The loss of tourism is a major blow to so many parts of New Zealand and it counted for a large chunk of my income as well. But it has to be said our little country was a tad overrun. We kind of hit capacity with tourists and just kept winding the tap on further and further as a "more, more, more mentality" replaced good old Kiwi commonsense.
In my opinion we nearly cooked the golden goose. And its ramifications reached so far that it changed the New Zealand lifestyle in so many ways. Like the Great Walks – how many Kiwis have actually been able to do those? Or the secret spots that now have well-beaten paths to them (often lined with toilet paper and faeces) and feeling more like you've been caught up in a bus tour than a special Kiwi adventure.
One thing I always loved was camping at Meatworks in Kaikoura – right there on the beach under the stars, under the watchful peaks of the Kaikoura Range and the crackling of the break just beyond the tent flap. Just perfection and placed superbly to break up a Wellington to Dunedin roadtrip. That's a thing of the past now. Kaikoura District Council wiped away the freedom camping travellers (who were defecating everywhere and anywhere) and in the same broad brush stroke removed a slice of New Zealand life.
The silver lining in this whole Covid-19 battle is that, for the next few months at least, New Zealanders can reclaim their country. Imagine walking the Milford Track with just Kiwis to banter with and play cards each night? Imagine sneaking into your favourite campspot along the coastline, cooking dinner over a smoky cmapfire and telling tall tales until the frost takes hold in the night. Or soaking in your favourite thermal pools, skiing one of our forgotten skifields, visiting Queenstown, or Rotorua, or one of our big cities with just the buzz of New Zealanders for company. That's what we have ahead of us and I reckon it presents some opportunities not to be missed. We know the tourists will return and we'll welcome them with open arms, but for now let's get a little Kiwi on it.
See you at the campfire ... Derek
PS Box of Light will be back to semi-normality again next week, but we're going to keep running the gallery as appointment only. So if you have a big blank wall in your house we'd love to help you find the right artwork for it. Just call us or email us to arrange an appointment: 021 139 8188 or derek@boxoflight.com We also have a selection of gift-sized limited edition prints starting from $49.
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