Scott Kennedy - Reissued

I thought I would share this blast from the past with everybody. I wrote this piece for The Source Magazine – the local hipster entertainment paper here in Queenstown (it’s the sort of paper you can say “fuck” and get away with it..) what brought it to mind recently was that the band in the piece - dDub has recently put out a new album and it’s fantastic (check out http://www.ddub.co.nz/ if you get the chance) and never pass up the chance to see them perform live… anyway this story is about 2 years old now and I was always happy with how it turned out (and so was the band apparently). There is nothing like the power of live music – that connection that you have with the band, the music and the audience can make for the best night of your life…. Enjoy!

I See a Sign
By: Scott Kennedy

Bono said it best so many years ago when he said the immortal words, “all you need is a red guitar, three chords and the truth” There is something about music that can mean so much more then the simple spoken word. And to hear that music performed live takes that communication to a whole new level. Perhaps my mind has circled around this idea lately as I have seen dDub twice in so many Saturday nights perform in Queenstown. When a band is on, when the changes are tight and they speak to you in a way where the line between the band and the audience becomes a blur, the experience changes from simply listening to music to something completely different.

Much to the collective enjoyment of everyone who shelled out for Jazz Night and those who packed into a sweaty Dux dance floor, dDub didn’t disappoint. It can be said that every live act has a reach within the crowd. By meaning that there is line within the audience that everyone within that reach is experiencing a different show then everyone beyond it. Some times it has to do with volume or the nature of the crowd. But more often then not it is a direct reflection on the band. Some groups can pull an audience in and make you feel like they are playing just for you. A good band can extend that circle maybe ten rows back, a great band fifteen and the amazing ones can bring everyone along, including the dish-pig out back.

There are moments in a great show where your heart beats to the rhythm of the kick drum. The bass line kicks in and you can’t help but move your feet, then the guitar breathes to life. Like an E-chord flavored bolt of lightning it goes through you like shock treatment. You are the music. You can’t tell where the band ends and you begin. Then the words are taken from your mouth and the singer tells the world. There is poetry to the world and a brotherhood amongst the seething mass of humanity that you belong. A brotherhood of instant karma where you know that this is a moment of your life that you have waited for.

I have seen it before, in small venues where a band with a huge stage presence can get the place rocking. I’ve seen the real pros do it too. I was there when twenty thousand people exploded to sound of the opening notes of “Even Flow” in the hay day of Pearl Jam. I sung with sixty thousand of my closest friends to “Where the Streets Have no Name” in a stadium made for football that U2 had made their own. But there is something special to be in a little place where the band blows a hole in the back wall.

All too often in this world where the DJ has taken over from the live act we are content to dance the night away to the sound of a record spinning. Now don’t get me wrong, a good DJ can rock a house and burst a dance floor. But there is something intangible about a group of people all in sync making music, right there, right now, just for us. There is that sense of danger that at any moment everything could change, they could change the song, they could fuck it up, they could play something new that nobody has ever heard before. That intimacy, where everyone is within that moment, is the missing ingredient that makes a great show somehow more grand then the sum of all its parts.

This all brings me back to dDub. There was electricity in the air at those gigs. A feeling that we were all on the edge of something great. We were seeing a band that was about to be everybody else’s favorite band. You couldn’t help but move, and be moved. They ruled the stage and for those few hours we felt like we were all living out the same life. The crowd, the band, everyone linked by music that was flowing through us all.

Then almost as quick as it started, it was over. The silence was painful and it was time to go home. Still buzzing, every moment away from the show separates us a bit more. We will have to be content with the residual buzz, the memories and the gentle hum in my ears until we gather again for the next one. Where we will become one again.

cheers,

Scott

Take Only Pictures & Leave Only (Carbon) Footprints

logged old-growth tree on Vancouver Island, Canada

April 22 is Earth Day and has been for the past 38 years now – once the day of days for patchouli munching hippies, the concept of environmentalism or more recently climate change has leapt into the international lexicon. Carbon footprints, recycling, hybrid cars and peak oil are all standard dinner table conversations the world over. Where once only leftist longhairs were talking about these issues even the most devout neo-cons are begrudgingly admitting that, “yes ice is melting up in the north.”

