In the Company of Departing Spirits

In the Company of Departing Spirits, an artists backpacking grand tour of New zealand is about my visit to New Zealand fin 1987. I spent six months travelling around this fatastic country, both North and South Islands, sketching and painting. I packed my rucksacks with my tent, sleeping bag, camping equipment, paints, sketchpad and watercolour paper. My journey took me down through South Island most of the time tramping, walking from one place to the next sketching as I went. I also was fortunate to be given lifts and on a few occassions travelled by bus and coach. I camped most of the time but was fortunate to meet many very hospitable people wh invited me to stay at their house. This journey took in the West Coast, Otago, Southland, Fiordland and the Marlborough Sounds. After South Island I travelled north to the volcanic centre and thermal region. From there travelled the length of The Coromandel Peninsula. From there my grand tour took me to Northland where I had several adventures walking up to The Bay of Islands and to the far north. The book also mentions how I painted the fantastic scenery, the colours I used and style of painting. With so many paintings I staged an exhibiton of New Zealand scenery.