Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 226 entries, all of them here in full.
November 30, 2012 · 672 words
Steampunk Town
File this under Serendipity. We had a long drive planned for today, leaving Te Anau in the southwest for a drive across most of the South Island toward Christchurch. We weren’t even planning on stopping in Oamaru, but Kathy wanted to stop by the information centre and see if we could book a room farther […]
Read entry →November 29, 2012 · 93 words
Above the Fjord
Lo! A photo of Doubtful Sound taken from the pass above. In the morning, the sound was socked in with rain, cloud, and mist, and it was romantic and mysterious. In the afternoon the sun appeared, and the sound opened up to the world, and was brilliant. Best of both worlds. New Zealand is […]
Read entry →November 28, 2012 · 62 words
In the Fjord
Here’s your takeaway photo from Milford Sound, which is not a sound actually but a fjord, carved as fjords are from glaciers. New Zealand is very excited over the Hobbit premiere, which is going on even as I type. How excited are they? During this morning’s news, the weatherman dressed as Legolas and gave the forecast
Read entry →November 27, 2012 · 515 words
Bowing to the Inevitable
One thing I’ve learned about New Zealand is that there is one Great Inevitable: Peter Jackson. You just can’t avoid the guy. For one thing, the North Island was covered with posters having to do with the premiere of The Hobbit, which happens Wednesday in Wellington— the rest of you have to wait till December, [&h
Read entry →November 24, 2012 · 63 words
Taos Toobox
It’s only a little over a week before you can submit your applications to Taos Toolbox, the master class for science fiction taught by Nancy Kress, special lecturer Melinda M. Snodgrass, and yours truly. Toolbox students have had an admirable record of sales and reward nominations and victories. If you’re serious about
Read entry →November 20, 2012 · 662 words
Welcome to Mt Doom
Behold Mount Doom, or as it’s known locally, Mount Ngauruhoe. This, wreathed ominously in cloud, was the (still active) volcano used by Peter Jackson to stand in for Orodruin in The Return of the King. I’ve been doing quite a bit of interaction with the local geology for the last few days. Kathy was down […]
Read entry →November 19, 2012 · 416 words
Hobbitses
So our first day off the boat and we ended up in Middle-Earth. Specifically Hobbiton, the set built by Peter Jackson for his Tolkien-based epics. Hobbiton is near a town called Matimati, which is remodeling its information center to resemble a twee hobbit house. The Maori carvings inside are now eclipsed by a statue of
Read entry →November 18, 2012 · 53 words
Exploding
We have left the Plague Ship of Death, though not without cost (we both have colds). The ship has a few more days of incubating viruses before landing in Sidney— if I were Australia, I’d consider evacuating the east coast. We are now in New Zealand, which has, umm, really active geology.
Read entry →November 14, 2012 · 1,322 words
Three Firsts
I’ve experienced three firsts in a twenty-four-hour period. I’ve seen the Green Flash, I’ve passed through the debris of an underwater volcano, and I’ve seen a total eclipse (from a ship). It’s the 24 hours I signed up for, so I’m pretty happy. The Green Flash first. I’d always heard about it, but never seen […]
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