There is a village in this small corner of Vanuatu, where several years ago a group of indigenous people came together to discuss a plague that threatened to destroy them. Their children were being abducted by corporate marketers hawking products irrelevant to their preferred way of life. Their people were abandoning centuries old values, ones that uniquely defined them. In short, they were in danger of losing their culture, yet another victim of the relentless spread of western consumerism.
They talked, they debated and they listened as a community, and in …

Since I’ve been a child, I imagined being in New Zealand. When I watched Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, spellbound, the child within was awakened. And so, here I am. No book, no documentary, indeed not even The Lord of the Rings, could have prepared me for the reality of New Zealand. It is stunning, the penultimate eye candy, an unending visual spectacle that boggles the mind.
From Christchurch to Fiordland
We left Christchurch (see http://blog.lesterpickerphoto.com/2010/11/20/alive-and-well-in-christchurch/) heading toward Fiordland National Park, on a mission to scout out the South Island for our …

Once in a while I’m blessed with a wonderful surprise as a travel photojournalist. I get to visit a place for which I had no expectations, but which brings forth hidden jewels. That was the case when I visited Lifou, one of the Loyalty Islands in the archipelago of New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: A New Future
New Caledonia is currently a French protectorate, but is slated for a vote on independence in 2014. Recognizing that its future economy will, in large part, depend on tourism, the island group is busily preparing. Even …

What Earthquake?
New Zealand is subject to earthquakes… lots of them. But after the recent earthquake tragedy in Christchurch, New Zealand, I’m convinced that the media whipped it into a distorted frenzy. Yes, one person died several days later of a heart attack. But the devastation I witnessed while here is nowhere near as bad as I had imagined.
To be sure, there are buildings down and repair work going on in the downtown business areas. There are regular aftershocks, and we felt a slight tremor at 10:30 at night on our …

The Great Ocean Walk
Sure, you may have heard of Australia’s Great Ocean Drive (if you haven’t, please see my previous blog: http://blog.lesterpickerphoto.com/2010/11/12/the-great-ocean-drive-photo-valhalla/), but have you heard of its Great Ocean Walk? Every so often I come up with a travel venue that I just love and want to share with my readers. This is one of them.
Various Aussie government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private landowners have created a fascinating, seven-day walk along the Pacific Ocean that meanders through scenery that defies description; along seaside cliffs, through cow pastures and verdant …

The Great Ocean Drive
There are just a handful of iconic scenic drives in this world. One, of course, is Highway 1 along California’s northern coast. Others include Ocean Drive in Acadia National Park, and the spectacular Road to Hana on the island of Maui. Add to that Australia’s Great Ocean Road, a jaw-dropping drive starting southwest of Melbourne and continuing west to Port Campbell and beyond.
As part of my current photo adventure (future photo travel workshop anyone?), I got to spend several days along Australia’s Great Ocean Road. It’s …

Viti Levu
Fiji is actually a tropical island archipelago consisting of more than 300 islands and 500 tiny islets. Only 110 islands are populated (by humans), but 87% of the population lives on the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, the largest in the chain.
And so, bound by our ship’s schedule, we stopped at the capital of Suva on the eastern side of Viti Levu for a day, followed by a one-day stop in Lautoka, on the west side of the island.
In one of my past blogs I talked about …

Sydney is a walker’s city, so I’m hard pressed make a recommendation for where to stay. Anyplace you choose, within your budget, of course, would be fine as far as location goes. I highly recommend the Four Points Sheraton, located smack-dab on the shore of Darling Harbour, and linked to it by walkway. The Ibis Hotel is another great facility, located a few blocks further within the city, next to the theater district.
The centerpiece on this end of the city⎯ and there are centerpieces throughout Sydney⎯ is Darling Harbour. It’s …