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Many Adventures of a Nomadic Poet A young poet with Asperger's makes travel his passion, and away he goes...

Trip: NZ vision journey

There are [77] stories from my trip: NZ vision journey


Matukituki Valley

NEW ZEALAND | Wednesday, 18 Jan 2023 | Views [137]

Mount Aspiring! As the "Matterhorn of the South," the name alone draws me. I'm always aspiring to do things and to accomplish huge goals. I've never regarded myself as a technical climber, but I've climbed a number of "walk-up" mountains including Mt.... Read more >


Photos: Monowai

NEW ZEALAND | Monday, 19 Dec 2022 | Photo Gallery


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No Kidnapping at Kidnappers

NEW ZEALAND | Saturday, 10 Dec 2022 | Views [145]

What an ominous name for a place. It sounds like somewhere Superman wouldn't want to be near. Cape Kidnappers, known as Te Kauwae-a-Maui (the fish hook of Maui), is named due to the local Maori attempting to kidnap a member of Captain Cook's crew in ... Read more >


Wet Walk

NEW ZEALAND | Friday, 11 Nov 2022 | Views [66]

Tramping in New Zealand is always hit and miss with weather and other things, such as huts being full. Some walks I've completed with dry feet whereas others my feet have been inundated, either due to heavy rain, deep mud, or crossing of streams. Yesterday ... Read more >


Sea of Rippling Waters

NEW ZEALAND | Wednesday, 9 Nov 2022 | Views [134]

Four of the NZ Great Walks I've completed, so I've set out to complete my goal of walking at least five (eventually, I want to walk all of them). Meaning "sea of rippling waters" in Maori, Lake Waikaremoana is a spectacular lake. Stocked up on stuff ... Read more >


Photos: Lake Waikaremoana Track

NEW ZEALAND | Tuesday, 8 Nov 2022 | Photo Gallery

my fifth New Zealand Great Walk
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Socked In

NEW ZEALAND | Wednesday, 2 Nov 2022 | Views [102]

A long time ago I learned, when travelling to remote locales like the Chatham Islands or the Falkland Islands, to not plan too much on the other end. This was especially true on Christmas Island when flights were delayed and cancelled left, right, and ... Read more >


Giant's Playground

NEW ZEALAND | Sunday, 30 Oct 2022 | Views [129]

The Roaring Forties pounded their windy fury this morning as I woke up, and I sure wouldn't want to be flying Juliett (my drone) today. A lot I had planned today yet all sorts of things would throw a spanner in my plans, and I know to absolutely never ... Read more >


Misty Skies

NEW ZEALAND | Saturday, 29 Oct 2022 | Views [100]

"Misty Skies" is what Rekohu means in Moriori, and it was misty and foul this morning. The wind dictates the shapes of trees here, as I've noticed a few oddly shaped trees. I know I mentioned the trees in my most recent story, but I can't stop ... Read more >


Rekohu

NEW ZEALAND | Thursday, 27 Oct 2022 | Views [175]

Windswept, remote, desolate. Those are just three words that describe the Chatham Islands. Called "Rekohu" meaning "misty skies" by the Moriori, the Chatham Islands are the first inhabited place on Earth to see a new day. My friend Pete Fowler, who passed ... Read more >


Photos: Chatham Islands

NEW ZEALAND | Wednesday, 26 Oct 2022 | Photo Gallery

The first place in the world to see the dawn of a new day
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Earland Falls

NEW ZEALAND | Wednesday, 12 Oct 2022 | Views [132]

The Routeburn Track is one of the shorter Great Walks but it still feels that days are long. With a broken boot, I walked for more than seven hours yesterday. At 32 kilometres in length, some people rush it and walk the track in only two days but what's ... Read more >


Routeburn in One Boot

NEW ZEALAND | Tuesday, 11 Oct 2022 | Views [141]

