The return is the hardest part - as I found out long ago back in 1984 when I first returned from Europe and found readjustment to being back down under extremely difficult.. Over the years I have managed the adjustment to returning a little better - usually by spending my time wishfully planning my next foray to foreign lands . New Zealand’s best point is that its along way from anywhere and its worst is also that its along way from anywhere meaning of course each trip does have to be planned. Often I do wonder how I came to end up spending most of the last 15 years here in the antipodes and if that is something that will continue indefinitely now only broken by the odd adventure somewhere.

Having said that locally here in New Zealand I can have an easy life and get outdoors often enough on bike or hiking or mountaineering to keep retain my sanity. These things are so easily accessible from where I live and as Eric Shiption said about the Alps in Europe ‘ a wonderful variety of scenery small enough in scale to be easily appreciated and large enough to be wholly satisfying”

This spring has been cool with higher than normal amounts of snow locally , perfect for mountaineering but regretfully I have not made the most of it for various reasons . Sometimes this has been out of my control and sometimes due to lack of morale . This lack of mental energy is no doubt due to the toll the build up and trip to Pakistan took out of me and as I am learning the skill of making a movie, the energy it is still requiring. This is in its own way the positive outcome of the years mission - a new skill learnt and also hopefully the making of some useful movies in the future.

Below a few pictures of the small trips I’ve done locally on the Old Ghost Road mountain biking and hiking in the Kahurangi national park and Nelson lakes national park.

Happy new year.