Archived images from my time in New Zealand during 2015/2016. New Zealand is originally known as Aoteaora by the indigenous Maori people. I spent a semester abroad completing an independent study with NSCAD University. I was amazed by the otherworldly landscape of Aoteaora/New Zealand. This was a time where I had been travelling on my own for two months, and had found a deep comfort and meditative practice in exploring the natural world by myself. I fell completely in love with hiking around the northern part of the country and experiencing its enchanting geography. Like many countries that have experienced the effects of colonialism, Aoteaora’s history did not begin with colonialism and its landscape is rich in Indigenous history. A local Kiwi shared with me an interesting story about how the Maori once told tales about the geothermal activity of Aoteaora and that it was caused spirits in the earth, which was nature’s way of warding off foreigners and trespassers.
