The Past Beneath the Present
It is raining in Reefton. The air smells exactly as I imagine it has for generations: rain, coal smoke and … Continue reading The Past Beneath the Present
It is raining in Reefton. The air smells exactly as I imagine it has for generations: rain, coal smoke and … Continue reading The Past Beneath the Present
The thing that strikes me most about the Denniston Plateau is its proximity to the ocean. From the edge of … Continue reading The Ghosts of Denniston
In his book Riding the Iron Rooster, the American travel writer Paul Theroux described train travel as “a luxurious form of convalescence.” His travel stories The Great Railway Bazaar, The Happy Isles of Oceania, and Riding the Iron Rooster were inspirational in my becoming a travel writer. And sitting here in the enveloping warmth of the train’s cafe car, surrounded by luxurious food and drink I, too, feel as though I’m convalescing, with nothing but my reflection in the big window for company. Continue reading Riding the Silver Lines
A winter hike into the valley of Forest Creek on Mesopotamia Station, in the headwaters of the Rangitata River on … Continue reading BETWEEN THE RIVERS
“I dig my toes into the sand;The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds,strewn across a blue blanket…”– Incubus, Wish You … Continue reading THE CITY OF LIGHT
“When vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings…” – Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness North of Westport, … Continue reading NORTH BY NORTH-WEST
The river stretches a braided thread of silver along the valley floor. Morning in the High Country. On a hillside … Continue reading SHADOWS ON THE HILL
…and light takes on a life of its own. Continue reading The High Road to Central
The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working … Continue reading THE FOREST OF STONE
Caught up in another dream,
drifting on a blue ocean…
– Gerry Rafferty, The Right Moment Continue reading The Right Moment