The Colour is a 2003 novel by Rose Tremain, which was nominated for the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction.

After settling the two women into accommodation in Christchurch, Joseph travels to the foothills near the Okuku river to build their Cob House.

[3] The harsh first winter brings with it problems which threaten the viability of their farm, but Joseph's chance finding of gold in the nearby creek changes the situation.

Not telling Harriet about the find, Joseph abandons the farm and travels by boat to Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island where major gold strikes have occurred.

Joseph's encounters with Will Sefton, a young man whom he met on the boat bringing them to the West Coast, and Pao Yi, a Chinese gardener befriended by Harriet, add flavour to the dynamics of the searching couple's relationship which has become distant and strained.