Russell Kirkpatrick's Journal

It's just falling water, why the fuss?

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:35:00 --0800

But it's not. The sound, the spray, the beauty and the scale of a waterfall evoke feelings of majesty and awe from most of us.

Marokopa Falls, in south Waikato, is no Niagara Falls. But it has its own symmetrical beauty. A short walk from a back road, the falls is said to be one of the most beautiful in New Zealand. And until a couple of weeks ago I'd never visited it.

Simply gorgeous. I love the drama of a waterfall, I love the way it commands my attention, the way it draws me in to the natural environment. Marokopa Falls lived up to its billing.

Look at the luscious detail at the base of the falls...

On the way home I stopped off to see the Mangapohue natural bridge, the remnants of a collapsed limestone cave. Again, this was far better than I'd been led to expect - or, perhaps, I really am reconnecting with the natural world. Why aren't these two places, within ten minutes of each other and half an hour from Waitomo, central to every tourist's itinerary?

Giants of the Forest

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:08:00 --0800

One of the most intense experiences I've had recently was visiting the giant kauri of the Waipoua Forest in New Zealand's Northland. Nothing prepares you for the shock when you first see Tane Mahuta (Father of the Forest), the largest remaining kauri. The photo below simply does not reflect the physical and spiritual impact of this enormous living thing. Fifty metres tall, thirteen metres in girth, more than five metres thick, it erupts from the earth like some ancient god.

The longer I spent in the tree's presence the sadder I became. This is by no means the largest kauri that has existed: estimates suggest it's only half the size of some of the giants ruthlessly harvested at the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s. And these remaining specimens are cooped up in a relatively small reserve, when once the whole top quarter of the North Island, north of the frost line, harboured these 2000 year old trees, and some even older.

And then I met Te Matua Ngahere, even broader than Tane Mahuta but not as tall. If Tane Mahuta is the father, this venerable tree must be the great-grandfather. I half-expected the old fellow to talk to me.

If you're ever in New Zealand, go see these trees.

Further Adventures

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:54:00 --0800

I recently had a wonderful afternoon at Piha, a beach on the west coast near Auckland. I'm not much of a beachy person, having a cordial dislike of the surf, and Piha is a dangerous beach. But it sure is nice to look at.

Highlight was a little way inland. Kitekite Falls is a rather lovely waterfall and easily accessible by track from the beach.

The day ended with a most glorious sunset. Can't beat a west coast sunset!

The Adventures of Russell

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:59:00 --0800

Episode 1: Russell Climbs Mt Te Aroha

I'm on a quest to reconnect with the natural landscape. For twenty years or so I've been busy, too busy to walk or climb or stop and watch. It's affecting my writing: I've searched for inspiration and come up empty. So I'm going out there and soaking in the landscape. Let's see what happens.

I've been out a few times already and have decided to report. These episodes are not in chronological order.

Climbing a mountain sounds dramatic, but in fact Russell actually walked up the access road to the TV repeater station on top of the mountain. Mt Te Aroha is the highest peak in these parts, about 1000m high, and there are said to be fabulous views from the summit.

I'm not very fit, so I thought I'd walk up the gentle access road rather than the steep bush track. I began early in the morning - before 7am - and arrived at the summit not long after 8am. To find that the Waikato was covered in fog. Argh!!

And the fabulous 360 degree views I was promised were somewhat compromised by the enormous TV repeater station. Yes, I knew it was there, but I hadn't realised how intrusive it would be. It covered 180 degrees of the panorama and its generator thrummed annoyingly.

However, the Kaimai Range north to Coromandel was clear and I got one good photo:

I hung about the noisy summit for half an hour and was back down to my car by 9.30am. Maybe I'll go up another day, but probably not.

Extracting words

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:32:00 --0800

My latest novel, with the working title 'Silent Sorrow', is progressing, albeit slowly. I'm trialling a new way of writing, with much less forward planning. The result has been a fair degree of under-writing (quite the opposite of my first series) and a much more enjoyable experience for me.

And that's what it's all about, in the end. There are easier ways of earning money, but I haven't found one that offers as much fun and satisfaction.

I find I'm learning about the characters as I write - which means I have to go back and make them consistent - and I just don't give enough background. Again, that is solved by going back and doing a second draft.

Beta reader feedback so far is very positive.

Day 6 and home: Disaster Averted

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:20:00 --0800

We were supposed to be on the road by 8am. And we would have been but for a pair of drunken hoons. No, not Stuart or myself, two Monaro-driving morons who were working on the roof of the local hotel and who fled after leaving a $500 bar tab. They went north to Franz Josef and smashed into the only power pole between here and the black stump, taking out all the power between Franz and Haast.

So we had to wait until it was light to pack, and this delayed us for over an hour.

We got a good close look at Franz Josef Glacier, now much higher in my books than Fox - at least you can approach it. Got some nice close up shots.

