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Words & Photos

Crafting the human voice.

Words & Photos

 
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"Drive inland roads lined with moss-covered posts to the peaceful meandering Catlins River and its adjacent forests, where flashes of yellow and the rapid chattering of mohua light up the forest green canvas." (for NZ Life & Leisure magazine)

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"But for workers like Katrina Grenfell, taking a break (from Scott Base) can be a necessity, especially during the hectic summer season when it operates at capacity. So, about four times a season, she books in for a night at the world's southernmost bach." (for North & South magazine)

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"As the Milky Way surrenders to the dawn light marking the end of the coldest night of 2017, truck headlights from around the Maniototo converge on the outskirts of Naseby. Hand knitted jumpers, tartan tam o’ shanters, Red Bands and 20kg curling stones tumble from the vehicles for a day of camaraderie under Central Otago’s translucent skies. " (for North & South magazine)

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"Not many gardens start their life in a blazing inferno with the unannounced arrival of two fire engines to save the day. But that’s exactly how Rodney McDonald and Clinton Chambers introduced themselves to their new community after they purchased the gorse and scrub infested property seven years ago." (for NZ Gardener magazine)

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"My taste buds continually flit between surprise, delight and even challenge, and eventually my stomach suggests it’s just not physically possible to squeeze any more of this deliciousness in, usually just as the customary (and compulsory) bowl of rice that symbolises the end of the meal arrives." (for NZ Life & Leisure magazine)

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"On the horizon a puff of smoke drifts upwards, a sign that the SS Earnslaw is steaming into port after her daily trip to Walter Peak Station. As much a part of this landscape as the jagged schist peaks, the grand old lady fills the small bay with majestic presence, undertaking a broad turn with a peacock-like display before docking." (for NZ Life & Leisure magazine)

"It all came down to the stag's head, a trophy from one of his grandfather's hunting trips in Southland's Blue Mountains in 1903. 'The only other place it could have been hung was in the dining room', Jim adds. 'But with visiting artists, many of them vegetarian or vegan, we felt it might be a bit too much 'presence' over the dinner table'." (for North & South magazine)

"The burgeoning tourist industry has helped (if the captains of the original ships could see the size of the cruise ships that dock at Port Chalmers they would probably run aground), and student numbers have swelled. The seasonal ebb and flow of the learning hungry masses feed the pulse of the place, adding a bottomless pit of youthful exuberance that keeps Dunedin honest and hip, with a vibrant edge."(for NZ Life & Leisure magazine)

"The last time I saw landscape like this was in the Congo.... a dense, impenetrable mass straight out of the Heart of Darkness. Below us there are no roads, no huts, no tracks, no people. The Tasman Sea is in a frenzy, and the helicopter is buffeted by rain and wind from every direction. We skim the Fiordland cliffs as we make our way towards Chalky Island to deliver a very special cargo". (for NZ Life & Leisure magazine)

"Jen U'ren has lived in her garage since the night of February 22, 2011. When it's time to shut up shop for the day. It seems surreal to lower the roller doors, but even more surreal to learn one of the doors decided to open and shut on its own accord. 'Gave me a huge fright the first time it happened', she says. It's cold in winter. There is no point even attempting to heat the space and visitors are offered blankets on arrival. 'I have to make sure dinner is prepared before the sun disappears as it just gets too cold and my fingers freeze. Winter is bad, but the summer heat is unbearable. There is no escape from it'." (for North & South magazine)

"We disembark into the terminal (note large shed), have a tropical noose of gardenia hung around our neck, a welcoming peck on the cheek, a coconut with a straw shoved into hands, and then we are off into the potholed night. Five minutes later I dive off the jetty of my overwater bungalow (yes my very own jetty!) into the lagoon's silky waters. I drift along with the current gazing up at the Milky Way, and ponder the trevally and sea cucumbers below having a far more unfortunate view of my naked bum the poor souls." (for NZ Life & Leisure magazine)

"Their challenge is the burden which comes with having full creative control of the garden, as their collective ideas can often get away on them.  And like all good gardeners, they constantly spot faults and defects no matter how small. This can turn into obsessive behaviour, such as the rosemary bush Sarah recently moved ten centimetres to make its position ‘just perfect’ (she doesn’t regret this decision, as it had bugged her for a long time).  Margaret, on the other hand, could have let that one go." (for NZ Life & Leisure magazine)

"There is no smooth start to a journey when six pure-bred Siberian huskies are just amping to get the show on the road. The countdown begins and with a sudden jolt and whiplash to match we are off. Off into a landscape of white silence. Arulk, Coon, Sarg, Breaker, BJ and Darkha, doing what they do best for six weeks of every year - running their little hearts out in the cold." (for NZ Life & Leisure magazine)