It’s hard to conceive how far New Zealand is from the rest of the world until you want to get away. If you fancy a change of scene, respite from winter, have a burning want to drink in another culture or want to reconnect with kin elsewhere in the world, you soon realise nothing less than a longish journey on a jet plane will fix your travel bug.

The upside of New Zealand’s geography is that some of its closest getaways are the most beautiful pacific islands where time runs at half speed and an almost endless supply of sunshine. The idyllic islands are the perfect haven for anyone looking to fly and flop for a few days for personal restoration.

As many kiwis flock to the ski fields for winter sports, I’m much happier escaping to find winter sun and nothing more to do than count the waves rolling in over the coral reef. It’s pure indulgence that takes a few days for me to lean into but soon island life takes its grip and you acquiesce to snoozing under the shady veranda, cooling dips in warm sea and leisurely dining al fresco. Couldn’t be more blissful.

It’s the kind of decadence I dream about at my desk as the wind-driven rain pummels down.

I find the edges of the day on vacation are most calming and meditative. As we transition between day and evening, night and day, the light is gentlest and most contemplative. It’s nature’s poetry that for a photographer drives an almost overwhelming compulsion to whip out the camera to capture the moment.

Those sunsets and sunrises may be beautifully crafted but their meaning can only sit in the mind of the real-time observer. A bit like all our holiday snaps really. Probably best kept to ourselves and used to prompt our memories when you’re back at home and in need of some pacifica elixir.

Or not :o)

But when a fellow photographer suggests a detour to make the most of the gorgeous evening light, I’m unpacking the camera bag right away. As we pulled into Finn Slough (pronounced Finn Slew) close to where my friend Sabrina lives near Vancouver I was slightly baffled by what we had come to see.

Depending on who you speak to, Finn Slough is either a squatters commune , historical fishing village, artistic or alternative living community. Truth lies somewhere among all of those definitions thrown in with a touch of enchanting magic, or maybe that was just the light.

Nestling into the landscape of the Fraser River, the residents of Finn Slew have built on the legacies of the first Finnish settlers in 1880s. They live in houses on stilts or in former net lofts above the river in tune with nature of this coastal environment. They are also fighting to gain their rights to a Crown lease who owns the land to make their residency bona-fide and beat away property developers hungry to turn Finn Slough into a modernised version of this riverside idyll complete with condos and other conveniences of modern life.

Finn Slough is one of the most photographic landscapes I’ve visited in a while. It’s tumble-down style belies a thoughtful ironic sense of humour that playfully makes fun of mainstream living.  See this house and doorway below, it’s not what it seems.

The evening light waits for no-one so we made the most of seeing as much as we can in the golden hour. It’s not hard to see how this would be a haven for local photographers to visit often. It felt good to have a camera in my hands again so here’s a few of the photographs I made. It was the perfect spot to end a perfect day in the company of a wonderful friend.

I travelled camera light this holiday with our tiny Olympus Pen that packs a massive punch photographically and beats the embarrassment of justifying why your camera bag is almost as heavy as your checked luggage.  The only think I don’t like about this camera is the lack of viewfinder and instead you use the digital display on the back.  Luckily for traditionalists like me they make a digital viewfinder you mount on the top and we bought one secondhand, instantly I felt like a proper photographer again.

Strolling along the beach close to sunset in Tokoriki was at its finest.  One evening I met one of the monster crabs scuttling along, a cousin I think of the one that liked to frequent the outside shower in the bure (little cottage) we stayed in. We named him Brutus, meant affectionately, although we were particular to be sure this crustacean guest stayed outside where he rightfully belonged lurking around the rocks.

It was tough having to endure such beautiful views at the end of the day but as the dark still descents early like a light switched off I can look at these photographs and remember the warmth and beauty of the pacific isles.

Since we’ve been enjoying the mildest winter since we made New Zealand our home it was an enormous treat and luxurious indulgence but when your airports are due to expire it is best to not to quibble too much and just enjoy a new shade of blue.  Riding the ferry from Denarau on Fiji’s largest Island of Viti Levu to our destination for the week on Tokoriki Island there was nothing to do but sit back and enjoy the view and adjust to Island time. Thoughts of appointment schedules, to-do lists and winter woolies soon melted away as we turned our attention to our beachside future.  

