Last trip to Taranaki

[@explorewithmartha6297]

🗻beautiful views on the way wowww 🌳🌲🌳🌲fresh🍃💦 blue sky☁ 💙 stunning historic site, calm, peaceful😊 i enjoyed it Thank you 🙏🏾😍

[@Chris-NZ]

Hey thanks a lot , glad you enjoyed the tour 😀

[@TravelWalksVibes-jh5xh]

Thank you for sharing such a special place

[@Chris-NZ]

My pleasure 😀

[@kylie2729]

Love the snow mountain and have been there a couple of times. Really enjoy the sunset at the end if the video ❤ thanks for sharing

[@Chris-NZ]

Thanks Kylie , glad you enjoyed the compilation of many years photos 😀 and more the recent videos.

[@leeyoung4305]

The scenery you can see while driving towards 'Taranaki' on New Zealand's North Island is very beautiful. And the pristine scenery of Taranaki was amazing, especially the sunset view at the end of this video.

[@Chris-NZ]

Hey thanks Lee, it is a very pretty and sometimes very rough coast and I’ve been lucky enough to catch some great sunsets there !!

[@leeyoung4305]

@@Chris-NZ My friend Chris, thanks for the reply, Taranaki's scenery is stunning!

[@wendingourway]

I can imagine that just travelling through brings back a whole bag of mixed memories. Sure are some pretty spectacular coastal views! My goodness, it's almost like you should just be able to reach out and touch the mountain...very cool! Indeed, good-bye for now, as I am sure you'll be seeing these sights again. Awesome!!

[@Chris-NZ]

Thanks Bruce . Yes the mountain completely dominates the landscape even from far away of course a long lens makes it seem overly near as in 2:14 or further away with a wide angle as in 10:23 both photos from almost the same location 😀

[@kyliehewitt788]

It’s very meaningful video. Full of the memories of the people you know Chris. There was always something special about the place and close people attracted you being there every year. Thanks for sharing

[@Chris-NZ]

Thanks kylie 😀 Lots and lots of memories 😀

[@chilleats7024]

Thank you for sharing such a special place. You have captured the scenery, people and nostalgia perfectly. A memory and tribute to longtime friendships and family. Enjoyed 👍👍🏔🏔🌄

[@Chris-NZ]

Hi, thanks a lot , glad you enjoyed the ride , for me it’s been a long one with many happy memories and yes some very sad ones too. Thanks for coming by and sharing a bit of the journey 😀

[@maxgrey435]

Fantastic video Chris. The mountain of my youth as you know. hope you and Family doing well -Max

[@Chris-NZ]

Thanks Max I thought you’d enjoy that one 😀

[@peterviragphoto]

Thanks for sharing Chris. I’m sure you miss your mate & the whole family🙏🫶🏻Great compilation & tribute! Have a nice, relaxing weekend!

[@Chris-NZ]

Thanks Peter , yes indeed one by one each leaving a hole, although none worse that my best mate and photo buddy of 41 years being killed at 53 , leaving behind four children that was really tough for everyone. Thanks for swinging by , I’ll have a look at your Kookaburra video, I saw it this morning in my feed but went out early to avoid a craziness of our local mall. 😀

[@JenniferLupine]

Wonderful drive and memories! Sorry to hear about your friend’s passing and his parents now too… hard to lose family like that. I really enjoyed the drive and the mix of sights along the way and old photos. I just kept thinking, if I visited New Zealand I would never want to leave. Your photos of the coast are so peaceful and amazing, and I love Mount Taranaki! Love the lush trees and forest and the one lane bridges. It’s really hard to say good-bye to places, maybe you will drive there again one day. 👌👍🙏 - Jen

[@Chris-NZ]

Thanks Jennifer, I’m sure I will be back sometime for nostalgia reasons 😀

[@thevalleywalker]

Sorry for your loss Chris. A lovely relationship you had with them . My lad visited Taranaki when he had a year in NZ and next to the South Island I was particularly jealous of him seeing these places..lol. Very enjoyable watch, thank you. atb Al

[@Chris-NZ]

Hi Thanks a lot , Taranaki is beautiful but the South Island is spectacular particularly when there is plenty of snow on the alps. I lived in Christchurch till I was 12 and have been back quite often, you’ll find I have a few videos from down that way , theres one from 24/4/22 and 3/7/22 you might like . (kzbin.info/www/bejne/gH-aoYuAiL-GqLssi=H-FoD5TgEft8Lzy2 and kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHK0mIZ-hNCdaJosi=D-pPmSxS_xnyZZMW ) 😀

[@IamaDutch-Kiwi]