As a travel writer and therefore a frequent traveler the irony is not lost that one major factor in the climate crisis is the pollution created and the oil consumed by international air travel. So what am I doing to offset my impact? Well for starters I’m doing things around my home to lessen my footprint. My wife Sophie and I share a car (gasp!) and unless we are driving to the grocery store or an unreasonable distance we commute by bicycle. We recycle everything that we can, we have a worm farm to get rid of our organic wastes, we buy as little pre-packaged food as we can, eliminating post consumer waste. When the rubbish truck comes around we have the grand total of one bag – every fortnight! I’m a vegetarian, we grow some of our own vegetables, we take our own bags to the grocery store and we don’t accept junk mail. When I travel for work, Lonely Planet offsets my carbon emissions through climatecare.org - have a look and think about doing the same for your next trip. Does this all counteract getting on a jet and flying across the world? Probably not to be honest, but it’s a start.

So should people stop traveling? Has the golden age of gallivanting globe trotting been and gone? I hope not – those who have seen the wonders of the world are the ones who really do put the effort in to save them. By experiencing the world we will be empowered to save it, the more you travel the more you realize that people around the world aren’t that different – we all want the same things and the same things for the next generation.

I guess the essence is that no matter how careful we are and how much we do, there is still more to be done. If we work together we can make a difference, one light bulb, one plastic bag, one planted tree at a time…

Have a look at this brilliant video that has been all over the net recently. The logic behind the argument is undeniable and the evidence is compelling…



Cheers,
Scott

What is Success?

Mt. Earnslaw

What is success? Sounds like a straightforward sort of question. And maybe it is when you are talking about solving a math problem or shooting a basketball into a hoop. Success is defined as accomplishing the goal – getting that swish or answering that smattering of long division. But what happens when the pursuit is something that isn’t defined with the same rigid parameters? What happens when success isn’t a linear equation where the answer is easily defined? Perhaps that’s what I love about adventurous activities – more often then not the act of the pursuit is worth exponentially more then the sum of its parts – meaning that sometimes the real joy and beauty is found in the process and not necessarily the result.

This past weekend I went on a fantastic mountaineering trip with three friends into the mountains of the New Zealand Southern Alps. The plan was to climb Mt. Earnslaw – at 2819m it is one of the most coveted summits in the range noted for both its aesthetics and the variety of terrain that encompasses a climb of it. On Friday we blasted out of town after the 9-5ers could escape from work and made the 40min drive to the little town of Glenorchy. At the foot of the mountains; GY is usual jumping off point for mountainous adventures. We stopped at the pub, had our last proper meal for a few days and laughed about the climb to come. Soon it was back into the car and another 40minutes down the valley, over a few creeks, and well beyond what a Toyota should be able to do. Eventually we ended up near an un-drivable river and camped for the night. The autumn air was cool as we settled down into our tents, resting for the day ahead.

The next morning we woke to fields of hoarfrost and breath you could see. Hastily we packed up, separating out food and stuffing unneeded tents into the car. Shouldering our packs we struck up the valley, towards the peaks. Soon enough we were reminded that we were in NZ – we had to cross the river. Wet feet is never the way you want to start a mountaineering trip, but that’s just the way that climbing works in this country. Rivers bisect the valleys and there aren’t bridges to cross. This is a primordial land where the conditions you find today are the same as the pioneers encountered a century ago. Wet feet and happy we worked our way up the valley mindful of the trial to our left that would lead us to the alpine.

