Greenstone Trail

A New Zealand historical fiction novel set during the First Taranaki War of 1860.


Against the backdrop of magical Fiordland, the South Seas, Auckland, and Taranaki, Whero, a young Te Ātiawa Māori warrior, crosses paths with Jack O’Malley, a young Irish whaler. When Taranaki deteriorates into a war brought on by the Colonial Government’s lust for fertile Māori land, the two are asked to question where their true loyalties lie.


This is their story, of their friendship and the fight for Taranaki, which they both call home.


Praise for Greenstone Trail

“A number of real historical figures appear in the narrative, both Māori leaders and European military men, and it is fascinating to have them fleshed out into actual people.” 

Peter Maxwell, New Zealand Wars Historian


“Greenstone Trail is meticulously researched and Cowie combines an impressive amount of detail with a wonderful story of a very personal friendship between the two main characters.”

North Taranaki Midweek


“The tale of the two’s friendship and the increasing tensions and loyalties that brings them into conflict, intertwined with the backdrop of the racial tensions which ended in a bloody war which still has consequences today, the story is a ripping yarn which is hard to put down.”

South Taranaki Star