Author Des Hunt
Number of pages 282
Genre Adventure
Project Huia Huia is a book based in 1947 when Mavis and Jim find the last hiua. The time line flicks back from 1947 to present day. In the present day, Ana, a leading expert in DNA research, wants to know where Jim last saw the Huia. Along with Jim and Ana is Logan. He is Jims grandson and he came to help find where the Huia was.
At the beginning Jim, Ana, Logan and the helicopter driver, went over the forest so Jim could give Ana an idea where he found the Huia. But when Jim points out a clear landing spot of where he saw the Huia, as they were landing, they got a powerful laser shone in the eyes and forced them to leave. As Jim starts the recording of his childhood memories, it goes back to hard times, even when their fighting against a family of thugs and criminals. When Olivia, the Huia, appears in Jim garden, him and his sister Mavis go on a adventure to find the Huia again. They go through the Gorge and through the tunnel on the jigger. The tunnel has always been a big ban in their house, but this time do they really have choice?
Olivia is always being attacked by other birds, especially Tuis. Though when Olivia was in the bush, she was attacked by a large group of Tuis. ‘She fell from the air, her wings no more use than a ripped parachute’. When they went into the bush to catch Olivia, they were followed by Daniel Carson and his brother Russell. They go into the bush as well, but with the intention to kill Olivia. As the chase began to find Olivia, Mavis and Jim find her first, hidden in a bush beside the tracks. Olivia is attacked again but this time with magpies. As she lies across the train tracks, dead, Mavis and Jim come to get her and take her with them. As they were going to get her, the Carsons came to get her as well, and chased Mavis and Jim back into the tunnels. Mavis is crying and Jim feels weak, Mavis wraps Olivia's body is a rain coat while Jim was looking for a torch. as they were doing this, a train comes. They got right up against the wall, waiting for they train to pass, but instead it stops right in the middle of the tunnel. Jim puts the Huia in one of the tunnel holes and escapes.
In present day,Ana, Logan and Jim are going on walks around the area that Jim saw the Huia in. Along the way the meet up with Daniel Carsons Grandson, Daniel. He was the one who shone the laser in there eyes.
Daniel knows that they have the Huia, also hearing stories about his grandfather.
When an accident strikes, the container the Huia is is on fire and so is Daniel. Ana thinks that all her studying for 10 years have just disappeared, when Ana’s friend fished it out of the fire. Ana, Logan and Jim go into the lab to unwrap Olivia. While unwrapping, Ana's xray's the rain coat to check if there is an dangers . Ana was surprised to find that Mavis had Mummified Olivia when she wrapped Olivia. Ana has an idea to take the DNA out of the Huia and place it a different bird, like a magpie.
I liked the way that Des Hunt has written this book with each chapter shifting back through time and back to present day. I think Project Huia is not a book to be missed.
Kylie Beck