Soon enough we found the track and began the upward push. First through towering beech forest and soon through lush ferns – this was south island hiking at its best. The chirp of birds and the creek of swaying trees played a tune as the deep rich smells of the forest filled my nostrils. I did my best to drink it all in as we pounded ever skyward towards our goal. Higher still the rainforest thinned and the trees dissipated to become rolling tussock. The track was relentless switching back and forth and always gaining altitude. Snow began to appear on the ground – as we gained altitude we began to pass from autumn to early winter. In the shade the snow was deep and thick; water was frozen into a veneer of ice that reflected the midday sun. The tussock gave way to scree and rocky ledges and the climbing steepened. The trail convoluted around rock outcrops and bluffs. Winding a path around difficulties the snow became more prevalent and a part of our existence. Steps were taken with measured commitment – snow covered ledges had to be treated with respect.

Progress was slow – the conditions took some of the wind out of our sails and the day was starting to fade. We still had ground to cover as the light showed it first sign of fading. We had one more challenge to get through getting to the small hut we were aiming for. We had to cross the Birley Glacier and pass over Wright Col. Leading to the glacier we encountered the first sections of ice. A shield of frozen boiler plate 50m wide, 30degrees steep and in need of traversing. The run-out was ugly a jumbled bit of talus and bluffs. It was the sort of terrain where a fall wouldn’t be spectacular but the result would be mortal. Strapping on our crampons we made gingerly progress across. The ice was solid and unyielding. As a climbing team we all brought or strengths. Some of us had climbed allot and others glaciers were a new prospect. Halfway across the shield Brett made the call – he was man enough to say the words nobody likes to say. He wasn’t comfortable. Looking at the fading light and the terrain that still had to be covered before reaching the hut, plan B needed to be found.

Up or down? Up was too challenging in the near dark conditions and the thought of walking all the way down was too much to take – so for the first time in along time, it was time for the unplanned bivouac. Sleeping rough on a ledge under the stars can either be a dream or a nightmare – it all depends on warmth. If you can stay warm then it’s great, it you’re cold it’s torture. We found a good ledge and got down to business. We made a rock wall to shield us from the building wind and starting melting snow for eating and drinking. The hiss of the gas stove filled us with hope that full bellies would keep us warm through the cold cold night. I was lucky I had my winter bag and a bivvy bag to cover it – I would be warm. But my companions weren’t so prepared. Steve had a summer bag and Adrian didn’t have a bivvy bag – but we were all up for it – we knew it wouldn’t be pleasant but we’d survive.

Sleep came slowly for me and barley at all for some - but the crest of dawn over the eastern peaks brought us back to life and filled us with warmth. The night was cold, REALLY cold – after the trip we found out that it was -2c in town that night, town is 2000m below where we slept and we caught the full brunt of the wind. A safe bet would have been that we slept through a -10c night. Hungry and cold we started slow and weighed our options.

Up or down? We could run away with our tails between our legs or we could give this old girl another nudge – up it was. In the light of day we found a way to sidle around the shield of ice and scrambled on rock ledges ever higher. After another couple of hundred meters of height gain we got to the edge of the glacier proper. Gearing up we put crampons on and roped up for the crossing. We could see several crevasses on the plateau of frozen snow and ice and knew that the fresh snow had covered others. I lead through forging a path on the white world. We zig-zagged around holes and under objective hazard making our way steadily upwards towards the col. Near the top we had to cross the bergshrund – the transverse crevasse that stretched from one side of the ice to the other. The gaping hole was intimidating to the eye. It dropped down far too deep to contemplate plunging into. We found a suitable place to cross and I made the committing step onto the other side – safe and sound I moved upwards so that Adrian would have tension on the rope for his crossing.

I stopped and looked back as Adrian made his step. As he planted his right foot over the void the points of his crampons dig into the ice – but not evenly. I could see his weight shift to the inside and the weight of his pack took hold. In an instant he was airborne falling to the side right towards the gaping crevasse. Somewhere out of instinct Adrian swung his ice axe into the lip of the crevasse and miraculously caught himself. Looking down all I could see was his ice axe, his had gripping it and the very top of his helmet – the rest of his body was hanging in space in the void. Powered by adrenaline he kicked his feet into the ice and powered his way up and out. Knuckles bashed and bloody he stood safe and we all took our first deep breath in quite some time.

