Marcus Thomas and Neil Silverwood with Kate Evans
Though nearly every corner of our country has been explored and mapped, exploration beneath our land is still in its infancy. Caves are places of mystery where few people dare to venture. Caves: Exploring New Zealand’s Subterranean Wilderness shines a light on this hidden world with a stunning new illustrated book. Caver and writer Marcus Thomas and intrepid caving photographer Neil Silverwood, hope that by sharing their knowledge and experience, more New Zealanders may be inspired to enjoy and protect this precious underground world. They’ll discuss the story behind the book’s creation and the marvels it reveals.
Marcus Thomas is a full-time graphic designer, as well as writer and photographer based in Wellington. He has spent a lifetime exploring New Zealand’s underworld and been at the forefront of exploration in the longest cave system, Bulmer Cavern. When not adventuring, Marcus spends his time bringing up a family and encouraging them to explore in the outdoors.
Neil Silverwood hails from the West Coast and is a professional photographer specialising in photography of places many would consider too difficult or dangerous. Assignments have been as varied as capturing New Zealand's wildest canyons to skiing in war-torn Afghanistan. Neil photographs for a range of magazines both within New Zealand and around the world including regular contributions to New Zealand Geographic. This project to photograph the diversity of New Zealand's cave systems is his most difficult to date.
Kate Evans is a journalist and TV producer who has worked in news and current affairs for TVNZ and the ABC. She now mainly writes features for New Zealand Geographic magazine, reporting on geology of the Kaikoura earthquake, the hunt for the South Island kokako, and Waitomo's 'glow-worm industry' - where she met photographer and caver Neil Silverwood. Kate's especially interested in science and environment stories and spent two years based in Indonesia, making films and writing about tropical forest science from Borneo to the Amazon to the Congo Basin.