While Alf, the DOC hut warden, is taking a swim, a curious weka steals his precious watch. He must get it back. That evening, Alf thinks up a cunning plan and eventually recovers his watch while also discovering the weka’s treasure pile. Based on a true story, set at Awaroa in the Abel Tasman National Park, this entertaining picture book will delight young and old alike as the inquisitive and curious nature of our native weka is revealed and they accompany Alf on his quest to get his watch back.

As a kid, NED BARRAUD spent his summer holidays camping in the Abel Tasman, frequently walking to Awaroa to visit a family friend, who was working as a DOC hut warden. Ned has vivid memories of crossing the mudflats to get to the hut, sometimes racing against the tide to make it across. This book emerged from recalling a story that was told to him during one of those summer holidays and it was an opportunity to take him back to the place he loves most. Ned graduated in 2000 with a degree in illustration from Victoria University. During the day, he works as a texture artist painting 3D models at Weta Digital, and has worked on films such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Avatar and Tintin. Alongside this, Ned has illustrated all five titles in the acclaimed `explore & discover' series of natural history books for children, with the sixth currently in production, and his first picture book, Moonman, was published in 2014. Ned's other interests include exploring nature with his three children, running in the hills with his dog, collecting eggs from his chickens and riding his bike around the wild Wellington coastline.