Cathy,
I recently read a book called "Twas thus and thus they lived" which was written by I. Margaret Kelly as a spin-off of her own family history research, The Kelly family she married into had links in the north of the island and it gives a good flavour of life in the island from the 1600s or so onwards.

And by the way, I am the great-granddaughter of a Margaret Kewish who emigrated to NZ circa 1886 and settled in Ashburton - married name Crum. Her brother John Thomas Kewish also emigrated and lived at Tuakau in North Island. Their parents were Daniel and Jane Kewish from Sulby. Daniel was the younger son of a farmer and moved to Cronkbourne Village to work as a sail cloth weaver. Any connection to your branch? I'd love to contact any living relatives in NZ and was wondering where to start.