Ah Chris, what a tribute to your home town and all those people special to you. I so understand the emotive reasons behind this trip and sharing it. Sitting here in Hamilton watching. Oh at 4:42 PERFECTION wow. That camp house- beautiful. Stunning photography and editing Chris. Loved the music too. Hats off to the tui capture. Haha, the humour in the paddock. My gratitude for having been able to watch this epic journey of yours. Thank you from this kiwi! 🙏🩷🙋‍♀️🥝

[@Chris-NZ]

Hey thanks a lot, it was a bit of a struggle putting this together so soon after Joan funeral , but then it was nothing compared to all the effort she put into the fish pies she made me over the decades 😀

[@FXWalesAnnaAlf]

Hi Chris I felt sad reading your description box about the history here for you in Taranaki and for the loss of people you loved here The drive in was beautiful, loved the sea and the sunset at the river mouth. The three sisters looked brilliant and that camphouse with the mountain behind was stunning. I loved Back Beach and I'm sure you had so many wonderful memories here, thanks for sharing a bit of your life with us ~ Anna 👍

[@Chris-NZ]

Hi Anna, thanks for that . The Camp house is a definite special peaceful place for sure absolutely, I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve sat up there and contemplated life the universe and everything 😀 . Of course what I didn’t say was all the very funny times I had there , the somewhat alcoholic croquet games on their front lawn, the hilarious banter around the dinner table and all the antics Jim and I got up to in our teens and early 20’s all for the benefit of my dads clockwork 8mm camera - still have most of that film . 😀

[@FXWalesAnnaAlf]

@@Chris-NZ That wood be sooo fun to see the crochet games 😄At least you have all of your memories :)

[@graemeblake9447]

Thanks for your videos. Born in Hawera and lived and worked around Mt Egmont. Been back for just over a year from living in the mountains areas of Panama, Central America. I lived in Volcan and Monte Lirio in the Chiriqui State of Panama. More than once I saw places up there that took my mind back to Taranaki, NZ. I sent a link to two people living in Panama for them to see your video of Taranaki. I'm living now in Brisbane but enjoy seeing NZ in your videos. Keep up your great work.

[@Chris-NZ]

Hi Graeme, Hawera, that brings back memories , my flatmate (in Wellington) folks lived in one of those little railway cottages there with a coal range still in use (I’m talking 1976 here) , best roast lamb ever came out of that oven. I follow quite a few sailing channels and many of them seem to spend time in Panama before making their Pacific crossing, certainly looks a beautiful place although very poor along the coast. While my best mate was living in Brisbane I spent a lot of time there venturing up and down the coast as well a inland, nice city but from mid November to April a bit hot for me 😀 Cheers Chris

[@graemeblake9447]

Thanks for your reply Chris. Yes, Hawera, I did my apprenticeship there. Never really looked back since then for awesome workplaces. Worked in many mines around Australia. Ridden my motorcycle from Dallas, Texas to Alaska, with my 12 year old son as pillion. Rode the same motorcycle from Dallas, Texas to the Panama Canal in 1995. So I have seen many different parts of the world. But in my opinion NZ has so much beauty and in many less miles to travel. Keep up your great work mate. My friends in Panama commented on the beauty of NZ in the video link I sent them.

[@Chris-NZ]

@@graemeblake9447 Wow that trip up to Alaska must have been epic, I’ve been to BC a couple of times and Alaska once spectacular!!😀 Rode a lot of bikes in the 1970’s.

[@graemeblake9447]

Hi Chris, yes the motorcycle trip to Alaska was in 1989 on a brand new Yamaha FJ1200. After Alaska we rode across to the 49th anniversary Sturgis motorcycle rally. I lived in Mexico and Guatemala also for a while and had motorcycles there also. Kawasaki KLR 650 and a Honda Goldwing. Had a KLR 650 here in Australia also. Ridden from Perth to Brisbane. Ridden from Melbourne to past Cairns. Had a Yamaha Virago 650 for a while also. Rode motorcycles to and from the mines at times.

[@NorwayHikesTrails]

Nice video Chris. Nice trip

[@Chris-NZ]

Hey thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed the tour 😀

[@peterfritzphoto]

A beautiful but terribly sad story. I feel for Jim's dad especially. If I lost my son, I think I'd go the same way. I couldn't imagine living without him.

[@Chris-NZ]

@@peterfritzphoto its actually worse than I described as Jim was killed in the same car in which his dad was in the passenger seat. His dad was never the same person, in fact none of us were , he had four children, two brothers and a sister . His brother was following and I in my role where I was working had to deal with the police fatal report. People don’t realise how the ripples spread out from sudden especially young lives being lost. Thanks for those comments Peter. I can tell from the way you take the pictures of your son how much he means to you.

[@peterfritzphoto]

@@Chris-NZ Oh, no… That’s devastating on a whole different scale. His poor, poor dad. And you, also. I feel for all of you. I’m beyond sorry.