When I came to New Zealand back in 2008, I saw in a Department of Conservation (DOC) brochure that there were nine Great Walks, and I made a goal of doing at least five. Now there are 10 Great Walks, and I've done three so far: Milford, Kepler, and Rakiura.... Read more >


Photos: Routeburn Track

NEW ZEALAND | Monday, 10 Oct 2022 | Photo Gallery

My 4th completed Great Walk
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Lady of the Lake

NEW ZEALAND | Monday, 26 Sep 2022 | Views [144]

The Lady of the Lake? You may wonder who she is. Is she a gorgeous lady who hangs out at the lake? Is she a mythical creature akin to Loch Ness or some sort of mysterious legend? Those would all be great guesses, but the TSS Earnslaw is known has the ... Read more >


Hidden Island 35!

NEW ZEALAND | Friday, 20 Sep 2019 | Views [293]

Another milestone birthday it is for me today. I'm 35, believe it or not. My tradition of going to a special place continued today as Craig Smith and a couple of his mates, Karen and Mike, and I would jump aboard his fishing boat and cruise across Lake ... Read more >


Rakiura Track

NEW ZEALAND | Friday, 19 Oct 2018 | Views [474]

Nearly 10 years ago to the day I was first here, I've returned to Stewart Island. 42 countries and seven continents later, it remains one of my favourite places on Earth. It's more difficult to see a kiwi in the wild than it is to see a koala, but it ... Read more >


Photos: Rakiura Track

NEW ZEALAND | Wednesday, 17 Oct 2018 | Photo Gallery


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NZ Wilderness Misadventure

NEW ZEALAND | Wednesday, 10 Oct 2018 | Views [815] | Comments [1]

New Zealand is such a gorgeous place, and that's part of why it's my favourite country. I love tramping (hiking, to you folk from the rest of the world) and I've done many fabulous walks both in NZ and elsewhere. My favourite walk in all of NZ is the ... Read more >


Canoe Racing

WALLIS AND FUTUNA ISLANDS | Sunday, 23 Sep 2018 | Views [305]

It's my final full day on this lovely and untouched island, and a fun-filled day of being on the water it was. As with other Pacific islands, Sundays are rather quiet with locals going to church. They're colourful as they dress up and wear flowers. She ... Read more >


Half-Wallis Endurance Walk

WALLIS AND FUTUNA ISLANDS | Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018 | Views [506]

Last night, Michel suggested walking around Wallis. With the stifling heat and humidity, Wallis isn't perceived as a walker's paradise. This morning I opted for a test of endurance on the last day of the 33rd year of my life, and that's going around ... Read more >


Photos: Wallis

WALLIS AND FUTUNA ISLANDS | Saturday, 15 Sep 2018 | Photo Gallery


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Wallis, Oui!

WALLIS AND FUTUNA ISLANDS | Saturday, 15 Sep 2018 | Views [468]

Bonjour! With not much sleep after arriving last night I'm in Wallis & Futuna: one of the world's least-known countries. Coming from NZ with temperatures at or near zero to the tropics where it's 27 C with high humidity makes for a major shock. It's ... Read more >


Photos: Dynamo Hut Track

NEW ZEALAND | Monday, 9 Oct 2017 | Photo Gallery


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Dynamo Hut

NEW ZEALAND | Monday, 9 Oct 2017 | Views [880]

In just a few days I'm leaving for LA and in less than two weeks I'll be in Chile! My annual winter Queenstown sojourn is winding down, and I wanted to do one more spectacular thing before leaving for my next big adventure. Earlier in the season I was ... Read more >


A Drone named Juliette

NEW ZEALAND | Wednesday, 30 Aug 2017 | Views [855]

New Zealand is the perfect country for drone photography! Most of Queenstown is regarded as restricted airspace and it's difficult to pinpoint whether drones are allowed or not, or if there's a grey area. As a result I've had to fly with caution. ... Read more >


My Latest Photographic Medium

NEW ZEALAND | Sunday, 20 Aug 2017 | Views [601] | Comments [2]