Amongst the drizzle lies the pioneer heartland of New Zealand

Wanaka, New Zealand

Even in the wind and rain there is a deep bleak beauty in New Zealand’s lakes.

Lake Hawea, Near Wanaka.

The stress of the last few weeks has completely lifted though now we’re away in Wanaka for a few days.  With house sitters keeping the bassets under control it’s just wonderful to breath in the fresh air and marvel at one of the world’s finest landscapes.  For the first time ever I’m not lugging several kilos of camera gear either.  Instead I have my learner plates on an Olympus Pen E-PM1 camera bought last year during our trip to Europe for MT.  It has almost as many whistles and bells as my DSLR Camera but weighs less than some of my full size lenses do.

It may have been a marathon 7 hour effort to get to Wanaka after our flights were cancelled and Air NZ delivered us by bus rather than by plane but seeing this view brings life into perspective and you can’t help but celebrate the simplicity of nature at its best.

You might have noticed that blogging, tweeting and social networking generally has slipped down the priority list but all in a good cause of breaking in the new year gently and a minimum of fuss. Two weeks back at work and three weeks into my course has warmed up the brain again so now it’s all about finding the balance in daily routines.

Not wishing to overdo things though we took a few days away in Martinborough to stretch the Waitangi Day public holiday this week.  A pure indulgence to get away from things at home and a chance to parade the bassets to coffee shops, around the vineyards and a road trip out to Cape Palliser on the wild south Wairarapa Coast.  I was quite an adventure for the hounds who live such a quiet country life.  It was also gave us time to come to terms with our first long distance family bereavement which was hard in itself but all the more painful being so far away from those that you draw from and give most comfort to at times like this.

There was something meditative watching the seals at Cape Palliser sunbathe on the rocks, frolic in the sea and balance themselves precariously whilst they preened themselves.  All seemed like the perfect combination of summer living.

A few days ago I was lucky enough to enjoy being an Olympic spectator to witness to some of the worlds finest tennis players at the true home of Lawn Tennis, Wimbledon.  At last I could embrace the Olympics fever that has spread across the UK.  The whole experience was superb.   From opening the envelope that contained our prized tickets to the volunteers who are the true heroes of the London 2012 Olympics.  Everywhere in London there is a dose of goodwill and friendliness that has transformed the Capital into a really pleasant place to be.   And long may it continue.

I’ve always been a big Olympics fan and this games is bringing the best of British to the fore.  Not only is Team GB scooping medals at a rate not seen in over a century but it’s showcasing the best of British hospitality and the capability of this sport loving nation to embrace all comers, especially the underdogs. I’ve felt truly proud to be British.

That said, I’ve had moments of divided loyalty.  Seeing the kiwis in action has sparked pangs of homesickness but as luck would have it the kiwis and Brits have been sharing the glory making it so much easier to support both teams.  There are a few more days left for us to gorge on sport and then we’ll join the hoards of Olympians and visitors at Heathrow on the first leg of our journey back to New Zealand. Let’s hope that the Heathrow security have learned a few lessons from the Olympic organisers.

The tennis itself is something I loved to watch even though I left my tennis prime in the era of Bjorn Borg and Billy Jean King.  For me tennis started to go down hill when I had to give up my wooden tennis racket which I lovingly kept in a screw down tennis racket press so something a little more synthetic.  Watching tennis live is so much more exciting than watching on the TV.  You get a much better sense of the athleticism of the players and the power with which they propel the ball and themselves across the court.  Aside from the tennis to watch there is a plethora of other distractions to keep you amused, such as the drilled routines of the ball boys and girls, the concentration of the line judges and the performance of the umpires as they call the scores.

We were lucky enough to witness some of the world’s greatest tennis players in the quarter final matches that included Azarenka V Kerber; Djokovich V Tsonga; Federer V Isner and Clijsters V Sharapova.  Although sitting up high in Wimbledon’s Centre Court we were entertained with a fantastic view of all the play and a perfect view for the Royal Box.

The whole Olympics so far has been wonderful. The slightly madcap opening ceremony set the tone for what has been a dream come true not just for the athletes but for all those Brits who celebrated all those years ago that London had been picked as the venue for 2012.