Me? A tourist??

When did I become a camera carrying, rubber necking tourist? Was it when I turned 40? Was this the point at which I leapt at being an independent traveller to a crusty crazy snapshot tourist? Maybe I am over exaggerating, but it was thoughts like this which burst in to my head during our recent holiday on the South Island. Buying a new multi lens camera kit, with carry bag, on the first day of the road trip, probably aided in me seeing myself in a different sense. I couldn’t take enough photos from enough angles without feeling like I was viewing everything through a lens, and not the reality. A bit like watching someone else holiday unfold on a television travel show, a hazy insight in to the experience but not doing it yourself. Now that I am back to base, I have hundreds of photos of the trip. What I didn’t realise at the time that I do now though, is that these hundreds of photos will immortalise the many memories I also have of the trip. So the crusty crazy snapshot tourist may not be a comfortable coat to wear, but the physical evidence of memories which evoke emotions of enjoyment and adventure outweigh any fleeting negative self image I may have stumbled upon. So if you will all excuse me for now, I have some more photos I need to go and take…..

South Island

 

McKenzie Basin, South Island

 

Queenstown....

 

South Island....Awesome.

We have just returned last night, from a two week road trip around the South Island of New Zealand. After 3954 kms, my eyes are full of the visions of snow, soaring mountains and panoramic landscapes that evoke feelings of strength, wonder and spectacle. Being my second visit to the South Island, this recent trip rekindled the magical impression I already had of that astonishing fragment of the world. Historic modest seaside villages nestled in picturesque coves, appearing diminutive against the backdrop of the Southern Alps. These Alps are the spine of the island and viewable from almost all corners. As a size comparison, the South Island is 151,251 km², roughly the equivalent of the size of the US state of Illinois and twice the size of Scotland, Austria or the Australian state of Tasmania. Here are a few photos to begin the picture I want to paint for you. In upcoming entries I hope to share more about the journey, what I discovered and to relive the experiences which have already begun to be converted into past memories.