Ah the open road. Nothing like jumping in your car with a few sandwiches and without any plans other than to be back next week some time.
new zealand
Cacatuidae /
My granddad was a magician, and part time butcher. He also kept pet cockatoos. I remember one day going over to his house way out west to visit him. He was in the garage, cutting up frozen beef shanks on his circular saw. The saw was buzzing and screeching and he was getting covered in a fine powder of frozen beef shavings. Seeing me hovering at the door, he flicked off the saw, wiped the beef frosting from his thick rimmed glasses and beckoned me to come over. From the front pocket of his greasy white apron he pulled out a little toy guillotine, sparkling and black, old and worn. "Put your finger in there" he said. I was nervous, but my granddad always had cool junk scattered around the place, like the bowling balls with blue pirate ships on them, the cockatoos that could swear and count to ten, the pile of vintage playboy magazines I had located under a box of smelly old paint thinner. "Ok" I said. I slipped my finger into the dark wooden hole in the base of the rickety little execution machine. He pulled up on the wobbly handle attached to the angled blade. I looked over at the frozen beef shank, stuck deep into the circular saw. He gave me a wink, covered in frozen meat pulp, and slammed his hand down on the blade.
old time clouds /
purgatory /
Give my respects to all inquiring friends.
Mandelbox tab /
Mandelbox tab
Meeting of the seas /
Meeting of the seas
Maelstrom at Cape Reinga, a tidal race between the Tasman sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Hokianga Ferry /
Hokianga Ferry
My mum rode on the back of Opo the friendly dolphin, some time in the 1950's. She said his skin was rough to touch.
Dawn Ferry /
I live on the side of a cliff with a view of the harbour. Wellington harbour is shaped like a fish hook and my view of the southern ocean is obscured by a little isthmus of land. I used to live further up the hill where it is not so secluded, but you could see much further across the Rongotai isthmus and out to the horizon from up there. In the mornings I would watch the ferries coming and going between Wellington and Picton. Seeing the ferry in the dawn light always reminded me of good times; getting up early to catch the ferry across the Cook Straight, a gateway to adventures into the wild. I would think of West coast road trips and long days exploring the wilderness of the South Island. When I moved to the new place I was a little worried that I would miss not being able to see out to infinity and the kind of limitless potential that represents, and I kind of do.
Mangawhero Falls /
Mangawhero Falls.
A while back, in the middle of winter, I thought it would be a good idea to spend a night sleeping in my truck half way up the side of Mt Ruapehu. It was unbelievably cold. Never the less, being on the mountain in the mist and the stillness without any other people around is kind of special and I thought it was worth it. Some time after this I told my friend Steve about my excursion, and inspired by this image and my story he decided to try it for him self. Also a keen photographer, Steve hiked up the side of the mountain and camped on the eastern face in the hope of capturing sunrise across the Rangipo desert. He said it was so cold that he had to keep himself awake by doing press ups in his tent all night in fear of dying of hypothermia in his sleep. He also had the ranger chase him down asking him why he would do a damn fool thing like sleep on the side of the mountain in the middle of winter. I cant help but feel partially responsible.