New Zealand
there and back again…
An attempt to an introduction…
Truth be told, I’m not quite sure how to begin writing about this photography trip. For seven months now, I’ve been staring at my screen, struggling to find the right words to describe the emotions I experienced during those three brief weeks.
Perhaps it’s best to start with why I needed this holiday in the first place. It all began while I was still working as a medical resident in Brussels. Those who know me well are aware of my deep frustration with how the Belgian government exploits medical students as a cheap labor force. As my final year of residency drew to a close, that frustration only grew.
I had also been working in a challenging area of Brussels for over a year and a half. The city’s poor management, rampant corruption, and the widespread abuse of our healthcare system gradually wore me down.
I needed a break—a long break. Far away. As far away as possible.
Being an avid Lord of the Rings fan, the choice was clear: I had to travel to New Zealand. To fund this adventure, I took on a temporary job and worked harder than I ever had before. Two exhausting months later, I found myself on a plane bound for Auckland.
First stop: Auckland
I landed in Auckland in the morning, eager for adventure but weary from the long flight. After exploring the city a bit, I found it somewhat underwhelming. Although I had planned to focus on analog photography, my disappointing results from a previous trip— I made a brief stop in Japan on my way from Belgium to New Zealand—pushed me to switch to my digital camera: a Fujifilm X-T4 with a kit lens.
To my dismay, I discovered that the digital camera was malfunctioning. The photos came out extremely blurry and pixelated, as if the ISO had been cranked up to 12,800. Most of my landscape shots were practically unusable, which dealt a serious blow to my creative motivation.
Queenstown
Later that day, I flew to Queenstown, and the flight was nothing short of spectacular! My heart raced as we made our final approach, with the breathtaking landscape coming into view. The small city is nestled between a tranquil lake and majestic mountains—a truly wonderful sight. I spent the day exploring the area, even taking a short hike up one of the nearby mountains.
Interestingly, most of the workers in Queenstown seemed to be travelers who had found temporary jobs to fund their adventures. While this gave the city a transient vibe, making it less appealing in some ways, it was still a nice place to begin my journey.
I rented a small car and started driving around, which proved more challenging than I anticipated. Getting used to driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road took some time, but after a few beginner mistakes, I found my rhythm. With just my backpack and tent, I set off on my adventure.
First stop: Auckland
I landed in Auckland in the morning, eager for adventure but weary from the long flight. After exploring the city a bit, I found it somewhat underwhelming. Although I had planned to focus on analog photography, my disappointing results from a previous trip— I made a brief stop in Japan on my way from Belgium to New Zealand—pushed me to switch to my digital camera: a Fujifilm X-T4 with a kit lens.
To my dismay, I discovered that the digital camera was malfunctioning. The photos came out extremely blurry and pixelated, as if the ISO had been cranked up to 12,800. Most of my landscape shots were practically unusable, which dealt a serious blow to my creative motivation.