Tag Archives: New Zealand

Goin’ Mobile beep, beep

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

If you land on TBTP on a regular basis, you know how I feel about bookmobiles, traveling libraries, and itinerant bookstores. So, you won’t be surprised by these two stories about mobile booksellers from opposite sides of the globe. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Telling Stories About Heroes

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I was dead chuffed to stumble upon the wonderful short film “Troll Bridge” which was based on an original short story of the same name by the late great Terry Pratchett. Directed by Daniel Knight, the movie was created after … Continue reading →

Posted in Animation, Books, Film, movies, Tourism, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Under the Social Influence

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

By now you have probably noticed that I’m a sucker for a clever travel/tourism campaign. So it will be no surprise that I fell hard to this clever video from New Zealand urging travelers to stop repeating stereotypical photos they … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Travel, Film, Photography, Tech, Tourism | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

across those borders where only teachers travel

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

WOODWORK Bill Manhire Children are building their teacher a coffin. There it is in the paper, somewhere in Holland, a good plain coffin made of many parts, and two of the children call each day and talk to the teacher … Continue reading →

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Forest of Hope

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I spent November 2019 in New Zealand and had hoped to be back again this year, but the Covid-19 pandemic ended that notion. Still, I hold out some hope to return to Aotearoa sometime in 2021. In the meantime, New … Continue reading →

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Is nostalgia a coping mechanism

Posted on November 6, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

As I was attempting to deal with the overwhelming political anxiety of this fraught time in the United States, I chose to fall back on my go to method of diversion: travel nostalgia. It’s hard to believe that I haven’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Travel, Maps, Tourism | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Halloween Travel Haunts

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I have to admit that I was surprised to discover that Larnach Castle in Otago, New Zealand was on a list of 45 haunted travel destinations in a Condé Nast Traveler article on the spine-tingling subject. When I visited the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Asia, Canada, Europe, Tourism, Uncategorized, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s Penguin Voting Time Again

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I can’t believe that at this time last year I was packing for a trip to New Zealand and voting for Penguin of the Year. Well elections are on everyone’s mind in the US, New Zealand and beyond.  But advance … Continue reading →

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Listen to the Forests

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

A site called Sounds of the Forest is collecting sounds from forests and woodland areas around the world and presenting them on a world map.They are collecting the sounds of woodlands and forests from all around the world, building a soundmap … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps, Tech | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Just One of the Reasons We Love Iceland

Posted on June 13, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

According to the 2020 Global Peace Index, Iceland is the most peaceful nation on the planet. Since 2008, the Institute for Economics and Peace has ranked Iceland first. This year, it is followed by New Zealand,  Austria, Portugal and Denmark on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Freedom of Speech, Tourism, Uncategorized, USA | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments