NZPhotographer Issue 61, November 2022

As I sit down to write my last article of ‘From The
Road’, I find the world has gone full circle with travel
almost back to ‘normal’.
For the last two years, I’ve had to research every
destination I’ve been to very thoroughly to know what
exactly the restrictions were and what was required
of me. I’ve done hundreds of PCR tests and had three
vaccinations, and for a while, the Covid paperwork
was more critical than whether or not one had a
visa! Therefore, it is such a relief to see that every day
another country joins the list of those not requiring any
health documents.
Those of you back home in New Zealand who adore
travel photography must be thrilled that travel
restrictions have finally been removed and that almost
every country is now open for tourism. I can well
imagine many of you are getting ready and planning
your 2023 adventures! And I don’t blame you. Three
years have passed, but now you’re free to see the
world and spread your wings once more. Some of
you might be a bit cautious, but I can honestly tell you
there’s little to worry about. From where I sit on this
side of the world (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam), it really does
seem to be all done and dusted.
With that being said, now seems a natural time for
me to stop sharing my travels with you and for you to
go out and make some memories of your own, but
first, let me recap my adventures and share some
travel trips, by the end of this article, I hope you’ll be
booking flights!
THE LAST 18 MONTHS
There’s no denying I had a blast in 2021, as I
managed to visit more countries than I ever had in
any other year, and that’s saying something because
I usually visit several every year!
I started 2021 living in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park,
but couldn’t bear the ongoing 1 pm announcements,
so I sneaked out of New Zealand between lockdowns
(it really did feel like sneaking out, too); scurrying into
Auckland’s International Airport during one of the
many lockdowns to leave for Dubai.
After a month in Dubai, I visited countries I wouldn’t
typically have spent so much time in, such as
Ukraine, Bosnia Herzegovina, Albania, and Iraq twice
each. I even went back to Egypt for the fourth time.
I went to Turkey several times and applied for
residency, which was approved. I then based myself
in Istanbul for the next 12 months. During this time, I
travelled quite a bit in Turkey, though not as much as
I would have liked. I visited Cappadocia, went out
East to Van and Diyarbakir, and took some weekend
trips away to the Princes’ Islands. The year passed too
quickly, and before I knew it, my residence permit
expired, and it was time to write a new chapter.
I’ve since moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam,
where I have taken up residence. I plan to spend
the next couple of years here and will explore the
region while documenting my travels on my YouTube
Channel, GirlsOnTheLoose.
It was a real privilege to live within Aoraki Mt Cook National Park for 6 months.
Canon 6D Mk1, Canon 24-105mm F4L IS USM lens @ F6.3, 1/100s, ISO100, 32mm