Welcome to Day 8 of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Down Under Author Showcase.  Today’s featured author is Aussie writer Renae Kay, author of The Shearing Gun, Safe in His Arms, The Blinding Light and more.  Look for the reviews of those books to follow Renae Kaye’s author page.

Australia Fact of the Day!

One of the interesting facts about Australia is that Australia is the biggest island and the smallest continent in the world. And

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, the driest of all

is Antarctica.  Find out more about Australia here.

Tasmania

New Zealand Fact of the Day

There are no snakes in the country even though 18. 30% of the country is forest.  Even more impressive?

Highest Mountain, Aoraki Mount Cook!

New Zealand’s (and Australasia’s) highest mountain is Aoraki Mount Cook. It is 3,754 metres (12,316 ft) high. The mountain formerly appeared on maps as Mount Cook. In 1998, the mountain was officially renamed Aoraki Mount Cook to incorporate its Maori name. The renaming was part of a settlement in which the Crown also returned ownership of the mountain to the Ngai Tahu tribe, who then gifted it back to the New Zealand nation. Aoraki translates from the Ngai Tahu language as “cloud piercer”.  This takes on even greater meaning when you understand that the Maori name of New Zealand is Aotearoa which means the land of the long white cloud.

Learn more about New Zealand here.

Now, while you are learning about Renae Kaye, her story and books, make sure to find the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word of the day, enter Bottom Drawer Publications contest listed on the Down Under Author Showcase Page on the menu.  And if you know of anyone who has traveled to either or both New Zealand or Australia and would share their favorites sites, or memories, let them know that we would love to have them share them with us.