Shelia tells of life and education on Stewart Island i.e. chores, teachers, enjoyment of art classes and having a love of nature. She wanted to be a writer and artist; and wrote ‘Natural World of the Trails’ and ‘Out of Our Tree’. She left home to go to Dunedin Teacher’s College and she gives a detailed account of her time there. In 1942 she had her first work published called ‘Overland to Pegasus’ in the Wanderlust magazine. She moved to Wellington and worked for the Dominion Museum – then did Library work before working for the Correspondence School. When she joined the Hutt Valley Tramping Club she met her husband Gilbert.