For the first time in a while, it's pissing down. And along with the quiet passing of the Winter soulstice, winter is progressing well. But no better time than now to plan for the Summerness ahead and package up a trip to somewhere, anywhere, out there. So the Americas are up for grabs and I'm taking them while I can. All sounds very criptic, what!

Now playing: Grace Jones - Private Life

Ports of Auckland throw their rubber duckies around for show.

Now playing: Black Grape - Kelly's Heroes

All roads lead to the other side!

Now playing: Ben Othman - Lounge Oud Vs. Fawzi Chekili

To round out the long weekend, thanks to the Queens Birthday, Natadola, Fiji Islands.

Now playing: Prodigy - Narayan

On finding the way to create freaky cool images like these, I've become semi obsessed at the subjects that work with the process. It's in it's infancy, but camera in hand tommorrow will see some new experimental procedures carried out and results, no doubt, flung forth on these wee pages.

Now playing: William Orbit - Sea Green

Thames River at night looking towards canary wharf. In a weird funny sort of way!!

Now playing: U2 - Zooropa

Clifton River, Fiordland National Park.

Now playing: The Potbelleez - Dont Hold Back (Totally Ransom Remix)

St Heliers Bay.

Now playing: The Whitest Boy Alive - Golden Cage

The warm glow of the mid Autumnal sun still has such a wonderful feeling about it. Maybe it's just the hangover talking! 'hick'

Now playing: Basement Jaxx vs. Room 5 - Love Your Thing

Mount Maunganui, early in the am! I haven't been round these parts in a long long time. The tide has turned on Tauranga and the surrounding environs. The once apprently sleepy city of, what we were led to believe as the retirement capital of New Zealand, has transformed into a hive of development. To be honest, not a fan. It seems rushed and the natural beauty of the harbour and beaches is being swamped by sub-divisions, roads and multi story boxes. It feels like a free for all to do what you like, where you like and how you like. It's quite scary in fact. Hopefully, fingers crossed, there's a method to the madness! Please!!!

Now playing: Pendulum - Visions

Beach Hop 2008, Whangamata.

Now playing: The Shins - A Comet Appears

And finally the Routeburn Track. Traversing the Harris Pass and joining The Divide, which lies on the Te Anau - Milford Sound road, and the Routeburn Valley that leads into the head of Lake Whakatipu and resides near the sleepy town of Glenorchy. Straying along the upper edge of the Hollyford Valleys north face, the views from the path look south towards the Darren Mountains and seaward to the Tasman down the throat of the Hollyford River. Day 2 from lake MacKenzie Hut saw snow. Such an unexpected guest, but a well and truly loved best friend. The scenary overnight changed dramatically from the warm hues reflected from the sun to the shear whiteness brought by the blanket of icy moisture. The whole day was walked in light flurries of flakes and bursts of light. Stunning! And I now know the true meaning of 'pass'. A mountain not quite as high as the rest!!! To compare the Milford to the Routeburn is time wasted. Both very unique and quite different. It's sad now to sit here back in the city, behind the screen and relive the journey through pictures as the memories and experience flow forth. Appreciation is something gathered from such contrasts.

Now playing: Shiloh - Vonyc Sessions

Milford Sound, nestled in shear fiord walls, is deep in the heart of Fiordland National Park. This place makes you realise how strong mother nature is in its ability to carve huge U shaped gouges in the surface of the earth. Long gone are the glaciers that scorched their mark over 13000 years ago, although the tips of the peaks still hold the last of the glacial ice. The Sound itself averages 200m deep and the cliff faces loom up to 1600m above. It's so hard to describe the massiveness of these mountains of rock. The atmosphere of the surrounds is gobsmacking. Two out of three days sees rain, and not just ordinary rain. Between 7 and 8 metres of rain falls each year in these parts, with the hillside awash with nemerous waterfalls cascading down to the salty bath at the bottom. The shear volume of water means that there is an 8 metre deep freshwater layer floating on top of the tidal sea which feeds from the Tasman some 10 miles west of Milford Sound town. From Milford Track to Milford Sound time for the Routeburn Track.

Now playing: Sofa Surfers - Gamelan

They say a picture paints a thousand words, there aren't enough words to describe the beauty and mesmerising nature the Fiordland National Park has on the senses. There can be few places in the world that can surpass this place in terms of natural, untouched landscapes and all this in 'Gods Own' back yard. Jeepers we're a lucky bunch, us Kiwis! Below are a 'few' images of the Milford track. No pictures can do it justice, go and see for yourselves.

Now playing: Nick Warren - Live at Studio, Budapest (Classic Party)

With daylight saving all over rover, the shadows are drawing longer sooner, the air is chilling quicker and the shades of orange into the evening seem more wintery. The true feeling of Autumn is now kicking in although the sun is still breathing its warmth hard during the days. But nothing can stall the impending wintery fix about to envlop us in the coming months.....

Now playing: Minuit - The Guards Themselves

The big finale of the Summer festivals came and went yesterday, with Fat Freddy's Drop playing a stonking 2 hour set into the early evening. Coinciding with the end of daylight saving, Grey Lynn Park was full to the gunnels with high spirits, smiling faces and positive energy to burn. Long live the Summer!!!

Now playing: Sofa Surfers - 21st Century Army (feat. Oddatee)

Last night saw the end of the Titirangi Festival of Music 2008, a week long celebration of kiwi music. Held in the local hall, arriving took me back to the days of Form 2 social at Feilding Intermediate! Last time I saw Pitch Black, was in the sereal underground space of Fabric in London. Then, like now, they rocked the party deep down and dirty. The suprise however was Minuit. A Head thumping experience like nothing I've seen, with the cool soft voice of the female vocalist side by side some heavy beats made for one hell of an ear fest! HOORAA!!! Supporting them both and warming the tentative crowd, Tahuna Breaks set the atmosphere with a 7 piece band laying down some fat funky sounds. A superb night and big ups to the Titirangi Festival of Music giving us such aural pleasures.

Now playing: Pitch Black - Speech (Freedom Of Speech Mix) (of course)