Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’ve never had a great sense of direction. One of the reasons I loathe shopping malls is the not-completely-unfounded fear that I’ll fail to find the exit and be doomed to consume until eternity. That’s not to say I don’t … Continue reading →

Today I watched the orange half orb of sun emerging from the ocean’s edge – bringing warmth, colour, life. Doing its daily magic. So remarkable, largely unremarked. We are mostly too busy to gaze at the rising light or to … Continue reading →

Driving to DOC’s Purakanui campsite in the Catlins proves a bit of a mission. It’s late and the unsealed road winds over hills and up isolated valleys, getting narrower and rougher. There’s no sign of habitation, no other vehicles on … Continue reading →

There’s fresh snow on the mountains and the air carries a champagne tingle. After a couple of weeks in Sydney’s suburbs, the night sky over Geraldine seems enormous. The whole landscape stretches out like freedom – towards the Southern Alps. … Continue reading →

You’d think losing things would be almost impossible when you’re carrying most of your worldly possessions with you. Ha! Wrong! Twelve weeks of intensive research have proved specs can vanish in very small spaces. And this trick is accomplished with … Continue reading →

Published in NZ Herald’s  “My Generation” February edition Weight. Most of us have too much of it. But I hadn’t realised it was a help hazard until one of my campervan tyres exploded south of Christchurch. After swerving to a … Continue reading →

New Zealand’s beech forests have a smell all their own – a damp earthy aroma that is like inhaling the very essence of life. Soft and spongy underfoot, the forest floor adds a spring to steps that fall almost soundlessly … Continue reading →

The large bull sealion surfacing just metres away in Hoopers Inlet is an awe-inspiring sight. Although Allan’s Beach on the south-eastern side of Otago Harbour did sport signs carrying information about Hookers Sea lions, I hadn’t really expected to see … Continue reading →

Place can hold memory in a manner that is almost overwhelming. I grew up in a small rural settlement just north of Dunedin called Waitati. I don’t get back there often. So when I do, the landscape’s familiarity is strangely … Continue reading →

It’s early morning at Moke Lake. In the still waters, the triangles of steep-sided hills extend into diamonds – a continuation of mountain and sky so seamless that it casts doubt on normal perspective. What is up or down when … Continue reading →