Gary Cook, Katikati, is a highly creative figure who has been dubbed the real-world Gandalf. He wears many hats, including author, journalist, explorer, and social media influencer. He draws inspiration from the natural environment and is constantly creating something new.
Cook produces weekly spoken compositions from his paradisical backyard forest in Riverhaven, captivating his nineteen thousand followers on Facebook. He is known for his ability to translate music generated by plants into audible melodies, which, according to Cook, is a relatively straightforward process. As the plant’s sap flows, electromagnetic signals are produced, which are then converted into musical notes.
One of Cook’s most significant contributions is his book trilogy, The Secret Land, an early history of Aotearoa dating back a thousand years before the mainstream history of 600 to 700 years ago. Cook’s books discuss the indication of a people living in Aotearoa before the arrival of Polynesian Māori.
Cook is also an avid explorer and has discovered shipwreck artefacts on the 100-kilometre stretch of Baylys Beach over the last 30 years. He and a few others used advanced equipment at low tide to collect cannonballs and everyday objects from historical ships. Today, the Dargaville Maritime Museum displays these artifacts.
Cook’s endeavors vary from writing about anomalous finds in the Aotearoa landscape to searching for shipwreck artifacts on the western shores of Northland. His favorite activity of late has been creating three to five-minute talks to uplift and inspire his followers. He often uses poetic language as he walks through the “wind-tossed branches” in Riverhaven’s forest, discussing ancient wisdom, positive reflections, and observations of nature. The most rewarding feedback from his Facebook followers is when someone tells him “this is just what I needed right now.”
