing opportunities. He has climbed and photographed extensively at nearly all of the crags covered in this guide, developing many high-quality routes along the way. To find out more about Tom’s photography, visit: tomhoyle.com. Kester Brown Kester’s contribution to North Island rock climbing began when he was barely out of short pants. A talented youth with an eye for an aesthetic line, Kester added many stunning new routes at Whanganui Bay and Whakapapa Crag. Now based in Christchurch as managing editor/designer for NZAC, his contribution to this book has been no less stunning. Kester is almost entirely to blame for the high production value of, and quality design in, this book. He also sacrificed much personal time road-testing various chapters to ensure that the book not only looks good but is useful and user-friendly as well.