This past week has been extremely difficult for me. In addition to dealing with a bad cold, my mother has been in hospital with liver failure. The other day I barely left my flat at all: probably the first time I've spent an entire day in Queenstown ... Read more >


Aotearoa, Sweet Home

NEW ZEALAND | Monday, 17 Jul 2017 | Views [635]

For the past few weeks I've been in Queenstown again...a place I absolutely love with the Remarkables, abundant snow, and gorgeous lakefront. After visiting my family and feeling rejuvinated in Pennsylvania by staying at the home of good ol' mum, I was ... Read more >


Photos: Wairarapa

NEW ZEALAND | Sunday, 11 Dec 2016 | Photo Gallery


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Role of Tour Guide

NEW ZEALAND | Friday, 9 Oct 2015 | Views [600]

Today I was a tour guide to, believe or not, my sister's best friend from kindergarten. Dannielle and Danielle (notice the spelling difference) were inseparable as little girls and we always knew the latter as "Danielle R." A few weeks ago I successfully ... Read more >


Photos: Ben Lomond Track

NEW ZEALAND | Friday, 9 Oct 2015 | Photo Gallery


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Like Fishing

NEW ZEALAND | Wednesday, 16 Sep 2015 | Views [741]

"Hitchhiking is like fishing: sometimes you get a big catch, sometimes you get a small catch, yet sometimes you get no catch." Those were the words of a Maori fella who picked me up outside of Napier last year. There couldn't be a better analogy because ... Read more >


Only on Norfolk

NORFOLK ISLAND | Sunday, 6 Sep 2015 | Views [724]

Up extra early I was again. Except for my first day I've been up far earlier than normal because I want to make the most of each day. Sadly I'm leaving Norfolk Island for the third time today. The only places I've ever left crying are Norfolk Island ... Read more >


Radio Norfolk Interview III

NORFOLK ISLAND | Friday, 4 Sep 2015 | Views [822]

Three times on Norfolk and three radio interviews. Not bad, eh? Like always I was up early. You can't spend only a week somewhere and sleep in until noon. A cuppa is always good with toast and avocado. After three days of gorgeous weather, it would turn ... Read more >

Tags: interviews, islands


Caching, Sweat, and Tears

NORFOLK ISLAND | Tuesday, 1 Sep 2015 | Views [709]

Roosters woke me early. It was a good thing because I wanted to be up early and go geocaching. 36 geocaches on a small island doesn’t sound like many but it’s quite a few, and I’ve barely found half of them after today. It was still ... Read more >


Storm on a Bicycle

NORFOLK ISLAND | Monday, 31 Aug 2015 | Views [667]

The rain came down like thunder on the tin roof this morning, so much I woke up at one point and nearly had a heart attack. At 9 AM I knew this rain wouldn’t be going anywhere for the better part of the day so I decided to go about my business ... Read more >


Third Time Lucky

NORFOLK ISLAND | Sunday, 30 Aug 2015 | Views [762]

If Norfolk Island were a lady, I would have placed a ring on her finger a long time ago! As the Airbus 320 swooped in straight from the sea and sky we flew in from a different direction. I’m so used to seeing Phillip and Nepean Islands first though ... Read more >


Carrot Capital

NEW ZEALAND | Monday, 24 Aug 2015 | Views [1823]

Greetings in orange! That's because I'm in Ohakune: NZ's "carrot capital." A giant carrot greets people as you enter the town, and large bags of carrots are for sale at dairies and petrol station. These past few visits to New Zealand I've mostly been ... Read more >


Photos: Central Plateau

NEW ZEALAND | Monday, 24 Aug 2015 | Photo Gallery


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Lake Hayes

NEW ZEALAND | Wednesday, 24 Jun 2015 | Views [774]

Queenstown can get really hectic after awhile, both on the streets and in your mind. Thankfully there's a plethora of easy escapes from New Zealand's most popular tourist town. Clyde, as well as the various tramping tracks near Glenorchy are my favourites ... Read more >


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