Soon enough we made it over the col and down to the tiny hut. Stopping for lunch we weighed our options. We could sit and spend the rest of the day wishing that we’d given the peak a try or we could drop the non essential gear and go give this summit a go. There wasn’t much of a decision to make – shouldering lighter packs we bashes op the scree towards the first rock band. Slicing our way up a gully we made it onto the bench and cut across to the next challenge. More steep steps all snow covered made the climbing challenging and exhilarating. There was running water all over everything the midday sun was melting the snow and everything was soaked. The climbing was straightforward but the soaking conditions made it unnerving and the daunting exposure only acted to exacerbate the issue. A few more rock steps and we made our way to the crux – a narrow chimney, near vertical with a huge chalkstone wedged into it. The rock was saturated and the holds all sloped downwards – the climbing was intimidating and sketchy. A previous party had left a length of fixed cord in the gully to help – but relying in the old piece of rope was a whole other thing to worry about. One by one we made it over the chalkstone and to the top of the gully. Looking to the west I could see that for the second day running we were running out of time. The shortened autumn days were working against us – it was decision time once again.

Adrian climbing the crux

Up or down? We were a scant 300m from the summit but topping out would mean descending in the dark – darkness would transform that water to ice and the odds of an epic were spiralling out of control. It didn’t take a debate or even much of a chat – we were going down, now. Retracing our steps we made it back to the col just as the sun dipped below the horizon – putting on the best sunset that I’d seen in a long, long time. It was a fitting end, a beautiful sight to end a spectacular day. In the hut we ate and drank and revelled in the warmth. We laughed and joked and relived the day.

In the morning we woke early, crossed the col, over the glacier once again and onto the snowy ledges. Down the steps, around the bluffs, down the scree, wound our way through the tussock, past the tarns, into the forest and eventually out onto the valley. My legs ached from the pounding – 2500m of elevation lost in one morning all over the course of 4km of walking. About as steep a trail as you can get.

So was the trip a success? We didn’t summit the peak - it would be easy to call it a failure for those reasons alone. Many would, the summit or plummet attitude is rife in the climbing world – but not in my world. The choices that we made on our trip – to bivvy, to turn back from the top are all tough decisions to make, decisions that we all learned from. That is what truly I love about adventure – the outcome is never known. Nothing is a forgone conclusion and nothing is set in stone. If we’d gone up there in ideal conditions when we had more hours in the day and waltzed to the summit would that trip had more of an impact? I don’t think so – I think that this trip was more of a success, because it was by the traditional benchmark unsuccessful. What we gained from failure, hardship and experience far outweighs standing on the very top of a mountain. Besides, now we have an excuse to go back!

Scott, Brett, Adrian, Steve

Cheers,

Scott

going the wrong way on a one way

Happy Friday everybody – I thought I’d pass on this absolutely brilliant youtube video to brighten your day. Just to show that everyone’s version of fun is different from the next, check out this flick of bike messengers in New York City having a little race. For those of you who’ve been to the Big Apple, you’ll know just how adventurous this ride really is! And if you haven’t been to NYC – well then you better get there, it’s a brilliant place. Check out my photo essay on NYC for a taste – click HERE to check it out….

Enjoy the vid and ride safe!
Cheers
Scott

Is this the end of art?

'Platinum' Scott shooting models circa 1999

Recently a friend pointed out a fascinating cultural observation. With the excessive popularity of user generated content websites such as YouTube – the standards of acceptance in terms of image quality are shifting – and shifting fast. Now what this means is that the general public is now more than happy to watch pixilated video with slightly out-of-synch dialog as long as it is current. It would seem that the immediacy of content – in other words the lack of downtime from shooting to publication has trumped quality.

