This blog has moved

Please head to http://www.adventureskope.com/ to keep up to speed with the latest news.

Cheers,

Scott

Adventureskope.com Relaunch!

Exciting times at the Adventureskope homepage – head on over to see a completely redesigned website! It’s been an exciting process to add all sorts of exciting new content – more photos, more video, more interactive features and all of stuff in one handy place. Have a look – http://www.adventureskope.com/
You’ll notice that this new site has a dedicated blog tab – that means this Blogspot blog will shutting down. All of the archives will live on the main Adventureskope site and you’ll be able to RSS feed from the new blog page as well as subscribe via email updates. All will be smooth as silk – trust me!

Cruise on over have a look at the blog page and make sue you update those subscriptions!

Cheers,
Scott

Adventureskope.com is about to be re-born

My main webpage - Adventureskope.com is currently under construction. This Blog will remain live during the construction process. Keep checking back for the re-launch of the all new and improved Adventureskope.com!

Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns in the meantime.

cheers,
Scott
scott@adventureskope.com

Queenstown on the Cheap - New video from LPTV

Have a look at this video that I made with the folks at Lonely Planet TV. It's all about Queenstown, New Zealand and how you can have a good time and not spend too much money in the process. Enjoy!

The Banned List

Ever wondered what a writer isn’t supposed to say? Check out this list of oft over-used turns of phrase that have been banned by one of the publications I work with. If the stuff you're reading (or writing) is full of these, it’s time to up your game...

- foodie
- xx-lover’s (eg, art-lover’s / food-lover’s etc)
- referring to people as if they’re defined by one things (‘Urbanites will love…’)
- referring to the reader as a potential tourist (‘Visitors will find…’)
- referring to travellers (‘Most travellers bypass…’) and travel generally
- quirky
- an XX for all the senses
- an assault on the senses
- must-see
- xx's paradise (eg, shopper's paradise)
- trendy/funky
- on-trend
- we're loving...
- XX has it all
- a XX of contrasts
- eye-opening
- oh-so
- spurious references to celebrities
- alliteration
- indulge in a spot of... (eg, pampering)
- good for the… (eg, soul/waistline)
- mouthwatering
- awe-inspiring
- an XX to remember
- fresh (as in ‘fresh fish’ – also ‘comfy’ beds and ‘spotless’ bathrooms: why would we include them if they weren’t?)
- referring to food as ‘tasty’ (you’d hope it would be)
- treat
- gem (particularly ‘hidden gem’)
- boasts… (if the thing doing the boasting is an inanimate object, eg ‘the hotel boasts a pool and spa’)
- ooze (eg, ‘the hotel oozes charm’)
- award-winning (meaningless on its own – and not that helpful unless it’s a widely-known and prestigious award)
- fare (instead of food)
- achingly (hip/pretty etc)
- culture vulture
- The place (for XX or to be seen etc)
- chic, when used excessively (shabby-chic, boutique-chic etc)
- adrenaline junky
- referring to crowds/scenes/type (‘the arty crowd’)
- default adjectives (eg, ‘lush’ for any type of verdant landscape; ‘sleek’ for modern interiors/architecture; ‘cosy’ for bedrooms or pubs, ‘bustling’ for market etc)
- airy (as in ‘light and airy rooms’)
- Think… (when asking a reader to imagine a place)

This is how I did it.

Last week I posted this photo and posed the simple question of, “How did I do this?” I gave a few hints by saying that it wasn’t done in post production (Photoshop) or by attaching a filter to the camera. There were some good guesses (and some odd ones...) but Kelly Third (fellow Western Academy of Photography Graduate) got it in one. I shot the photo ‘through’ a water glass.

So why did I do this? I wanted to illustrate a concept that I’m coming to embrace more and more these days. Art is everywhere and the only limits to creativity are the barriers we put in front of ourselves. Last year I posted a similar photo taken by my nephew Tom – Tom shot this by placing his finger over the flash and illuminating the scene red. Genius. Read the original post HERE.

Thanks for reading, thanks for guessing and keep on the lookout for art – it’s everywhere...

The 7hrs of 7-Mile

7-Mile is a legendary mountain biking area near Queenstown, New Zealand. So legendary that I rated it as “The Best Mountain Biking in NZ” when I authored Lonely Planet – Cycling New Zealand last year. This purpose built series of trails are pristine singletrack designed for mountain bikers, by mountain bikers. Today an annual endurance event called the 7hrs of 7-mile was held. As an individual or a team you race to complete the most laps you can during the 7hrs of racing. As a special treat the organizers (The Queenstown Mountain Bike Club) tends to use the event to debut new trails and today was no different. I’m in the midst of preparing a full race report for Arc Magazine, but in the meantime as a treat for dedicated Adventureskope readers, here are some photos of the race.

Photo of the day

This shot was all done in camera - guess how? Hint: it wasn't a filter. Put your guess in the comments and I'll spill the secret soon! 

Photo of the day

Out of hibernation The Photo of the Day is back. Busy times dear blogland – Arc Magazine is up and running full steam and has stolen much of my time these days. Be sure to head over and take a look if you haven’t as of yet - http://www.arcmagonline.com/ - We’ve just added a Facebook page, a Twitter account and in a few days our first Podcast goes live. Episode 1 features an extended interview with Fitz Cahall founder of The Dirtbag Diaries and The Season!

Watch this space and watch that space.

Introducing Arc Magazine

For the past little while dedicated readers will know that i’ve been hinting at a ‘Super-Secret-Project’. The time has come to lift the curtain and reveal what I’ve been up to. Arc Magazine. Arc is a new and exciting project that I think you guys are going to be interested in. Arc is all about Travel, Adventure, Music and Art brought to you by some of the best writers going. At Arc we’ve brought together a collection of writers that are at the cutting edge of the field and we’ve got them all in one place. It’s a one-stop-shop for the cutting edge of some very interesting topics.
Head on over and have a look - http://www.arcmagonline.com/
__________________
Arc Magazine

Everything has a curve – we’re just ahead of it.

Travel – Adventure – Music – Art. Four planets that revolve in a solar system that lives in our dreams. Unrelated to some – symbiotic to others; these are not just leisure activities or the spice – they are what we are all about.

Arc Magazine brings together the best writers in the world to share their experiences. With the collective experience of hundreds of travel guides and thousands of articles published these writers are a cut above the rest. You can find content everywhere on the web – at Arc Magazine you’ll find stories and experiences you’ll not just want to read, but want to live.

At Arc we strive for excellence, style with substance, words that move and images that inspire. Keep reading – it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Scott Kennedy
Editor