Re-tracing Steps - A New Zealand Honeymoon
For some journeys, the destination is decided long before the tickets are booked.
For years, New Zealand had occupied a special place in their imagination. A close friend had moved there in 2010, sparking a fascination that only grew stronger with time. When it came to planning their honeymoon, there was never any debate about where to go - the decision had already been made.
What followed was a journey through a country that seemed to contain every landscape imaginable. Golden beaches, vineyards, volcanoes, turquoise rivers and snow-capped mountains unfolded one after another, often within a single day's travel. Visiting in the height of summer, they remember endless sunshine, impossibly vibrant green landscapes and the distinctive sulphur-scented air of Rotorua.
Above all, they remember a constant sense of awe.
There was kayaking along the Kaituna River and the excitement of Okere Falls. Birthday celebrations at Hot Water Beach. Sunrise coffee atop Isthmus Peak. The dramatic scenery and wildlife of Milford Sound. The challenge, when reflecting on the trip, is not finding one special memory but choosing between hundreds.
In the end, a single location could never tell the story. Instead, they commissioned a map of the entire country, tracing the route of their honeymoon and marking the places that made the journey unforgettable. The contour map captures the extraordinary diversity of New Zealand's landscapes, while the engraved route turns it into something more than a map; a record of a shared adventure.
Today, the piece hangs at the heart of their home, greeting visitors as soon as they step through the door. More than a reminder of a honeymoon, it serves as a daily reminder of a journey that had lived in their imagination for years, and ultimately exceeded every expectation.
An entire country distilled into a single piece of artwork, and a collection of memories that will last a lifetime.
