Hazard Island
- Kirsten Edwards
- Oct 5, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 6
Author: Phyl Wardell
From the inside front flap: "A scuba diver goes missing - and the Hammond twins, John and Cathy, with their cousins Richard and Ann Cooper, set out to solve the mystery of his disappearance. After meeting the missing man's brother, the teenagers are soon jolted into danger as they try to piece together the events of the young diver's last days on Stewart Island. The odd doings of fishermen's neighbours arouse suspicion, as do discoveries at a spooky house around the point. An unlighted schooner that comes and goes only at night heightens the mystery, and this is far from solved by the investigation of a strange object lying anchored underwater, waiting - for what? Tension increases as more clues are uncovered, but only after the girls visit a lonely muttonbird island does the answer seem near. Before the true facts are revealed, however, the young searchers are involved in many thrilling happenings on the sea as well as on land. Set in a remote area of New Zealand, Hazard Island is a modern adventure story for boys and girls of 8-15 years."
Phyl Wardell penned a string of children’s mysteries between 1960 and 1985, each set in the South Island during school holidays. Local children stumble into real puzzles, poachers, lost treasures, and missing relatives, while Wardell’s meticulous research turns every page into living geography and history.
Hazard Island is a standout. Twins Cathy and Ricky, plus their cousin Tony, arrive on Stewart Island for fern-collecting and recipe-swapping. Screens? Unheard of. Instead, they’re soon knee-deep in paua shells and island secrets when Tony’s brother vanishes.
What I loved:
The plot grips from the first twist and never loosens. Red herrings, midnight boat chases, and a genuinely surprising reveal.
Ricky’s non-stop chatter drives you mad, then saves the day. He’s exhausting, irresistible, and utterly real.
Paua 101: growth cycles, colour variations, polishing tips, even a recipe for fritters. Muttonbird habits sneak in too, fascinating without feeling like homework.
The final chapters sigh with relief as the twins reclaim their holiday: fern albums, handwritten cookbooks, pure 1960s bliss.
What I didn’t love:
How the Māori characters are introduced through a haze of superstition and wariness, especially the Rains family, who own the island and crack the case. Cathy even sizes up Mrs Rains’ “Māori blood” like a curiosity. Cringeworthy by today’s standards, though the couple prove vital allies.
Other notes:
Hazard Island itself is fictional, but every mainland cove and track is real, perfect for map-obsessed kids.
Chapter one drowns in dialogue; push through, and the pace rockets.
The word "damned" appears in the first chapter. "Shut up" is used a few times.
I highly recommend this book for boys and girls aged 8 and over.
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