This seismic shift in attitude has far reaching implications into all the corners of the art world. From photography to writing to film – everything is changing. Gone are the days when the images that made it to publication were solely from professionals. The contemporary art world and the land of media has been turned inside out.

The YouTube example is a fine place to start. It would seem that there is some sort of fork in the road at the moment when it comes to images. HD TV is all the rage, Blue Ray DVD’s are available in gas stations and amateur digital camera’s now have pro level resolution. On one hand, quality is the rage, and the ability for Joe Shmo to capture and create high quality images is easier then ever. But then on the other hand, even with those advances in quality, YouTube, with its fuzzy images is more popular then ever.

Perhaps it’s the recent popularity in reality TV that has spurred on this revolution. We have become accustomed to shaky hand-held camera shots where the exposure goes out of balance from time to time and the mic sneaks into picture every now and again. This lack of professional quality finish somehow adds a sense of realism – or reality if you well. No matter how absurd the action is in front of the camera, as long as the whole production has an amateur feel to it – people buy it.

But what’s really interesting is how that tack has crept into other sections of the media. Now we have the fake reality shows like The Office, Arrested Development and you can see it in the cinematography in shows like 24 and CSI. Don’t get me wrong, these shows are great – ahead of their time even (except for CSI – this is all getting a bit Murder She Wrote for my tastes… but I digress). People want the unscripted, the warts and all. Intimacy over quality.

But it’s not just TV or the internet. Photography is now shifting too. and this shift has less to do with cameras and more to do with cell phones. In the space of 10 years digital cameras went from being poor quality and overpriced to coming standard with every cell phone sold on the planet. The camera phone is everywhere and has become a legitimate tool for creating art. You see images on the news, on the net, in magazines all shot on camera phones. People love the images, they’re ultra current, they have that feel of reality and most frightening of all – the quality is terrible.

What about writing? The internet has paved the way for everyone to have a space to tell their story. I read recently the number of blogs that are started every day and the number was huge! You have to love the irony – me blogging about this… I think it’s great, everyone does have a story and the right to tell it. The next great writer isn’t going to be discovered from a creative writing course – they are going to emerge from the internet, be self published and totally independent. It’s a great time to be a wordsmith the venues for getting content out to the public are more pervasive then ever. But, you know there was a ‘but’ coming… what’s happening to the English language is what scares me.

TXT-speak is slowly creeping into the ‘literary’ world. GR8, CU L8R, LOL and so on are now permeating the English language. Is Shakespeare rolling in his grave or is it just the sign of the times? That I don’t know. But can you see Kerouac putting a happy face at the end of an email? Neither can I.

So in a nutshell at this moment in time – the general public is happy with images of dreadful quality, as long as they are fresh. They want to have their say on, whatever they want to have their say on and they are happy to say it in the most dumbed-down version of the English language we’ve yet seen.

Is this the end of art? Is this all a sign of the aesthetic apocalypse? I’m happy to say that I don’t think so. I think it’s a transitional moment in time. The ideas are great, but the technology is lagging behind. In a few years when the technology allows for HD quality clips on YouTube and the camera phone to have the imaging quality of a Digi SLR then it will truly be exciting times. I guess until then we are going to have to put up with a bit of camera shake.

As for the fate of language? Well the cream will always rise to the top, which has been true since the time of the masters and will become more and more relevant as we go along. Yes the vat of milk is getting pretty vast, but with more people writing and hopefully more people reading. The diamonds will always be found amongst the rough…

Until then, CU L8R
~Scott

Canada Live!

Well after months of work and nearly as much anticipation, Lonely Planet - Canada 10 has hit the streets. For those not in the know I wrote the Alberta & Saskatchewan chapters for this latest edition. I’ve finally got my mitts around an actual copy of the book and it looks great! My fellow authors have really outdone themselves and my portion of the effort has really come together just as I wanted. Seeing as it’s been officially released I can also let you know that this book also features a good bit of my photography. There is an opening section in the book that features the “Highlights of Canada” – 3 of my images were featured as well as my description of the Icefields Parkway as the number one highlight of Canada! Here are the images - the grain elevator in "Climax" Saskatchewan, The train leaving Jasper Alberta and a Chuckwagon race in central Alberta - plus this photo of me on the road.