Then the fun began. We arrived at Otira in the rain at about 4.30, but Arthur's Pass was closed by snow. We raced north to the Lewis Pass - having been told it was clear - only to encounter heavy snow on the Rahu Saddle (700 feet lower than the Lewis). We barely made it to Springs Junction, having passed a truck jackknifed in the snow.

By this time we had acquired a convoy, of one. Gemma had been at Otira, and like us she was trying to make a plane connection in Christchurch. There are a number of passes through the Alps, but none lower than at St Arnaud. Trouble is, that was seven hours out of our way. Still, we didn't want to get caught in the snow or get trapped on the West Coast. We managed to get through at St Arnaud by dint of some superb driving (by Stuart, who took it all in his stride) and outstanding navigating (by me). We eventually arrived exhausted in Christchurch at 3am. Fifteen hours on the road.

We entertained each other (and kept each other awake) with a combination of outrageous dialogues in foreign accents, including some creepy southern states stuff, by singing along to 70s albums and by me fussing about road conditions.

Today we flew ot Auckland, then I drove Stuart to Hamilton and he conducted himself admirably at the Penny's event given his lack of sleep. I said goodbye to him there - awkward, as I couldn't quite tell him what a lovely man he is.

Day 5: A Day of Not Quite

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:30:00 --0800

Today would have to be classified as a disappointment, as nothing fulfilled its promise. The drive through to the West Coast from Queenstown was magic, with a stop to take a photo of Arrowtown and later on of the Haast River – boulders the size of cars – but once on the Coast, things were abrupt and somewhat underwhelming. This from the place that usually surpasses itself.

We arrived at Fox Glacier about 1.30 and decided to do a glacier helicopter flight, including a walk on the neve (ice plateau) at over 2000 metres up the mountain. It was a great flight – we flew past Mt Cook (3754 metres, the highest in New Zealand) and landed under the shadow of Mt Tasman (3497 metres), having flushed a mountain Tahr and enjoyed lots of snowy excellence. So why did it feel so flat? Well, it was over far too quickly. We were back on the ground a bare 30 minutes after we left. Worse, the pilot did not switch off the helicopter while we walked on the ice, so there was no sense of being in a pristine environment. We felt very much the intruders.

So we decided to drive to the snout of the glacier to see it up close. Problem was, the access track is closed. No access closer than one kilometre. This outrageous state of affairs is because two clowns got themselves killed by an icefall at the beginning of the year. I’m a damn geography lecturer, I know how to handle myself, so why should I be forbidden access? Truth is, this is convenient for DoC staff who can ease back a little with no track to maintain.

Argh. Well, let’s go and walk around Lake Matheson and see if we can see the famous reflection. I enjoyed this but Stuart, with some childhood idea of primordial forest, was rather underwhelmed. I think the West Coast rainforest is very beautiful, myself. Photographic evidence attached.

Day 4: A Day of Wonder and Glory

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:37:00 --0800

Wish I could tell you how good that was. I knew it would be good, but I had no idea it would be magnificent.

Stuart agrees - he is gobsmacked. We're going around with silly grins on our faces and speaking in silly French accents like a couple of schoolchildren.

Didn't begin so well - the flight was delayed. But at 11 we set off, and the moment the plane lifted off the vistas opened up for us. I got a shot of the Remarkables with Lake Johnson in the foreground. Up and over the mountain ranges we went, and I took a good photo of the Hollyford Valley halfway between Queenstown and Milford. We flew straight at Mt Tutoko, the highest in Fiordland at just under 3000 metres, and it seemed so close we felt we could reach out and touch it.

We flew to the coast, affording a glance back at Tutoko, and then down Milford Sound to the airstrip.

Then the money shot - Mitre Peak, the most photographed mountain in New Zealand.

The cruise lasted two hours. I must have done it a dozen times, but never in mid-winter, and it was freeeeeezing. But good. Photos are largely a waste of time. 2000 metre mountains rise straight from the ocean, and you sail in between them. Waterfalls galore, both Bowen and Stirling falls are over 150 metres tall. This is what waterfalls should look like, Australia! (Even then, it's been dry recently and they only have about a quarter of their normal flow.) We saw seals too.

After the cruise came the flight home and my real treat. I told the pilot I was a fantasy author, and as the centrepiece of my second book I'd written about a lake above a waterfall where the Jugom Ark is found, based on Sutherland Falls and Lake Quill near to Milford. He agreed, for the price of the book - I'll send it to him - to take us there on the way home. I wrote about it but I've never seen it - until today! He took us right to the lake and flew us all around it. Magnificent!

The rest of the flight home was beautiful, with the view to the north of Lake Wakatipu, encompassing yesterday's Dart River Safari, the bst moment. All finished by 3.30pm.

Gobsmacked, I say.

