Road to Gondwana, the

The Road to Gondwana traces the steps science took to find Gondwana, and the journey Gondwana itself took through 500 million years of Earth history. The road to Gondwana took western science many hundreds of years to travel. And like Scott's epic haul across the ice of Antarctica, it was a journey jagged with many dead ends and wasted miles. When it was finally realised, Gondwana still remained fuzzy, hard to picture. It is still that way. Gondwana is a place that no longer exists, and yet which still connects half the world, because the 3 billion people who live in Africa, South America, India, Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, and Arabia spend their lives walking around on what's left of it. But more than that, Gondwana has shaped the world we all live in. Many of the species we share the planet with evolved there. Had Gondwana never existed, the planet would be a very different place. The trees of our forests would be different. The animals we live amongst would not be the same. Had Gondwana not existed, maybe we wouldn't either. The Road to Gondwana is a story about deep time, and the challenges that face those who venture there. It's a story about the importance of imagination in science, and the reasons that the journey towards understanding is sometimes more important than the destination.

“"The book is a fascinating read which takes the armchair explorer on a journey to a world which is long gone, step by step through eons of time."”

“The book is a fascinating read which takes the armchair explorer on a journey to a world which is long gone, step by step through eons of time." The Senior
“a really enjoyable book. It reads more like a fiction book than nonfiction, despite being packed full of great information" -- Narelle Graham ABC South Australia regional afternoons
"When you really love, really appreciate, really immerse yourself in the forces of nature, that is when you perhaps care a little more about our impacts on it. It’s important and powerful work" RNZ - None To Noon
“It is a scholarly and persuasive work, dazzling in its detail, but immensely entertaining and intriguing " The Australian
“The Road To Gondwana should be in every home. It is written for all to understand, and with so many descriptive stories, from the girls picking out coal with their fingers in India to geologists exploring the sea beds. Immensely relevant today!” Blue Wolf Reviews
"A wonderful new book. Is a lovely looking book, it is beautifully designed. It would be a great Chrissie present" OarFM - Morning Show
"Prior to reading this book I had no idea that geology and palaeontology could be so interesting, so fascinating." Schooldays Magazine
"A geological jaunt" Otago Daily Times
“Morris is s a gifted writer and researcher and a warm human being. He has a light and sometimes humorous way of filtering heaps of scientific data, spiced with stories about the people whose geological discoveries contributed to the discovery of Gondwana. For me his ability to create word pictures was the best part of the book” -- Elizabeth Jewell Stephens Good Reads

Bill Morris is a writer, documentary film maker and musician based in Port Chalmers, New Zealand. He has worked extensively as a wildlife filmmaker for NHNZ, the BBC Natural History Unit and others, and is a regular contributor to New Zealand Geographic magazine. His passion for science and stories of the natural world informs all of his work. Bill’s deep interest in geology and the movement of rocks across the globe and his equally deep interest in plants led him to follow the journey of one group of plants into the ancient history of the land he lives on.

The Road to Gondwana traces the steps science took to find Gondwana and the journey Gondwana itself took through 500 million years of Earth history. The road to Gondwana took western science many hundreds of years to travel. When it was finally realised, Gondwana still remained fuzzy, hard to picture. It is still that way. Gondwana is a place that no longer exists, and yet which still connects half the world, because the 3 billion people who live in Africa, South America, India, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Arabia spend their lives walking around on what's left of it. But more than that, Gondwana has shaped the world we all live in. Many of the species we share the planet with evolved there. Had Gondwana never existed, the planet would be a very different place. The trees of our forests would be different. The animals we live amongst would not be the same. Had Gondwana not existed, maybe we wouldn't either. The Road to Gondwana is a story about deep time, and the challenges those who venture there face. It's a story about the importance of imagination in science, and why the journey towards understanding is sometimes more important than the destination.

The Road to Gondwana traces the steps science took to find Gondwana, and the journey of Gondwana itself, through a billion years of Earth's history. The road to Gondwana took science many hundreds of years to travel, andwas a journey with many dead ends and wasted miles. When it was finally glimpsed, Gondwana remained fuzzy, hard to picture. It is still that way. Gondwana is a place that no longer exists, and yet which connects half the world, because the 3 billion people who live in Africa, South America, India, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Arabia spend their lives walking around on what's left of it. Had Gondwana never existed, the planet would be a very different place. The trees of our forests would be different. The animals we live amongst would not be the same. Had Gondwana not existed, maybe we wouldn't either.

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