A First Year in Canterbury Settlement by Samuel Butler audiobook.

Genre: history

Imagine yourself stepping off a creaking ship onto the windswept shores of New Zealand in the 1850s, where every sunrise casts long shadows across untamed scrubland and every nightfall brings the hush of a world waiting to be explored—this is precisely the journey Samuel Butler invites you to share in A First Year in Canterbury Settlement. In this spirited memoir you’ll trudge alongside him through mud-choked tracks and verdant valleys, treading tentatively into Māori villages, clambering over fallen logs with oxen in tow, and discovering the fierce camaraderie of fellow settlers as they knock together rough-hewn cottages under a sky bursting with southern stars. Butler’s keen wit and keen eye for absurdity shine on every page: he recounts tongue‑in‑cheek encounters with stubborn livestock, diplomatic stumbles over local customs, and the exhilaration of coaxing life from virgin soil. The audiobook’s rich narration amplifies his charmingly candid tone—each joke lands with the perfect inflection, each moment of awe unfolds in vivid, sonorous detail—making you feel the sting of the wind, the slap of wet wool against your boots, and the gentle triumph of carving out a new home on the edge of the world. If you’ve ever yearned to live history rather than just read it, this immersive audio experience will sweep you into the pioneer’s boots and won’t let go until you’ve tasted the wild promise of Canterbury’s dawn.

Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:09:50) Chapter 02

(00:35:03) Chapter 03

(00:51:13) Chapter 04

(01:03:09) Chapter 05

(01:43:04) Chapter 06

(01:59:22) Chapter 07

(02:21:59) Chapter 08

(03:01:47) Chapter 09

(03:25:21) Chapter 10

(03:44:19) Chapter 11

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