Palenski (62) has just produced his latest rugby book, All Blacks - Myths and Legends, a book which covers many unusual incidents involving the national side.
From how the All Blacks got their name, to a tour of Argentina just months after an army coup, the book delves into more than 100 years of history for the national team.
Palenski, who is the chief executive of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame and has written more than 30 books, used newspaper reports and his own knowledge for much of the book.
The 1905 Originals tour gets plenty of coverage, and Palenski said that side had a significant impact on New Zealand rugby.
"That was partly because of the results and the superiority the teams had over the British sides. They only lost to Wales, somewhat controversially, and then two of their best players did not play," he said.
"But I think the most significant thing was showing the British people how far rugby had developed in New Zealand."
Palenski, who is also chairman of the Otago Rugby Football Union, said rugby was still important to New Zealanders.
"I went to the test against England at Auckland and I was quite taken aback by the huge amount of support still there for the All Blacks.
"A lot of this so-called talk about the All Blacks lacking support is just talkback talk."
His research led to the discovery the name All Blacks comes from the description of the colour of the team's uniform, by New Zealand commentators in the late 1800s, not from what is commonly believed a term coined by an English reporter, reporting on the Originals tour.
Palenski says the game may have changed a lot but much has stayed the same.
There was an argument about photographic rights for games in the 1905, just as there was at last year's Rugby World Cup.
Palenski was working on another book but declined to say what it was about.
