Ararata

Taranaki, NZ, Aug 2014: The country primary school is a rarity these days in New Zealand- at least operating ones are. These shells of former early childhood education dot the landscape- such as this school at Ararata in South Taranaki. Closed in 2000- as most country schools were around this time- Ararata school still stands, the target […]

House on the Hill

Rural legend says this house was transported to it’s spectacular hilltop location sometime in the 1980’s. Allegedly the farmer who owned the property, had intended to renovate the house and make it the family home. Apparently though soon after the building was in place, the couple separated and the man was left to bring up […]

The Watchtower of the Plains

Manaia, South Taranaki, NZ, August 2012: The Manaia Redoubt- constructed around 1880 on the site of the former pā Te Takahe- was the response by the local armed constabulary to the passive resistance of the Parihaka chief, Te Whiti, and his followers. The original wooden watchtower (35 feet high)- blown down in a storm and […]

Mother Earth

At the fringe of this neglected community garden area, there was a strange new-age prayer circle thing. I didn’t find it peaceful, inspirational, meditative or any of those positive attributes- just plain weird, kitsch, humorous, tacky and kind of creepy. This “amphitheatre”, inspired by something called the Vortrovia Vision, is apparently called an Amphenium. Wow, […]

Luft

Carterton, Wairarapa, NZ, March 2014: Two years after the tragic Carterton hot air balloon crash, Balloons Over Wairarapa lifted off again… On January 7th 2012, a scenic hot air balloon flight, collided with a high voltage power line while attempting to land, causing it to catch fire, disintegrate and crash, killing all eleven people […]

Hands Up

Whanganui, New Zealand, 2011: My nephew Mostyn surrenders- to the camera. Handprints of some 6000 people – from newborns to elderly – form the ceramic work Handspan, which now stands as a homage to peace within the area where the Rutland Stockade and Pukenamu Pa once stood. This Peace Sculpture was dedicated to “the promotion […]

Arctocephalus

Wellington, New Zealand, today: Had a close encounter with this gang of young local males today. They were your usual hairy, lazy, good for nothing bachelors. One barked at me when I got too close. By strange coincidence, an elderly man was attacked in New Plymouth today (400km Nth West) by a young male seal- […]

Night-Watch

A short video based around time-lapse sequences of the coastguard conducting flare tests in Wellington harbour. It looks more like an invasion from Mars…

Moeraki

Otago, New Zealand, Aug 2007: The Moeraki Boulders are large, spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach in North Otago, New Zealand. Scattered along the coast, either as clusters or isolated boulders, they have been protected within a scientific reserve. The most striking aspect of the boulders is their unusually large size and spherical […]