The waterfront is a friendly place.
New Zealand
Over the hills and far away
Inversion
Oops … there it is. … Happy New Year!
This time things are different. The city seems empty. Temperatures are rising. Summer is here. I see how important context is, how much I depend on my cultural and climatic heritage, to properly feel the passing of another year. It seems I need the cold, the long nights and the crushing dominance of Christmas to truly believe that it is over.
This time it feels like the New Year sneaked up on me. … Welcome anyway. I hope we have a good time.
A Great 2015, to all of you, …
… and especially to some of you!
Middle Earth
I leave New Zealand, the stunning landscapes and wilderness, far away from the rest of the world; the movie set that brought Tolkien’s world to life. … Wait a moment. … I remember a time when I thought that this country was one big sheep farm somewhere at the end of the world. Now it is the Shire? It seems to me that the “Kiwis”, as they call themselves after birds that cannot fly, are searching for an identity; one that helps them to survive or even prosper on their remote outpost, while the world changes. What did I see beyond all this natural beauty?
Crossing
When I get this advice, I am not sure to laugh or worry: “If you see an eruption, run the other way.”
On the Beach
The High Country
The best advice I got regarding the weather on the South Island is: If you do not like it, wait five minutes.
Animal Farm
Wildlife and locals seem to live in symbiosis. The animals lure the tourists, and get their habitats protected in return. A good deal for both sides, it seems.
There and back again
The man running the local branch of the Department of Conservation tells me that the track can be done in a day. It is about forty kilometers long and will get me to where I start. I am highly motivated to be back before darkness falls and traps me in the wilderness or one of the two huts along the way. With the first light I am on my way.
The Island
Since I read Robinson Crusoe I think that a true island has to meet certain criteria: Do you get there by boat? Is there only one settlement or less? Can you walk around it in less than a week? I am told that New Zealand has three major islands, but only one of them meets this romantic requirements.
The Third Planet 