Day 3: The Dart River Adventure

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:32:00 --0800

The day began early with Stuart complaining bitterly about - well, let's say men are men and sometimes smell like men. Too tough for you, Stuart? Take a drink from Hard Man's Creek, that's what I say.

We were taken from Queenstown to Glenorchy by bus, then by 4WD to the Mt Aspiring National Park. Must say, the weather was stunning and the vistas impossibly gorgeous. For those who know the movie The Two Towers, the Dart River valley was used as the backdrop to Isengard.

Photo opportunities stumbled over each other.

The jetboating was very enjoyable - a little tame for someone who's done quite a bi of it in the past, but still much beter than the standard Queenstown fare. But the highlight has to be the scenery. Truly otherworldly.

Day 2: Oamaru to Arrowtown

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:24:00 --0800

Stuart MacBride is a very funny man. Many people are funny without intending to be, but Mr MacBride means to be funny. Droll, in fact, is the best word to describe his wit.

He has discovered he is taller than me, and takes every opportunity to explore the comic possibilities this affords. I refrain from thwacking him with the box I carry around.

Anyway, today we took in the sights of the Moeraki Boulders, Dunedin, the windswept and hoar-fristed central Otago plateau, and Queenstown. All were splendid, none more so than the boulders.

Tomorrow we sally forth on a wilderness adventure, 4WDing, walking and jetboating our way up and down the Dart River valley. If I'm unlucky, Stuart 'Six Foot' MacBride won't drown.

Day 1: Christchurch to Oamaru

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:42:00 --0800

Today my youngest brother James and I played our annual golf grudge match. To my surprise James won, helped a little by the 18 shots I gave hom. But he had a glorious period that meant I was consigned to the 2009 dustbin.

After lunch Stuart and I headed off for a three hour drive south to Oamaru. An odd place to stay, but there is a fun little place to watch penguins come ashore and that's what we did. Eventually. After not being served petrol at one service station, despite asking nicely.

Then there was the evening meal. Oh dear! To call it a meal would be a serious abuse of the word. We were told they had a buffet but no menu. Our hearts sank, but bravely we agreed. Mistake! The meat was stringy, the veggies over-sauced, the plum sauce diabolical and the custard, oh dear, looked like reconstituted vomit. Certainly someone must have eaten it. Before it was served.

Accommodation is excellent, andwe are off to the Moeraki boulders tomorrow morning.

Gallavanting

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:32:00 --0800

I'm about to set forth on a trip around the South Island with a total stranger.

I've done this before, of course: long-time readers of my blog will remember three years ago I took Ellen Datlow on a week's tour of the South Island. This is the same deal, only my un/lucky companion is Stuart Macbride, the Scottish crime fiction author.

We were brought together by the amazing Linda, she of Penny's bookstore fame and weird and wonderful contributor to this blog, as well as part-time donkey. (Don't ask!) Linda is an avid crime fiction reader and met Stuart in Harrogate a while back in her role as intrepid fan. Stuart's over here doing media work and looking for a holiday after meeting a deadline. I'm in need of a break. It all works.

So for the next week or so I'll be gallavanting around with what promises to be a mad Scotsman in tow. I just hope it doesn't decide to snow...

Your Weekend

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:46:00 --0800

I've had a few writeups in the print media these last few years - both for the novels and for the atlases - but the article appearing in todays 'Your Weekend' is the best I've read.

Don't know what it was that made the interview go so well. Actually, I do. I've been reflecting on life a great deal lately, and have been subject to intense questioning by a trusted friend. So the interviewer got the fallout from that. I've never been so candid about myself of why I do what I do. Actually, at the time I had no idea I'd given so much away!

'Your Weekend' is a supplement accompanying most major national Saturday papers in New Zealand. I'll check copyright issues, and if I get permission I'll post a copy of it (photos included, so it will be accompanied by a parental advisory) on this website.

Off to Adelaide

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:43:00 --0800

Having attended the chaotic but wonderful NZ Natcon last weekend has reignited my hunger for the company of writers, readers and fans. So in a rash and ill-considered decision I'm off to Adelaide and the Australian Natcon, to be held this weekend.

Currently I'm using a wi-fi hotspot at Auckland airport. I have a bit of the lurgi and I'm hoping I don't get quarantined in Melbourne! There are some people I really, really want to talk to in Adelaide.

Sir Julius Vogel award and Book Launch

Sun, 31 May 2009 18:40:00 --0800

It's been a great night. The launch of 'Beyond the Wall of Time' was a great success. My friend Donna Hanson launched the book in front of an enthusiastic and supportive bunch of fans at the NZ Natcon. Thanks to HarperCollins, to Donna and all those who helped out.

An hour later 'Dark Heart' was awarded the 2008 Sir Julius Vogel award for Best Novel - Adult. I am so pleased, as it was up against serious competition. It is such a wonderful validation of the Husk/Broken Man trilogy.

Russell is officially happy!