Have a look through if you get the chance – you can order a copy HERE and have one for yourself! You’ll also find descriptions of some of my all time favourite places; The Ship & Anchor, The Drake, Moraine Lake, The River Café, The Galaxy Diner, Laggan’s and a whole host of other perennial classics that I was proud to spout on about.

Happy travels!
Cheers,
Scott

The Truth About Lonely Planet

Scott writing in Zanzibar

I’m not the only Lonely Planet author that has a travel blog – actually there are lots of us out there. On any given day fellow scribes will be spouting stories of travel from every corner of the globe. Japan, India, America and even humble old New Zealand all get their fare share of coverage. Most of the time the subject matter covers an equally large scope – everything under the sun gets a look in. in the past few days there has been a certain unifying topic of discussion that has caused nearly all of us to make comment.

Yesterday I was at the dentist – not the most pleasant experience at the best of times – especially when the dentist asks you the question you hope to never have to answer, “do you think you can handle me drilling this filling without freezing?” how the hell is one supposed to answer that one? But anyway I digress. While I was lying prone, mouth gapping my dentist casually mentioned that he’d, “heard on the news that some Lonely Planet author has admitted plagiarising, drug dealing, and not even visiting the country he was researching.” I was half expecting this, it’s been on the news, it’s been everywhere on the web, I just wasn’t expecting it while some guy has his fingers in my mouth.

A former Lonely Planet author (most definitely former now) named Thomas Kohnstamm has just written a book called, “Do Travel Writers Go To Hell?” in it he talks about his escapades on the road where he violated every written, unwritten and ethical rule that we have as Lonely Plant authors. He took bribes, plagiarised work, abused his power and got up to all sorts of other nonsense. He’s obviously not to keen on travel writing in the future as he’s told the world of his ‘exploits’ and has named names – mainly Lonely Planet. He says that the company didn’t pay him enough, didn’t love him enough and blames them for a whole host of other things – apparently, I haven’t read the book. Neither have many other people, it hasn’t hit the streets yet, but the speculation and out of context quotes are piling up thick and fast.

What’s my take? What do I think about this guy and his new tell-all book? Well as I said to my dentist, “aghhhaura ara, uar, gna” ok all kidding aside. I don’t know this guy, he’s been out of the system, for a while so I’ve never crossed paths with him personally. He did work on the previous edition to the Caribbean that I just recently worked on – I spent my days reading his words and going to many of the same places that he researched. And as much as I’d like to say a very theatrical, AHHH HA!” his work was up to scratch, he’d been to these places and as best I could tell didn’t take a bribe from anybody along the way.

What do I think about this new book, the book that you have likely heard about in the news? Well I think the foolish actions of one author are being used in an attempt to tar the lot of us with the same brush. I’m pissed off that he’s written this book, I’m pissed off that he is hurting my reputation and the reputation of my colleagues. I’m pissed off that the media is running with the story and attempting to discredit LP. I’m pissed off that by the time the truth comes out that this is one isolated incident (if it even turns out to be an ‘incident’) that the damage will already be done.

LP authors are the best travel writers in the world - the work that my co-writers do is outstanding, the effort that goes into making a guidebook is enormous and to have that reputation tarnished by one unscrupulous bitter, ex-author is sad. I feel sad for my workmates who now have to be questioned about our integrity, credibility and honesty. Sad that I have to spend time writing this blog and asserting the quality of a trusted brand that has been defaced. Sad that this ‘tell-all’ book is getting as much press as it is and I’m sad that travelers are second guessing guidebooks that they’ve trusted for years.

Does this author represent LP authors as a whole? No. Does he represent me? No. Does he represent the culture at Lonely Planet? No. should you pay attention to his shameless bit of self promotion? No.

