Itchy feet again

by John Greenwood, May 2008

 I wonder how many of you wish you could up stakes and go on an extended trip, to some dream place?

 As Janet and I have got older we have come to realise that if we don’t do some of the things we have talked about for many years we will soon be too old to do them.   Sure, we have had opportunity to go to Japan and China as well as some places in the southern hemisphere, but Janet has had a long term yearning to visit Scandinavia, the home of one half of her ancestry.

 Well, we have taken the bull by the horns as it were – no we are not going to Spain!  We have made some bookings and paid for the main flights later this year.  We are going in the southern hemisphere autumn, so are expecting amazing opportunities to get great landscape photographs.

 Our first adventure is tramping in the Oetz Valley in Austria – five days of tramping, either moderate or easy routes up into the high mountains.  Of course, Austria is a mountainous country.

 Then we are going on an eleven day cruise around the Norwegian fiords.  Actually we met a couple from Scandinavia on the Milford track last year.  When we told them we were going to try to visit Norway and the fiords they asked, “Why, New Zealand has it all in Fiordland”?  Well we have been there too, but the attraction of Norway, apart from the cruise, is for Janet to trace some of her ancestors and get a handle on her family history.

 Then we will go to Great Britain and do the same with our English/Scottish/etc, family roots.  We also intend to try to touch base with the clubs we are having exchanges with this year.

 Well, what’s the point of all this.  We expect to come home with a myriad of photographs.  There is nothing quite like visiting somewhere new to stimulate your interest in your photography.  However, you do not need to leave New Zealand to do this.  There are many places in even the upper half of the North Island that I bet many of you will have never visited.  What about Homunga Bay, north of Waihi – yes you will have to walk to it.  What about Cathedral Cove at Hahei – we had a club trip here a few years ago.

 What about the Awhitu Peninsula, the South Head of Manukau Harbour.  Wonderful area to visit.  And what about some of the remote beaches on the west coast north of Raglan.   What about a trip around the East Cape, poking into all the little side roads.  Try Lottin Point for the most voracious sandflies anywhere in New Zealand.  Or tramping some of Te Urewera National Park tracks.  Or if you are lazy, take your boat and cruise around Lake Waikaremoana.  Ask me sometime about how good the deer stalking and fishing is from Maroiti Hut, the westernmost hut around the lake.

 There are ample opportunities in little old New Zealand to keep you busy while you are engaged in earning a living.  Take time out.  Don’t be a slave to making your millions - you probably won’t succeed anyway.  Take your time and go explore the wonders of New Zealand with your cameras.  You won’t regret it.

 Happy shooting.