Fifteen-year-old Conor is living with relatives in the Bay of Islands in the Far North of New Zealand. At school he learns about the ill-fated visit of the French explorer, Marion du Fresne, to the Bay in 1772 and of a buried bottle containing a letter claiming New Zealand for the King of France. Gripped by this account, Conor and his friend Kawiti embark on a sailing adventure in his cousin’s yacht, Vagabond, to find the bottle and the letter. On their return to school, a lesson about New Zealand's colonial past becomes heated, Kawiti is insulted and a fight breaks out in the playground. To escape punishment, the boys decide to run away on Vagabond . Conor’s cousin, Michelle, insists on joining them and the three teenagers and their dog head for a secret lagoon on the island of Waewaetorea. Before long they realise that they are not alone on the island and their lives are endangered. Their survival will test all their wits and Michelle’s sailing skills along with the power of Kawiti’s ancestors. "A splendid New Zealand story. I would have been seasick but the story was moving too fast. Would make an excellent film." -- Michelle Webby "Gripping tale skilfully relays bits of New Zealand history while bringing the fun and danger of sailing to life. . . . this story informs as it entertains and thrills. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of sea and shoreline as the teens sailed along the coast, looking for the supposed bottle containing the letter written by the French in the 1700s but finding something entirely different. We get vivid details of flora and fauna, as well as the shifting weather that led to the storm that added gravitas to the climax scene. This story deliberately takes place before the era of widely available GPS and cell phones, making it more of a challenge for the runaway sailors to navigate themselves back to safety and putting the reader on the edge of his seat." -- John Miller: A Reedy Discovery Review "A thoroughly enjoyable read! Growing up in the Bay of Islands, I know Waewaetorea well and was enchanted with the descriptions of the lagoon and tunnel. I particularly enjoyed the staunch character of Kawiti strongly defending his view of the Treaty of Waitangi and the crucial leadership role played by Michelle; both great role models! The problems with the quota management system, and overfishing by all sectors, have been handled well." - Dr Alison MacDiarmid, Marine Ecologist, NIWA "Four stars out of four . . . The author presents New Zealanders' love for the sea and fishing through the characters . . . The author started the book amazingly and ended it extraordinarily . . . It is a brilliant book for individuals who love adventure stories." Owumanam, A OnlineBookshop Reviewer ​