Every industry has a few bad apples and to continue the colloquial proverb, don’t toss the baby out with this bath water. As a company we’ve tipped a bit of chlorine in the gene pool and the future is looking good.
Cheers,
~Scott

The Art of packing Light – a video blog

In a change of pace, I’ve decided to venture into the world of video blogging. In this first instalment I’ve created a 3-part video clip entitled, The Art of Packing Light. As a travel writer I’m often asked for tips and ideas on how to reduce the amount of stuff to take on an extended overseas trip. In this series I go through some of the recommendations for equipment and clothing that have served me well over the years and around the world. I talk about everything from suitcases and backpacks to shaving cream and hiking boots. So sit back, relax and enjoy. Feel free to forward this on to anyone who might be interested and I’d love to hear your comments and feedback!

Stay tuned for more video blogs!
Cheers
Scott
Ps. If you can’t see the videos in this browser, click on the title to go to my home page where you’ll be able to view the videos.


Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

It’s business time….

Have you ever run into a friend who you haven’t seen in a few years and they ask, “What have you been up to?” and the answer to the simple question is anything but simple?

So what have I been up to lately? The simple answer is I’ve been having the time of my life! On the 15th of March Sophie and I were married in Beechworth Australia – it was a tremendous day filled with joy, laughter and fulfillment. We were lucky enough to be able to share our day with family and friends from all over the world. People made the journey from as far as Canada to be with us on the day. It was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life – to have people come from so far for Soph and I is an experience that is difficult to conceptualize. All I know is that I will forever be grateful and thankful that so many people were there on our wedding day. It was a beautiful service, a tremendously fun reception and a day I will never forget… click here to see some photos of the day.

Still awash in the glow of married life I’ve returned home and to the desk to exciting times on a professional level. For the last year or so I’ve been stuck right into work for Lonely Planet and at long last the fruits of that labour are about to hit the shelves. Lonely Planet’s Canada is days away from being in the bookstores. You can order (or pre-order) it directly from the Lonely Planet web page – click here to check it out.

For this book I wrote the Alberta & Saskatchewan chapters. It was a real trip to write about the areas of the world that shaped me into the person that I am today. It was a fantastic experience, one that I relished. I poured that passion and pride of my home turf into the writing, and for that I’m most proud. The text came out exactly as I had hoped for and I’m stoked to have my name attached to what is going to be a great guidebook.

Other exciting news on the publishing front I story that I wrote has been selected to run in a new Lonely Planet travel anthology titled, Flightless: Incredible Journeys without Leaving the Ground. As you can guess the concept are stories about journeys that don’t involve the use of an airplane. This sort of idea is most definitely right up my ally! I don’t want to spoil the surprise about my chapter, but safe to say it was the story of a great adventure that really opened my eyes onto what is possible, or close enough to possible that it’s worth trying. The book comes out in August and some of my co-authors are of some note, both by literary reputation and by their adventurous achievements! Closer to the time of release I’ll be a bit more forthcoming with information, but for the moment you can call this the teaser trailer!

But before that hits the shelves I’m going to be neck deep into my next project for LP – I’ve just signed up to write Cycling New Zealand. I’m super excited to sink my teeth into this project, it’s going to be a magnificent book that is going to be a hoot to put together. Unlike most of the LP projects that I’ve worked on in the past, I’m not just writing chapters for this book – I’m the sole author. This means it my ship to sail – the workload will be much greater then anything else I have ever done, but at the end of the day it will be my book. So I’ll be spending a good bit of time on my bike in the next few months, touring around NZ, checking out the good spots and reminding myself that I am working. I start working on that in a few weeks, so between now and then I’m going to get right into some other projects I’ve been simmering on for a while (watch this space!)

I’ll leave you today with my favourite quote, something that I think about every day, and in the past few weeks has come to mean more and more…

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.

- T. E. Lawrence


Have fun out there!
~Scott