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	Monday, 26 July 2004

To the end of the road (and back) This weekend I went on another camper-van adventure. I set off late Saturday afternoon with plans to drive to Collingwood, spend the night somewhere along the coast, and set off at first light to explore around 80km of road to the East. A few weekends back I was near there but had continued north instead exploring the Cape Farewell/Wharariki area. The fact that I had driven past the turn-off to Wharariki Inlet didn't seem significant until I got home and checked the map. There was not only a huge inlet which was fed by several large rivers, but there were also two lakes and some beautiful beaches to explore as well. I was determined to reach the end of the road so I could be sure I hadn't missed anything. This little corner of the Nelson region seems to be a well kept secret probably because its on the way to nowhere; all roads lead to dead ends, and so much more... First light from right outside the van door. I was standing on frosty ground in bare feet and longjohns to get this shot. I couldn't set the tripod up fast enough while dancing to keep my feet from freezing! Under a pink sky at low tide the inlet looks like another planet. The grasses and reeds around Whanganui Inlet, still white with frost... ...then the sun breaks over the crest of the distant hills and the whole scene changes colour, from white to golden. Looking up under a Punga tree-fern. One of the two Kaihoka Lakes (click to enlarge) A stock-yard near the coast. I watched this scene for a while, as I made a brew of coffee in the camper-van. I found myself wondering why I have never taken up surfing. One day... 9:28:58 PM    Comment []

Second-hand Living I have had a guts-full of reality TV. "So what? If you don't like it, don't watch it!", you might say. The thing is, I don't watch it. I don't watch any TV (don't even have TV reception at my house). Why does it piss me off? Example... driving home from work today, I tune into a local radio station hoping for some music, and end up listening to two DJ's talking endlessly about their favourite reality TV show (Celebrity-Big-brother-Makeover-Survivors or something equally as stupid). Talking about the various contestants (are they called contestants?) and why they like/dislike them. Now call me old-fashioned but wasn't there a time when Radio was in competition with TV? Would the radio station executives prefer we listened to the old wireless instead of watching the idiot-box, as my Grandmother used to call it? It doesn't stop there. Workmates, family, friends, they all talk about it, and when I say I have absolutely no idea what they are on about, and I'd rather talk about where I went on the weekend or the weather, they look at me like I'm an alien. And as for this Idol idea... I might be ignorant but isn't this the old Miss World idea rehashed for the new millennium? A big popularity contest for extroverts. I'd rather go out and meet someone new personally, and spend half an hour a week getting to know them. I'd probably learn more about a person face to face for half an hour than I could watching someone for a whole series of Idol, or Survivor, or Makeovers of the Rich and Shameless. Its all edited for sensationalism anyway, which kind of defeats the reality theme. This whole trend of reality TV is just voyeurism and second-hand living. Turn the TV off, go out and experience something new for yourself, anything, then judge and analyse your own reaction to it. Its much more interesting and rewarding. And the final straw that inspired this post/rant? News of a new show in the works which seeks to follow the families and law enforcement officers involved in child kidnappings. I can't find the words to explain how I feel about that idea... but entertainment would definitely not be one of them. 6:05:27 PM    Comment []

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