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I don't know which came first, addiction to adventure or passion for travel. Whichever, both have been exciting lifelong companions taking me from the depths of a silver mine in Bolivia to the summit of Mt. Aspiring in New Zealand. Over the years these twin obsessions have turned into a freelance writing career.
As a climber and outdoor enthusiast much of my work has been about adventure activities such as abseiling 100metres down into the Lost World at the Waitomo Caves (NZ), ice-climbing on Fox Glacier (NZ), and summiting Hyuana Potosi, a 6000metre peak in Bolivia. While I enjoy adrenalin rides not all of my travel is that full on all of the time. Stopping to smell the roses is just as important, so activities like hiking, cycling and sitting around talking to locals in county pubs is just as much fun.
While every destination is rewarding I do have my favourites and they are New Zealand and South America. Both have spectacular, but very accessable, wilderness with many opportunities for adventure activities and wandering off the beaten track to get to the heart of a place. Also the food is delicious, a factor that converts a good destination into a great destination. Going forward my travels will take me to many other places but it is these two in particular I want to share with you. I will start at home, New Zealand, with my favourite adventures not leaving out practical tips for your own travels.
South America draws me back time after time and early next year (2008) I will once again explore more of this fascinating continent. As I travel I hope some of you will share my experiences and use them to plan your own adventures.
I was born and still live in Auckland New Zealand. While Auckland is New Zealand's largest city with over 1 million people it does not have a city feel. Perched on the Hauraki Gulf, a marine reserve dotted with islands and teeming with wild life, it is a wilderness experience in itself. However I am also only four hours from the North Island mountains, Mt. Ruapehu and Mt. Taranaki, where, as a member of the New Zealand Alpine Club, I spend as many weekends as possible.
I hold a diploma in journalism from the New Zealand Institute of Business Studies.
My stories and photos have been published in the travel section of New Zealand's major newspapers as well as in current affairs, adventure, inflight and general magazines. Publications include the Sunday Star Times, Silverkris and Going Places (inflight magazines for Singapore and Malaysian Airlines) as well as New Zealand House and Garden and New Zealand Adventure magazine.
I am also a regular contributor to Spotlight magazine based in Munich, Germany. Although Spotlight is a general magazine profiling prominent people and lifestyles in the English speaking world, twice in the last twelve months my travel story has been the cover feature and both were big sellers at the news stand. This proves the appeal of travel in that even just reading about it is exciting, not to mention great escapism.
Some of my work includes
Highway to the Past (cover feature) on New Zealand for Spotlight Verlag; The Road to Pushkar (cover feature) on India for Spotlight Verlag; Final Frontier on Argentina for NZ House & Garden; Road Treat –Queensland 4WD Road Trip in Australia for Silverkris (Singapore Airlines); Ice Maiden, Ice climbing adventure in New Zealand for Sunday Star Times; The Perfect Pitch on camping in New Zealand for Sunday Star Times; From Gorges to Ghost Towns on historic New Zealand for Sunday Star Times; Natural Glow on Waitomo Caves abseil (NZ) for Sunday Star Times; Four Seasons In One Day on hiking in NZ for Sunday Star Times; High Tea – Cameron Highlands in Malaysia for New Zealand Women's Weekly; Orang Utans of Borneo for Going Places (Malaysia Airlines); Stepping Out Solo on travelling alone for NZ Adventure Magazine; High on Bolivia for Investigate Magazine.