"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."
- Albert Einstein.
“Mr Tim does not allow himself to be constrained by the heavy crust of consumerism. He thrives on eclectic prose that is a value-add to any discerning business. ”
Travel Solitaire
Travelling solo has its perks: less arguing, no debates about where to dine; what to eat; what time to leave for the airport; air-conditioning on or off? “Shouldn’t we have turned left back there?” “Where are the passports? You had them last…”
Yes, trekking the globe by oneself might be blissful, but it can be a lonely planet.
Say you’re in Italy and you feel like ‘Pisa’ but you’ve no one to snap that photo of you propping up the iconic leaning belfry.
Or you’ve had an eye-full of towering Parisian landmarks but there’s no one to share your Chablis back at chez nous.
Travel for me is like keyhole surgery … in and out … minimal fuss … alone.
I discovered the loneliness of travel solitaire at 35,000 feet, on the top deck of a 747 en route to Buenos Aires.
As I gazed down at the snowcapped Andes: a wedge of baked Alaskas planking Argentina to the east, the wow moment I desperately wanted to share hung mute on my lips as I blinked at the empty skybed beside me.
Sure, you can buy a selfie stick, but that telescopic, aluminium thingum isn’t going to share a dish of deep-fried tarantulas in Phnom Penh or coo lovingly at the Taj Mahal now is it?
““Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” - Confusus”
Mahia Peninsula
Wellington to Wairoa
EVERY great journey deserves an anthem.
The Love Boat?
Come Fly With Me?
But what about a Kiwi road trip in a clapped-out Fiat?
Franz Josef Glacier
Franz Josef Glacier
The last time I saw ice this inviting it was circling a highball of blue gin.
It's all about the 'blue' up on the Franz Josef Glacier: azure, cerulean, sapphire.
Image selected by National Geographic as editorial favourite - from a series taken Darjeeling, India.
Mashrou' Leila is a Lebanese alternative rock band. They formed in Beirut, Lebanon in 2008 and have released three studio albums.
Fabulous Lebanese Rock Band Mashrou Leila took time out from their busy schedule to chat to Tim in Paris.
“Success doesn’t just find Tim, he grabs it by the horns...daily. He is the most hard-working man we’ve ever met.
There are no limits to his vision or imagination, which means everything is possible – anything is probable.
Great things never come from comfort zones, and Tim is testimony to this. ”
Foie gras de canard
Renmark, South Australia
Big wheels keep on rollin'
I rolled over and pondered my footwear.
My boots were made for walking, and that's just what they'd do, if only I could drag my tired trotters out of bed.
I was aboard the 10-berth, five-room houseboat named 'Desire', on a four-day, three-night cruise/hike, foodie’s getaway on the Murray River – Australia’s longest waterway at 2,508 kilometres.
Mad Hatter to the Royals
Katoomba, New South Wales
Head in the clouds
Not all travel is a 2,000 word feature, a journal or lengthy tome.
Sometimes it's a moment in time you share with Mother Nature, and in an instant it's gone.
Erwin Olaf's 'Royal Blood'
Empress Alexandra of Russia from the series 'Royal Blood'.
Chocolat Guanaja crème fraîche
“Tim’s travel tales gift new horizons of rare beauty.
Each stroke of his keyboard imbues the narrative with a unique temperament that radiates gutsy, warts and all stories that are both vastly entertaining and humorously informative. ”
Living Hawke's Bay Cover Shoot Lemonade Three Ways, Summer 2017/2018.
Living Hawke's Bay Magazine Autumn 2018 recipe - Mussels
Living Hawke's Bay Magazine Winter 2018 recipe - Chilli Basil Chicken.
“Tim is a superlative food writer and stylist, but the real magic lies in his ability to bring the dishes to life with his witty and engaging copy. ”
The Road to Kohima: Intrepid Travel
“I STABBED MYSELF IN THE FACE WITH MASALA CORN CHIPS A DOZEN TIMES BEFORE I CAVED INTO HUNGER.
THE ROAD TO KOHIMA IS A BUMPY ONE. ”
I've been to India many times for work and for pleasure, but this image always takes me back there. The villagers said they didn't know how old this lady was ... they stopped counting at 85.
I felt decidedly James Bond as I slipped behind the wheel of the new, boldly styled Jaguar E-pace. And as I popped on the stereo, I half-expected Shirley Bassey’s ‘gold finger’ to point the way. But I knew the direction – and my mission - to check out Jaguar’s first compact SUV. And she was a beauty.
“Tim’s a deliciously eccentric writer and like most great creatives, mad as a chair. He’s a joy to work with and always delivers on time and on budget.”
“Tim has the rare talent of making the dull and inert spring to life in a colourful narrative of whimsy and delight. It was a pleasure to have him on board and he’s welcome back whenever his busy schedule allows. Thank you, thank you, thank you. ”
Wales: land of immeasurable beauty
Even in the blistering heat of Qatar, it’s possible to get a chill…
Driftwood sculpture from Whakamahia Beach, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.
Surf and driftwood on a Beach at Napier, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.
“At first glance, everything seemed just as it should be: five bodies deep from the railing that surrounds the pit containing the warriors, and everywhere outstretched arms and a sea of selfie-sticks and smart phones swaying high in the air.
And the statues: sculptures to make you swoon and your knees buckle. The scale of the Terracotta Warriors slapped me giddy.”
The scale of the Terracotta Warriors is astounding, and only a tiny fraction of the whole army has been unearthed.
Beautiful Bora Bora
“Tim was a joy to have aboard the Marina in Bora Bora and his writing is some of the funniest, most engaging copy we’ve ever had!”
Oceania Cruises, based in Miami, Florida, operates six cruise ships on worldwide itineraries. It typically offers cruises that last between 10 and 14 days, but is also known for its long cruises lasting up to 195 days. Go to Bora Bora and try the Dom Perignon Degustation Experience!
Go to Oceania Cruises.
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Walter Van Beirendonck
Fashion visionary
Shotover Jetboat - Queenstown, New Zealand
“Like bungee or parachuting, many of us have a love affair with the dangerous or risky.
On most jet boat rides you get to thumb your nose at fate, but on Shotover you give it the finger.”
Swimming with sharks - Bora Bora
“I remembered reading somewhere the chance of being killed by a shark was about 1 in 264 million. You are far more likely to be incinerated by fireworks. But without a Catherine Wheel or rocket in sight, it was not a compelling argument.
And I seemed immune to the contagious confidence propelling sun-kissed bodies overboard, plopping like dumplings. I stood on the side of the boat, knees knocking, contemplating my shallow example of manhood when the universe decided to dunk me, and I slipped and fell in. ”
A two-metre Black Reef Shark
Tim’s maiden flight of his GoPro Karma Drone at Whakamahia, New Zealand.
Music: Stranger Tides by Teia Kennedy
Kate Miller-Heidke Interview
